Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Nuevitas, Camagüey, Jan 6.- In 1961, being a recently graduated primary school teacher, Ofelia Domínguez Quintero left behind the little school where she worked to join the literacy brigade. Armed only with determination and her love for teaching, the then young teacher began a journey that would change her life forever.
When she heard about the Literacy Campaign she knew he should join and joined the other volunteers.
“I met in Varadero with all the brigade members. Once there, they gave us a preparation course and then assigned us to different locations. They sent me to a place called Falcón which is located in Villa Clara. I taught 11 people in total, including young people and adults.”
Despite the initial excitement, she soon realized that life away from home was harder than she had imagined. However, that experience allowed her to forge bonds that she remembers fondly.
“I had never left my house. I had to do everything on my own; For the first time I didn't depend on my parents. I stayed in the house of a family that was very humble but had good values. “They earned a special place in my heart.”
Ofelia was one of the few graduates and fulfilled the most important role and, therefore, was overwhelmed with responsibilities.
“I worked a lot; Since I was already a teacher, I had to act as head of the brigade. He taught all day without rest. She even secretly instructed a man in the patio because she didn't want anyone to find out.”
Teaching requires deep dedication, especially when working with people who never had the opportunity to study. Ofelia claims that this was the essential characteristic that they all had in common.
“There were kids there who were not yet in sixth grade. In my group only I was a teacher; but they had a desire to teach and that was the most important thing. They were revolutionaries, they had a passion that young people today would not understand; It was a different time. When Manuel Ascunce Domenech was killed, my group only had one small town left to teach literacy so they gathered us there. Following the tragic event, many worried parents went to look for their children. Not a single one left; The youngest of us was 14 years old, she was a girl, but she stood firm in her decision. “That is a small sample of the level of awareness we had.”
After the campaign, the dedicated brigade member did not stop, she continued to improve herself. She obtained the title of middle school teacher while living in Santa Clara, later, already in Nuevitas, she started working in a high school. Years later she donated her old uniform to the Museum, where it remains.
“I donated my uniform to the museum because I think that's where it belongs. What was the point of keeping it?”
Looking back, Ofelia recognizes that the most valuable part of her career are the bonds forged and the lessons learned that remain in her memory. She affirms that in his pupils he found a second family. (Text and photo: Suset Acosta Pérez/Journalism student/Radio Nuevitas)
