During the campaign, many Cubans, some as young as 9 years old, traveled across the country to teach their fellow countrymen to read and write. Hufnagel said her first impression of the country is that it s a place where time stands still. She saw a number of American-made cars from the 1950s still in use, but noted with the end of aid and resources from the former Soviet Union, many Cubans are now relying on horses and oxen for transportation and field work because they can no longer get parts for cars and trucks. As she traveled around the country, Hufnagel said she was impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the Cuban people who must work hard to earn a living and have to exist on a strict rationing system. The Cubans don t waste things, she said.
Students use pencils until they re little stubs, and they write very small to conserve their paper.
In the classroom, Hufnagel saw teachers giving lessons similar to those in the United States, but with few supplies. Their school system does a good job with very little, she noted. One big difference she observed was the lack of technology in the classroom. Among the several schools she visited, she saw only one classroom that contained five computers. Their thrust is teaching literacy, she explained.