Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Nuevitas, Camagüey, November 29 - Facing the bay of Nuevitas, where the sea converses with the wind and seagulls draw figures in the sky, stands a magical place that holds the laughter and curiosity of thousands of children: the Antonio Ñico López Pioneers Palace.
Each interest group allows schoolchildren to discover new worlds: biology reveals secrets of life; the railroad connects paths; the sea teaches patience and adventure. In each classroom, an instructor shares his knowledge with the hope that one day worthy professions will sprout in the hearts of children.
Cultivating a love for a profession from an early age is an essential task. It is not enough to recognize that a child who sings, dances, or paints has the makings of an artist; it is necessary to understand that vocation is not the same as talent. Talent is the ability to learn or perform a task, while vocation is the inner calling that drives one to follow a path. When both are combined with study, learning becomes a fuller and more meaningful experience.
Therefore, vocational guidance should begin in the early grades of schooling. In Nuevitas, this mission has been realized for decades at the Antonio Ñico López Pioneers Palace, where numerous instructors proudly undertake the honorable task of guiding new generations. Among them is Griselda Hernández Iglesia, a railway worker, who fondly recalls how interest groups became spaces of discovery for students.
Researcher Antonio Vázquez Ríos, who was recognized in his childhood for his participation in the railway interest group, points out that the institution opened its doors on June 18, 1982. Since then, it has included science-related groups, an amphitheater with a capacity for 330 students, a concrete pier intended for fishing practices and maritime groups, as well as a central building capable of hosting a hundred children and teenagers daily.
There, in what was once a Meteorological Center that, during the Batista dictatorship, served as a naval prison, the revolutionary ideal of converting barracks into schools was fulfilled. The renovation was achieved with the decisive support of factories workers, local institutions, and entities, reflecting a collective commitment to education.
One of the most fondly remembered instructors is Jorge Miguel Font Nápoles, who in 1982 was selected to lead the Railway Pioneers Interest Group. Their work, marked by love and dedication, enabled the students to win awards at national events, and many of them later joined the municipality's railway sector. Their legacy is a testament to how vocation, guided with care, can transform lives.
More than four decades after its inauguration, the Ñico López Pioneers Palace continues to be an ideal space where children's dreams take flight. Therefore, this is not just a beautiful building facing the bay; it is a powerful symbol of Cuban education, of the capacity to transform old walls into accessible horizons where hope thrives. (Celia Serrano Maldonado/Radio Nuevitas) (Photos: Radio Nuevitas)
