resources from outside.
¿Poverty and unemployment won't disappear overnight. Medieines and nourishing foods are still very scarce. But a special depot distributes food controlled prices, and children pregnant women receive extra free rations.
A vaccination campaign is way fight polio. Doctors give their services free in LOPEZ"
in of Nicaraguan Women centre. restas Taise stock a dispensary, provide beds for the sick, buy books for those learning to read and write.
There's at identification the totally neglected.
Somoza's day. Many Altagracia school students are joining the literacy crusade. And brigades of volunteers are standing by to help harvest the coffee, and sugar cane crops needed to tide over the economy during the next critical period. Lukewarm Co-operation in quarters, the group admits, be lukewarm at times. encountered from those who earned fat salaries or held more than one job under Somoza. them to meetings where we try to discuss why we think everyone should build the revolution.
Noel's church is a frequent, if unlikely venue for meetings. Members congregation fought insurrection and are among the barrio's leading militants. revolution goes with our beliefs'; he says.
While no-one in glosses over problems they have confidence in future. need all the solidarity we can get. With that, plus the contribution everyone's making, wo.can Consondale our revolution. Nicaragua is going to be great!' And if old enemies start reforming ranks? *If the direction of the changes in favour bourgeoisie and against interests of the people we will fight again.?
CULtUL revolution and 100,000 were injured. The unusual thing is that there are as many stories about women as men. •About Luisa certain raped by some of the National 'We've LalI Guard, who Sandinistas and died fighting... resistance ...the young enticed one of Somoza's generals We invite into bedroom Sandinista soldiers waiting.. ...the: 70-year-old who carried messages in her hair through the Somoza lines to the CDS Sandinistas...
of his In a matter of a few years the in the women of moved "The entrenched playing an unprecedented part in the revolution and forming a Altagracia Nicaragua's fight for their liberation.
Cocktails
During the war those women who didn't join the Sandinista army took up the struggle in their barrios. Through should Concerned Problem: (AMPRONAC) devolution clandestine the collected medicines and gathered the cocktails and contact bombs.
Today wonien make up 20 to currency important bodies Espinoza, and the Committees (CDS). joined the Foothold who were Sylvis Reyes Espinoza woman we're not marginalised.' The independent have which position of to of the members movement fo peasants, different age gathering support rural areas the towns. Not all belong Women FSLN, but the National Sandinistas is stroug.
they • like clinics, Moiotov 30 per cent of the army, police and militia. Women cadres of the PSIN hold leadership posts in such 8S the rural workers association (ACI), the national institute of agrarian reform (INRA), the Sandinista Workers Confederation (CST), Sandinista Defence women didn't participate in the political and economic spheres of life', says Association of (AMN). "Now we're still dependent but AMN women's organgrew out of AMPRONAC and now has an important foothold in 14 regions 25,000 are mainly, but not exclusively, working class ("we're workers, students, militants and housewives').
They are spread right across • and are rapidly well in the the sapport for the , and FSLN Sylvia Reyes occupy places in the front ranks.
Says the AMN: 'We realise that we will only become fully integrated inte society with equal rights once the revolation been consolidated. So we are working to build the revolution at the same time as creating the conditions which will enable us to win our liberation.' One-day conference University of London Union, Malet St, London WC1 Sponsored by the Labour Party and the Nicaragua Coordinating Committee Delegate's credentials £2 from: Jane Mackintosh, c/o Third World First, 232 Cowley Road, Oxford (tel 0865 45678)
Funds to aid reconstruction in Nicaragua can be sent to: Account 5014079050, Cooperative Bank (Ealing branch), London W5 2XL. 21 f
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common renis ere Nicaragua. 35,000 died in the
SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF
Saturday 29 March, 10am - 6рт