Venezuela: Illiteracy Free Territory
Thursday, Apr 21, 2005
By: Sarah Wagner – Venezuelanalysis.com
"The only way of ending poverty is giving power to the poor. Knowledge and consciousness are the main power!" – President Hugo Chávez
Even before introducing herself, Rosa Amorist volunteered to write her name, explaining that her wobbly handwriting was due to cataracts. The 23 de Enero resident recounted that she went to Barrio Adentro last month and had an eye exam. "Over the course of the past six months, my eyesight has deteriorated. The Cuban doctors looked at my eyes and I am waiting to go to Cuba so they can operate on my eyes….I have my passport and everything in order."
Rosa has been studying in Mission Robinson II for almost two years. A mother of five and a grandmother of eleven, she aspires to continue her education through the missions. "When I was a child, I had six brothers and sisters. At the age of thirteen I quit school because my older brother and I had to help our family. Although I stopped studying, I never stopped learning and I learned many things that helped me a lot in life as a human being. I am going to turn 75 years old…two years ago, when they started to talk about the Missions I came here and I signed up. Now I want to get my high school diploma and maybe even study in the university, who knows?"
"A Quality Education for Everyone"
On Monday, April 18th, Venezuela celebrated the eighth national graduation of Mission Robinson I. "Today is a great day," declared Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, affirming that "we are advancing towards a great objective, the joyous day when there is not even one person excluded." During his speech at the ceremony in the Teresa Careño Theater, Chávez honored the 32,509 Venezuelans who have most recently completed the program and emphasized that literacy is the path to the eradication of misery, poverty and inequality and making sure "that all of our people are happy." According to Chavez, Latin America has been humiliated and exploited; however, now "it is time that the people begin to roar again. In particular, the Venezuelan people who struggle day after day."
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1427