Since my last contribution to this paper I have focused on other writings, albeit in small irregular doses. There are, however, two recent incidents which I’ve decided to record from my vantage point. The first is the destruction by fire of the Adjodha Building, better known as the Gaiety, on William Peter Boulevard in Castries. I was one of three students from St. Mary’s College invited by Mr. Dunstan St. Omer (later Sir Dunstan), our art teacher, to help him paint the scenic murals on the inside walls of the Gaiety. The second student was Victor Burton but, for the life of me, I can’t recall who was the third.
The Gaiety of beloved memory was the happy place where many generations of Saint Lucians fine-tuned their dancing moves to the music of the Big Six orchestra. (Palm Beach Club later was popular when transportation became more readily available.) I recall a classic among Samarians of the 1960s, in relation to the Gaiety. A certain son of a certain prominent Castries family was asked by his English Language teacher at St. Mary’s what was the opposite of gaiety. The lad promptly replied: “The Royal Bank of Canada.” The bank had by then established a branch on William Peter Boulevard, opposite the Gaiety. To be fair, the young man couldn’t have had a clue his teacher never had the entertainment centre in mind.
The other matter which warmed my heart was the news that some thirty adults had recently learned to read and write, using a method of teaching perfected in Cuba after the Revolution. The press release announcing the success of these adults omitted to inform readers that the graduates ranged in age from twenty to sixty-five. Yes, 65! This took me back to the Cuban Revolution and how Fidel Castro had dedicated his entire adult life to educating the people after he assumed power.
I have recorded in my first book, Shattered Dreams, my own experience: the difficulty that I encountered as a young agriculture officer with some local farmers forced to write an X on the dotted line intended for their signature. I have also written several articles about my admiration for teachers dedicated to their profession, and who are determined to share all they know with their students.
Jose Marti, the inspirational father of Cuban Independence, said that “to be cultured and educated is the only way to be free”. I have long believed there can be no social, economic or political progress without education. We were once made to accept that a little education is a dangerous thing. It did not occur to us to ask: dangerous to whom or to what? Or how much is little. More recent experience and the presence of the Cuban professionals among us have helped to dispel that myth. It is generally accepted today that every person should be armed with the basic skills of reading and writing in their own language if they are to make sense of their environment and their situation. Such basic skills as reading and writing enhance the pride and value individuals place upon themselves.
During one of my more enthusiastic public political meetings here many years ago, I suggested the government ought to ensure every citizen aged sixty-five and under who lacked the three Rs, be made to attend appropriate classes. My suggestion aroused great anger among some who opined that I was attempting to introduce Castro’s communist agenda into Saint Lucia—at the time the farthest thing from my mind. I asked myself: what kind of politician who loves his country would fail to dedicate his life to eradicating ignorance—the kissing cousin of poverty?
On behalf of the people of Saint Lucia who may have missed the news, I am happy to report that the Cuban Ambassador to Saint Lucia, His Excellency Alejandro Simancas Marín, is determined to see the literacy programme ‘Yes I Can’ continued—and expanded. I am myself unfamiliar with the programme, but I intend to learn from it. I am confident the graduates now see the world and their place in the scheme of things differently. Ignorance in a language is not unique to those who cannot read or write English. I once spent a month in West Germany and was lucky to have had a guide to help me navigate the country. At the end of four weeks, I was beginning to follow the rhythm of the language but, regretfully, I had to leave when the short course ended.
We in Saint Lucia continue to be grateful for the assistance offered by Cuba. I have suggested to the Ambassador that he share with the people of this country videos of the early mass-education campaigns started by Fidel after the Revolution. The youth of Cuba were mobilized to march holding huge eight feet-long replicas of lead pencils as a symbol of the new thrust towards eradicating illiteracy. Only after the country achieved full literacy was Cuba able to mobilize its people to help educate and care for others.
‘Yes I Can’ is a core component of helping non-Cubans to read and write their native language. Those who understand the slave trade and Caribbean history will agree that the eradication of illiteracy in Cuba has been the real revolution in that country, and should be emulated. We salute Fidel and the Cuban people for their example and repeat, as our great Nobel laureate Sir Arthur Lewis reminded us, that the cure for poverty is not money but education.
