Post by Tim Hollins - (fourth post in a series) 1 2 3 4 5

Tim Hollins is a long standing supporter of GSN and has been active in promoting solidarity in the UK with Central America. In the following series of articles, Tim gives an account of 15 years of grass roots solidarity with the former refugee community of Nueva Esperanza, El Salvador. It is not intended as a “model” for others to follow, but merely as a record of some of the successes and difficulties that have been encountered in this period, and some reflections on what makes solidarity effective and some of the traps that lie in wait...

Popular Education

It is worth mentioning some of the principles of so-called 'popular' education. This has its roots in the work of Paolo Freire, seeing education not as an end in itself but rather as an agent for political and social change. In El Salvador the roots of the popular education movement are (like so much) in the armed struggle of the 1980s. The young people who went to the hills to fight (in defence of their communities and organisations, and to achieve revolution) were an incredible social mix – from the sons and daughters of the poorest campesino families to students, trade unionists, nurses, teacher, priests etc.

The levels of education varied massively – and as part of the goal of transforming society, those with education set about organising classes for those with none. Of course this was during quiet periods – at any moment combat, bombardment, escape, death were liable to intervene. With virtually no resources, systems evolved to teach literacy, numeracy, ideology, to those who had none (and agricultural skills and campesino culture in the opposite direction). All of this was based on the reality of peoples’ lives, starting from their own experience, showing that these skills would be a part of liberation itself.

Today 'popular' education has evolved considerably, developing into part of the state education system. Indeed one of the long running debates within Nueva Esperanza has been the need to engage with and eventually become part of the formal state sector, whilst attempting to maintain something of the original ideals of a school that would educate their children about the realities and injustices of their lives – and indeed the wider world. Ideologues would have the children educated as revolutionaries with no relevant qualifications; pragmatists would accept all the Ministry’s demands so that there would be formal recognition of the children’s achievements. The reality has been an uneasy compromise, with a change of school name (from “Heroes and Martyrs School” to “Nueva Esperanza School”), an acceptance of the local national curriculum and state recognition of all achievements, whilst attempting to maintain a progressive view of community life, and the rights and responsibilities of each community member – child or adult.

As another example of this tension, the Ministry has provided a series of external teachers to work in the school. These have ranged from the naïve to the down right hostile. The fact that the current head teacher is a member of the community shows that they have generally been successful in wresting decision making power away from those who have been appointed from outside.

Eco Tourism

During a visit in 2001, the two founder members of the support group had a fascinating discussion with members of the junta directiva about the ways in which projects could be funded without the involvement of NGOs who often have their own agendas to serve. Eventually the idea of organising visiting groups from Europe and the US emerged – they could have a wonderful 2 or 3 weeks experience of campesino life, and pay a premium above the costs of hosting them to the community to generate a profit. We organised the first pilot trip in 2003, and the second in 2005. Both were successful in their overall aims, were received very positively by the community, and the participants (4 in the first trip, 7 in the second) all had a wonderful experience. This whole project also probably deserves a history of its own, suffice it to say that at the time of writing the third trip (in 2007) is at the pre-planning stage. Again the principal of organisation and the project being community led is vital – imposing our views will not work, working closely together (even using phone calls to discuss arrangements directly) and being sensitive to the needs of the community creates viable solidarity based on mutual self respect.

Conclusion

In 2006 the school in Nueva Esperanza flourishes. To a great extent this has been due to the support of international solidarity (whether from the UK, Germany, Canada, Puerto Rico or elsewhere) – teachers and parents will always say “without our international supporters there would be no education here.” Contributing to the wages of the community teachers over a period of 15 years has allowed them to dedicate their lives to not only teaching year by year, but also to becoming trained, recognised and qualified, to the point where all bar two of the community teachers receive a state salary, and these two receive a community wage very close to the level of the state salary. Without this regular financial support, growing slowly but surely over this period, all of them would eventually have had to abandon teaching, to seek work to support their own young families. With the support, they have been able to provide stability, experience and expertise to develop the school, its resources and its ethos.

Of the original 12 teachers, 10 have worked consistently over the period, only one has dropped out of education. Recently the school achieved 9 out of 10 in the (state run) equivalent of an OFSTED inspection (they have those too!)

We have only provided the support and the confidence. They have done the work. They have had to build and develop a school in a chaotic post war situation, in a country where rural education was viewed with suspicion where it existed. They have  had to survive the devastating consequence of a series of natural disasters, each one a potentially crushing blow. They have had to deal with an openly hostile Ministry, and overcome every obstacle put in their way, eventually achieving the recognition of incredibly high standards though sheer will power and refusal to accept the insults and hindrances. They have had to believe that the goal was always just, and that nothing could deflect them from it.

And of course they will have to continue to strive for their ever present aim – a transformed society where social justice is a given, where education for all is a human right, and an educated campesino class will never again be treated in the same ways they were before the war. A society where new skills will contribute to the ongoing development of Nueva Esperanza, the Bajo Lempa region and indeed the whole of the country of El Salvador.