The El Camino Fund:

Promoting Village-Based Sustainable Social Economic Development in the Velez Province of Santander, Colombia

Introduction

The Fundacin Comunidad "El Camino" ["The Way" Community Foundation], and the Equipo de Pastoral Social de la Vicara de Vlez [Vicarial Social Pastoral Team of Vlez], both NGO's (non-government organizations) of Colombia, South America, seek to address rural development needs in the Colombian Province of Vlez, Colombia. The El Camino Development and Educational Fund, a voluntary, nonprofit organization, based in the U.S., represents these NGO's in the preparation and presentation of proposals and other fund raising activities.
It is the belief of these Colombian organizations that development efforts must respond to the needs of the communities and thus it is adamant that local community members be empowered to take ownership of the development process and participate fully in all development planning and evaluation. Development agencies should provide the support services that communities solicit. All development efforts should be sustainable, that is planned in such a way as to as to maintain the ecology of the region, and that other local human, technological, and economic resources be sufficient to assure continuity of efforts undertaken.
These NGO's strive to prepare the communities for self-development by providing basic education, leadership training, technical training, advisory services, extension services, legal services, and promoting the development of the basic infrastructure needed for successful regional development. A laborious 20 year process of isolated experiences and failed attempts to respond to the expectations of local communities by different agencies has provided the basis for the successful efforts of the current partnership between the El Camino, the Equipo de Pastoral, and the rural communities that are committed to a process of locally based, sustainable development.
El Camino coordinates educational opportunities adapted to the needs of the rural communities in this area, that specifically, and effectively respond to the needs of the campesinos (peasant farmers) including, needed technical training for self-help development and the development of leadership skills while providing academic education using the accelerated adult education program known as SAT, Systema de Aprendizje Tutorial [Tutorial Learning System], and other programs appropriate for the rural inhabitant. The Equipo de Pastoral provides technical support and maintains liaison with government agencies and other NGO's.
Problem
The underdevelopment of the rural Vlez province contrasts to the modernization of the cities which lure the youth from their traditional communities and families. The combined efforts of the Equipo de Pastoral and El Camino have jump-started a significant participatory development effort in the region of Vlez in order to promote quality life in the participating rural communities and lessen the lure of the cities, where contrary to the myth, the prospects are not much better for the rural youth.. However, in order to actualize these efforts, the participating rural population must take ownership of the process, structures and agencies that represent this effort. In general, the population badly needs to increase the overall educational level. More specifically, it is essential that leaders, and youth with leadership potential, have access to educational opportunities that will better prepare them for the challenges of development in their rural communities. Training in appropriate technologies as well entrepreneurial and leadership skills are urgently needed. At the rural community level, local leaders need the assistance of technical personnel to work with them in addressing specific problems and solutions as proposed by the communities.
General Goal
The general goal of this region-wide development project is to promote active participation of campesinos (peasant farmers) in a development process that responds to locally recognized needs, that is family and community based, and that is sustainable in the future. Specific goals include the establishment of rural educational centers, the coordination of regional development efforts, and the establishment of self-sustaining social and economic infrastructures that will guarantee on going development and an increase of the quality of life for future generations.
Significance
This ongoing effort will provide the campesinos of the region with needed and appropriate education, training, and technical support such that the communities will have the means to design, fulfill and evaluate their own rural development projects in accord with their aspirations and needs. By contributing of their own means and efforts, as well as taking ownership of these "village-based" efforts, it will be assured that the development process responds to locally recognized needs and will guarantee continuity. The quality of life for these campesinos will greatly improve as they obtain a higher educational level, acquire work and organizational skills that will greatly improve production, establish cottage industries that will allow them to process and market value added products, and organize cooperative endeavors that will greatly enhance their selling and purchasing power in the market place. This new organizational strength will give them the ability to pressure local, state and national governments and their agencies to improve social infrastructures.
Country Description


Colombia, in spite of a rueful 50 year history of political, revolutionary, and narcotraffic violence and turmoil, has made progress. In 1992 the country continued its economic expansion by 3.6 per cent and is expected to experience growth of 5 percent in 1993 (Hutcheson, 1993). However, even as some of the estimated 32,317,000 Colombians (Compton's, 1993) experience relative prosperity, not all citizens reap equal benefits in a dual economy that allows for prosperity and growth in the industrial sector while sustaining a medieval-like existence in the rural sector (Tedesco, 1987). The urban areas enjoy a modern, structured society in which most contemporary needs can be met if you have the finances to do so. This modern urban sector, with its lure of a better life, attracts thousands of rural inhabitants each year. A United Nations interagency team which studied the situation in Colombia pointed out that the "unidirectional migration flows, resulting from the lack of economic opportunity (land, employment, income) and social infrastructure (education, health, housing), contributed to a deterioration of the rural situation as the growing --and politically more significant--problems of the towns claimed increasing attention (Maos, 1984, p. 80)." Over the last thirty years the cities have had to absorb huge numbers of migrants, while the country-side has lost population. Colombia ranks second in urban population in Latin America with 67 percent of its inhabitants living in large cities (Roman, 1989, p. 230).
Violence
Not unique to Colombia, violence has marked the history of this country and its people in a notable way. Colombia is one of the most violent countries of the world (Caldwell, 1990, p. 12). Amnesty International (1988) rates Colombia as having "the highest ratio (of killings) in the world for a country not at war" (p. 3). Although the better publicized violence is related to the narcotics trafficking in Colombia, this only dates back to the late 70's. Violence, especially in the rural areas, has left its mark on every generation since the 1940's. The political violence diminished with the creation of the Frente Nacional, a coalition of the two political parties in 1957, but political allegiance continues to be an important factor particularly in the rural sector.
Meanwhile 26 guerrilla groups numbering about 20,000 (Blutstein, et al, 1976, p. 48) began a new kind of violence in an armed revolution to overthrow the government. This initially affected the rural areas later spreading to the urban areas. Since 1982 the government has offered amnesty to all guerrilla combatants, which has resulted in many men and women laying down their arms. Although violence by some guerrilla groups continues, in 1990 the main guerrilla group, Movimiento 19 de Abril (M- 19) demobilized and entered the political arena to participate in national elections as a legal political party ("Competitive politics", 1990, p. 5).
Even as some guerrilla groups remain active, the drug cartels have added a new and horrifying dimension to terror in Colombia as they use violence and money to control government officials and judges. Also, since the early eighties there has also been an increase in the instances of right wing "death squads", singling out left wing activists and others who are critical of the government for murder. Amnesty International provides substantial evidence that, in fact, many of these incidence have been carried out by the police and army. In support of this evidence is the fact that no one has been convicted for the thousands of political killings and disappearances that have been attributed to these groups (Amnesty, 1988).
Education in Colombia
Colombia has not given funding priority to basic education. It has, in fact, one of the worst funding records with spending at a mere 2.9% of its GNP on education (PC Globe, 1990). Dix (1987), shows Colombia ranking at a low 117th out of 130 countries on educational expenditures with a notable emphasis on elitist education. More was spent on 23,000 university students than on 1.5 million primary and secondary students (p. 192). According to the World Bank (1990), Colombia has made progress in overcoming illiteracy even though more than 50% of the population under the age of 34 has not completed elementary school (p. 64), and the illiteracy rate is calculated at 31% (PC Globe, 1990).
Country-wide enrollment in secondary education increased from 14 percent in 1964 to 38.3 percent in 1980 (Renner, 1984, p. 19). However, educational prospects for the peasant population remains dim. The full elementary curriculum is not even offered in 62.1 percent of rural Colombian schools (Reimers, 1991, p.11). Only 70 percent of the rural children have access to any education and a scarce 20% actually complete grade school (World, 1990, p. 67). Arbab, Gutirrez & Valcrcel (1990b) reported that in 1985 only 1.2 percent of high school enrollment were rural youth (p. 4). High school education is available on a very limited basis in rural areas because of the makeup of Colombia's educational system . Adams (1970) found that Bogota claims 30% of the countries high schools and another 50% are located in the other principal cities (p. 187). Most high schools are private and costly. "In any meaningful sense, there are almost no secondary educational facilities available to rural youth in Colombia" (p. 189). The cost of a secondary education is also a prohibiting factor for those rural children who do finish grade school (Haney, 1975, p.21). "It should not be surprising that proportionately more people in rural areas have no access to schooling because these areas are least served by the state in providing education. Many of the schools in rural areas have teachers teaching more than one grade (a rare phenomenon in urban schools)" (Reimers, 1991, p.10). In a 1985 study Sanz de Santamara, et al, described deficient educational opportunities as the major rural problem.
The forces that shaped the Colombian educational system had their roots in the period of Spanish colonial rule. The system that resulted is urban oriented, elitist, and strongly influenced by the Catholic Church. The curriculum is theoretical in content; rote memorization is the principal mode of learning and the lecture is the dominant method of instruction. (Hanson, 1986, p. 38). "The present Colombian educational system reflects the traditional values of catholocizing the masses while reserving formal instruction for a select few" (Haney, 1975, p.18). Skills generated by the educational system are not those needed for rural development. Campesinos who are able to get schooling, acquire urban values which idealizes life in the cities and rural life as undesirable. An educated son or daughter who might want to return to their rural communities to live and work would be considered failures and an embarrassment for their families. Even agricultural careers are seen as urban based. Government educational programs are developed by urban dwellers for urban areas and taught in the rural communities by urban educated teachers. The relevancy of Colombia's traditional educational curriculum, when employed in rural communities must be questioned.
Rural Colombia
A harsh reality of Colombian society is the distribution of wealth. It is estimated that five to ten percent of the landholders control as much as 80% of the land while less than one percent owns 45% of the national territory (Davis, 1990. p. xi). The setting in much of the rural area is that of the colonial period. Generally, the basics of electricity, running water, mail service, roads, and telephones, besides all the comforts that accompany these requirements of modern living, are unavailable to the peasants. "Lack of amenities, desolation, health deficiencies, and waste of human potential have tended to accelerate the rural exodus" (Maos, 1984, p. 80). Most rural inhabitants are poor and dependent on a feudalistic system in which a few privileged individuals, with the help of well placed henchmen, control and benefit from the work of the peasants. As a patriarchal society, peasants seem content to wait for the authority figure to solve their problems. Often, the authority that the peasants looks up to is an oppressive political system, an abusive military or a medieval social structure that promises bare survival in exchange for complacency. Even the responsible and caring authority is unable to solve the problems of the peasant because society and economics have placed a distance and barrier between them. The peasant is often hesitant to try new methods for fear of losing the little that they have. The most basic technology is lacking where the only tools that the farmer can obtain is a hoe and a machete.
Education and Development
Although in Latin America there are many urban poor, "the largest numbers of people living in utter destitution are still to be found in rural areas. (Jazairy, Alamgir, & Panuccio, 1992, p. 1). Illiteracy in the world continues to be a monumental problem even though the United Nations set the year 2000 as the target date for its eradication.
Psacharopoulos & Woodhall (1985) in a World Bank Report, affirm that "Investment in education is a key element of the development process. Its importance is reflected in the growing recognition, since the early 1960s, that investing in both formal and informal education and training provides and enhances the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and motivation necessary for economic and social development (p. v.)." Numerous international organizations, bilateral programs and NGO's (nongovernmental organizations), spend sixty billion dollar a year on foreign aid and development (Hancock, 1989, p. xiv). Although international development agencies voice support for the basic education and literacy efforts, Haddad reported that only one dollar of educational aid per elementary student was given to developing countries while $500 per student was allocated for higher education (p. 529).

Project Area Description
The Vlez Province is located in a rural mountainous area in northeastern Colombia in the extreme southern portion of the state of Santander. The provincial capitol of Vlez is located 150 miles from Bogota. Although Vlez is easily accessible by good roads, most of the towns are accessible only by four wheel drive vehicles, with the majority of the 3,387 square miles of the province accessible only by mule and foot. The province is composed of three distinct mountainous geographic areas, each with it own climate and characteristics.
The Magdalena Medio, (The central Magdalena river area) which is over half of the province, is a dense and fertile low-lands area. Here the climate is hot and tropical. The elevation varies from 650 feet above sea level to 5,260 feet. The temperature varies from 40 degrees to 95. Rainfall varies from 80 to 120 inches yearly. This is a jungle that over the last 40 years has been homesteaded. Small plots of land have been cleared and converted to agriculture and cattle raising, following traditional swidden agricultural practices. This area is sparsely populated, and distant, once accessible only by trail, many roads now penetrate the once virgin jungle.
The Yariges mountain range rises as high as 9,842 feet. The climate is cold and the rainfall is less. The vegetation is also less abundant. This is good agricultural land. This area has many small towns where many of the people who work in the Magdalena areas have residences to get away from the hot climate.
The third area is the Suarez river valley, a warm, dry climate with the best roads. The elevation varies between 3,000 and 6,000 feet. Rain is infrequent, the climate is warm and dry. Fauna is scarce and erosion is a major problem. The larger towns are located in this area which is served by a paved road (Pineda-Martinez, 1988).
The Inhabitants
The population of this area is approximately 150,000. They live in 26 towns, 17 of which are municipalities. The average age is in the mid twenties (Pineda-Martinez, 1988). Close to eighty percent of this population lives and works on their own farm. The Veleo, as these people are called, are a mestizo race of mostly Spanish and indigenous ancestry. The people are religious, hospitable, family centered, dedicated to their land, have good business acumen, like to talk, love to party, play hard and are fast to fight.
Most family traditions and holidays are associated with religious customs. Strong willed, they respect and follow those who are viewed as physically strong, persuasive, and intelligent. This often delegates excessive responsibility to a few individuals who frequently are abusive of the communities confidences. There is considerable outmigration in search of a better life, often motivated by the desire of families to procure educational opportunities for their children, and to escape the violence.
Violence and Politics
The people of this area are very familiar with violence. The Magdalena Medio, which has been populated mostly by homesteaders over the last 40 years, was originally the haven for those families who were forced to flee their homeland due to political violence. Almost simultaneous with the arrival of the homesteaders was the creation of the FARC, Fuerzas Revolucionarias de Colombia [Revolutionary Forces of Colombia]. This guerrilla group has controlled the region since the late fifties. Due to the guerrilla presence, the Colombian government has declared this a war zone. Although the war is between the guerrillas of the FARC and the Colombian Army, most of the casualties are civilians of the area who are held suspect by both of these armed groups. The farmers of the area are expected to contribute to the support of both groups and are "taxed" chickens, pigs and other foodstuffs. The situation is so serious that there is a common saying among the people "Nacen muchos, pero se cran pocos" (many are born but few grow up). This is one of the regions that has been most affected since the political violence of the 1940's. Most inhabitants cannot remember when violence was not a way of life.
The campesinos have learned to valiantly carry-on with their life and activities no matter what happens. The ley del silencio (law of silence) is drilled into each child as they learn not to see or remember any details of anything that they might witness. In order "to not get involved" these things are put out of mind to not be remembered or repeated. This has especially affected the rural areas in the region of Vlez where people appear indifferent and often unwilling to involve themselves in community endeavors. This is unusual for a society centered in family and community and greatly effects the work of education and development.
The Economy
Farm products and cattle are the main products of this agricultural region. Because most of the farms are very small, the farmers produce small quantities and are obliged to sell in small quantities to middle men who buy inexpensively and sell at high current market prices. The farmers live from day to day, generally without any emergency resources. Fortunately they produce their own food and barter many services among themselves so as to provide themselves with a subsistence existence. Chief agricultural products include coffee, cocoa, corn, some vegetables, sugar cane, beans, onions and yucca. Some larger land holders have cattle, while one out of three small farmers will have a cow to provide milk for the family. During two periods of the year farmers who are close to roads will harvest guava fruit which are the raw material for the one regional industry, the fabrication of guava paste. A non-sustainable source of income is lumbering. In recent years, the lush jungles have been badly damaged and resources depleted by the indiscriminate cutting of ancient trees.
The non-farming population is made up mostly of tradesman, truck drivers, government employees, business people, and professionals. They earn their income from buying and selling agricultural products and offering their trade and professional skills. There are only a few banks in the region that mostly cater to the business people and professionals. Although business people and professionals have a comfortable life, they generally are not wealthy, nor financially secure. The town of Barbosa, where all buses going to Bogota must stop, receives income from the many services offered to travelers.
The Vlez province is typical in some ways of many other rural areas in Colombia. Government programs have generally bypassed the region in order to respond to more pressing urban needs. Educational opportunities are few, and generally reserved for the children of families that are in better economic conditions. Other infrastructure is also scarce or lacking. The services that are available are likely to be found in the towns of Vlez, or Barbosa which can mean a journey of up to three days for the campesino. Campesinos are expected to travel to where the service is available, it is unheard of to take the services to the people.
Not only do many campesinos of the region migrate to the cities, but many of the resources of the region are exported to the cities. The region has little industry except for the elaboration of the guava candy know as Bocadillo. Agricultural products and raw materials are exported for industrialization. Middle men purchase agricultural products from the campesinos for resale in the cities at huge profits where additional value is added by industrial processes. The campesino receives a small fraction of what the final product fetches in the market place.
Many campesinos, generally the youth and those who have the most potential, no longer consider agriculture as a career, but as a transitional state as they work and wait for an opportunity to migrate to the cities. Therefore there is little concern for maintaining the ecological balance of the rural areas. The virgin jungle of the Opn is rapidly disappearing under the logger's ax as erosion encroaches on what was once a preserve from rare species. Fertile farm land is converted to cattle raising because it is not as labor intensive, and cattle farms can be administered by a single family member while other migrate to the cities. There is little concern for the future of these lands because the present owners do not expect to live here forever.
The few farmers who would prefer to continue their labor in agriculture find that the threat of violence and extortion soon drives them to the illusion of a better life in the city. If a farmer is successful, the guerrillas will levy a tax on the profits. The family will eventually be approached about giving one of their children in service to the revolutionary cause of the guerrillas. Even the Colombian army is suspicious of anyone who seems prosperous because it is assumed that they are somehow collaborators of the guerrillas.
Truly, at present, there is little incentive for the farmers of the province of Vlez to stay on the farm. However, a province-wide movement that seeks to respond to the educational, ecological, social, political, and economic needs of the region has been initiated. Many factors and resources have been united in an effort to pacify the region, and support locally based initiatives. This movement is coordinated, not by an outside development agency, but by a group of locally grown, enthusiastic young people headed by Juan Carlos Gonzlez M., native son of Vlez. This group, in union with representatives of the province at all levels, has defined a framework for integral development. The efforts of this group and all development efforts in the area are continually evaluated in order to update the plan and to use feedback to improve sponsored projects.

Equipo de Pastoral Social de la Vicara de Velez


The Equipo de Pastoral was established in 1987 with the mandate to develop a province wide participatory development plan that includes: pacifying the region, training leaders, organizing rural communities, initiating cottage industries, founding marketing and savings and loan cooperatives, creating a civic-religious solidarity for peace and development, establishing an emergency solidarity fund, organizing a system of social communications, and changing the model of local municipal government The Equipo de Pastoral has also worked in land reform and as a conduit for other government programs. Having experienced initial success, the programs have been funded by Misereor, Germany for three year period. Agricultural extension has recently been added to the above programs. The Equipo de Pastoral Social de la Vicara de Vlez is legally established under ecclesiastical law in Colombia and is recognized by Colombian civil law as a non-profit, public benefit entity.
Goals and Objectives
The group of young professionals and rural leaders that make up the Equipo de Pastoral are charged with responding to the diverse needs of rural communities by assisting grassroots, participatory development efforts. The goal is to educate and train individual leaders and community groups for self-help. By helping to develop needed foundations for development, they seek to eliminate the causes of violence in the region. Specific goals include:

Programs
The Equipo de Pastoral adjusts to the needs expressed by the communities and seeks to serve as a resource and support mechanism for local initiative. Some areas of regional need have been identified by delegates at yearly regional conferences. These have been structured as programs and the Equipo de Pastoral has assumed organizational and administrative responsibility for the following:

La Fundacin Comunidad "El Camino"
The El Camino experience started in 1973 in the isolated rural community of Florian in the Colombian state of Santander, in response to campesino youth who sought educational opportunities. Over a period of years, what was initially only a shared living situation, evolved into an educational program that includes literacy, post-literacy, technical, and leadership training for young adults. El Camino seeks to identify potential leaders, recruit them for education and training, and reintroduce them in their communities where they are expected to accept the challenges of leadership by facilitating self-help development, educating, and energizing their communities. Although the program is small and limited, it has provided a unique educational opportunity for a population that otherwise has little or no access to education. The primary goal of El Camino has been to train young adults from rural communities for future leadership roles in their communities as facilitators of education, social change and self-help development. Since 1989 El Camino has used the SAT curriculum.
The Foundation
The Fundacin Comunidad "El Camino" is a Colombian NGO, constituted under Colombian Civil Law. This nonprofit organization is run by an executive director who is named by the board of directors. General guidelines are given by the directors, and the internal organization and methodology is determined by the director, and the teaching staff with much impute from students. The foundation is located on a ten acre farm and school close to the town of Barbosa in the state of Santander, province of Vlez.
Salaries and building maintenance is financed with donations from the U.S. based El Camino Fund, also an NGO. Moneys produced by the farm are used to purchase food and other supplies. Some in kind donations are received by El Camino from the people of the region and Bogota. The El Camino farm produces a variety of crops including fruits, coffee, and livestock.
History
The project was initiated by a group of high school age campesinos in 1973 in the rectory of the Catholic parish of the isolated rural community of Florian, located at the end of the road. During a slow process of experimentation based on the ideas of the students, different occurrences, and the guidance of the local catholic priest, a program of education and empowerment of young campesino adults developed. Since 1975 the center has been located on a ten acre farm in a central area along the Pan-American highway.
Project participants initially attended local primary and secondary schools. However, it soon became apparent that area schools were not responsive to the special needs and economic situation of rural campesino youth. In response to the local grade school's demand that students wear uniforms and leather shoes (an economic impossibility for project participants), El Camino founded its own grade school. Small classes (1 instructor per 7 students) and an accelerated curriculum were implemented thereby allowing students to complete five years of elementary school in a five month period (Lujan, 1991, p. 5).
When it was realized how successful the accelerated elementary program was, El Camino began to experiment with accelerated secondary education. On several occasions the Colombian government has refused to recognize the El Camino Programs. Only recently has El Camino begun to make a name for itself, not only as a unique leadership training center, but also as one of two national centers for the training of SAT instructors.
Goals and Objectives
The primary goal of El Camino is to prepare young adults from rural communities for future leadership roles in their communities as facilitators of education, social change and self- help development. The three main objectives are:

Each student finds the best way to use their discovered and acquired talents. Because of their willingness to change and availability of time for community service, El Camino has chosen to work with young adults. Lujan (1991) notes that "the objectives of the Leadership Training Center reflect the value placed by the project on the retention of campesino leadership in the rural community" (p. 1). In the past El Camino was a residential secondary school, today it is the administrative center for several province wide educational programs, and a training center for teachers and other facilitators of regional development.
A few students still live and study on the model ten-acre model farm, where they produce nearly all of the food required by the project and additionally cultivate cash or barter crops (such as coffee). The farm also affords students the opportunity to learn animal husbandry and agricultural machinery repair. Moreover, El Camino attempts to address the holistic needs of rural participants through the provision of supplemental training in carpentry (building houses and other structures), cooking, sewing, furniture making, hair cutting, domestic machinery repair, and first-aid. An emphasis on the mastery of simple skills and the use of tools on hand assures the teaching of development technology which is appropriate to available resources. The appropriateness of such technology promotes the transference of acquired development skills from the academic realm to the social environment of students' rural communities (Lujan, 1991, p. 2-3).
Students at El Camino live a communal life as they share all work responsibilities and domestic chores. They learn as they work, and their labor contributes to the sustenance of the center, making them responsible while keeping costs down and assuring that no student will be turned away due to lack of money. The buildings have been constructed by the students as part of their learning experience and contribution to the center.

SAT: Innovative Rural Education


The result of twenty years of educational innovation at El Camino has been the adaptation of the Systema de Aprendizje Tutorial (S.A.T.) to the educational needs of the campesino population of the Vlez province. This is an educational program that has the potential to respond to the needs of the peasant while providing rural-appropriate training. The SAT program, when adequately funded and diffused, has great promise as an alternative and innovative educational program for peasants who seek to acquire needed skills and knowledge for quality rural life. This program is the centerpiece of the El Camino educational efforts.
This program, over the last twenty years, has developed an educational format that seeks to dignify the peasant via a process of self discovery, appreciation of natural abilities, awareness of their own popular knowledge, while providing basic education and preparation for service to their communities. The resulting program is not limited to formal education. A integral program that seeks to enable the peasant to develop adequate responses to all personal and community needs has been the result of this process.
SAT seeks alternative systems of production for small farms. This process has involved small scale experimentation that helps to better understand and perfect methods already employed on many farms. One purpose is to employ resources effectively while conserving and perfecting natural resources. Small community parcels, technical committees, and, in some cases, community funds, have been established to promote appropriate technology. Efforts have also been made to provide information to the peasants about agencies that serve small farmers by providing technical assistance. Finally, courses, at a postgraduate level are offered to professionals who work with the peasants.
A second area of program development has been to fortify and establish community structures that maintain social unity, promote justice, serve as support mechanisms for community life and orderly participation of the members. Generally this involves different interest and support groups.
A third aspect of this effort has been to establish and support cottage industries. This economic endeavor seeks to enable the peasants to take control of their products by producing a marketable product instead of the raw material. The results of this are multiple. The economic situation of the peasant improves greatly because they are able to eliminate at least two stages in the marketing process. Cottage industry also provides additional employment opportunities and maintains the community membership by eliminating the need for migration. The fourth aspect also seeks to better local economic conditions by promoting cooperative and communal marketing efforts.
SAT: The Program
The SAT program seeks to empower rural communities, enabling the campesinos to take control of their lives, communities and mechanisms of production. SAT develops the full six- year Colombian High School curriculum in three levels. At each level a degree is awarded that recognizes the development of practical as well as academic abilities. At the end of the first year (year 1 and 2 of traditional high school), the student is recognized as a Promoter of Rural well- being. The second year prepares the students as Technicians for Rural well-being. The third and final year recognizes the completion of the high school curriculum with the degree of Baccalaureate for Rural well-being (Arbab, Gutierrez & Valcrcel, 1990b, pp. 5-6). The program is recognized by the Colombian Ministry of Education. For students interested in higher education appropriate degree alternatives are being prepared by El Camino.
SAT: The Students
This program provides a unique opportunity for peasant students, who have completed their elementary education, to study a curriculum appropriate to rural life. Although not limited to rural concerns, the program avoids teaching urban values. Students will discover a wide variety of opportunities and ways to provide a quality life for themselves and family by developing the great potential of their rural habitat. Another advantage is that the student does not have to migrate to an urban area for their secondary schooling. This will permit a much higher percentage of peasant youth to continue their education. Still another advantage is the opportunity to be able to continue their work on the family farm, or as hired laborers while studying. The traditional educational program in Colombia assumes that students are dedicated full-time to their academic endeavor thus making it nearly impossible to "work your way though school".
Once the local vereda has shown interest in establishing a SAT program, the assigned tutor will visit the homes of prospective students to explain the organization and expectations of the program. Once a potential group of students has been identified, a meeting of all interested community members is held in which specific objectives and methods are discussed. At this meeting the students decide on the schedule and location of classes. The SAT program is designed in such a way that the student group can decide how many hours a week and what time or times will be best for them to meet. According to the occupation of the students they might elect to meet at night, or to set aside a Saturday or Sunday. Although students also may decide how much time they care to dedicate to their education, they should meet for at least ten hours a week. The only elements that are needed in addition to the students and tutors are the textbooks and a simple laboratory. Although most students are young, they can be of any age.
SAT: The Tutors
The SAT tutors are men and women who have at least a high school degree or equivalent and who have been prepared for their role as tutors by FUNDAEC (Fundacion para la Aplicacion y Ensehanza de las Ciencias). Candidates for tutor are tested and when qualified are then trained by attending a series of six week-long seminars. The seminars covers the SAT philosophy, concepts and practices, methods, and a study of each one of the texts. Basic concepts of development strategies, rural economy and community organization are also taught. Upon successful completion, the candidates are certified by FUNDAEC as SAT tutors of the Promoters of Rural well-being.
Once certified, the tutor is expected to attend five additional follow-up seminars. In order to certify as tutors for the following levels of Technician for Rural well-being and Baccalaureate for Rural well-being additional seminars are offered. Due to the non-traditional nature of the SAT program, this certification process is essential for the success of the program. In order to register, SAT groups must have a certified tutor. Although training tutors is costly, by demanding a high level of training, FUNDAEC assures that SAT centers comply with the methodology and are faithful to the philosophy of the program.
Tutors, in order to fulfill the requirements for subsequent levels of certification must be successful with their initial Promoter of Rural well-being group. Arbab, et al (1990b) reports that the criteria of success for tutors includes: an 80% success rate, a high level of motivation and participation of students in community activities, successful completion of exercises and experiments, and successful completion of the evaluations of academic progress which are developed and administered by FUNDAEC (p.22). Not only are tutors well trained, but they are held to high standards of success.
SAT: The Curriculum
The initial level of Promoter of Rural well-being includes six topic areas divided into a total of 27 units. The topic areas do not follow those of the traditional secondary curriculum and are well adapted to the rural environment and student involvement in different aspects of the community life. The units include readings in language and communication, environment, food and nutrition, housing, waterways, and demographics (Zambrano & Gonzlez, 1982). Each unit is a textbook and is developed in its totality before moving on to the next unit. Students can purchase the textbooks as they need them so that the cost is spread out over the duration of the course.
The basic method used for the group meetings which are directed by the tutor include an initial group discussion of the topic followed by a formal presentation given by the tutor. If there are differences in the level of members of the group, two, or maximum three subgroups can be organized. At the beginning of the Promoter level, there are generally big differences in student abilities. By subsequent levels the groups should be more homogeneous. The group discussion is generally initiated by a student who reads the reading from the lesson for the group. Small groups of three to five students each are then organized to discuss the lesson. Finally, after the group discussion, and before the presentation of the tutor, each student rereads the lesson silently.
An important aspect of the program are the community projects which are required by some of the lessons. This affords the student the opportunity to put into practice and adapt what is learned to the local conditions. These activities also provide a high profile for the SAT program in the community resulting in an increase in local interest in the program. The results of practices and experiments are shared with the community when ever possible.
In order to assure that the students have mastered each unit and assure that the objectives of the program are being fulfilled students are evaluated at the completion of each unit. The results are also used to aid the tutor in improving their techniques. Trained evaluators are members of the El Camino team whose function is to administer these periodic evaluations that cover the topics of each unit of study. The evaluator is independent from the tutor and the community in order to assure impartiality. In order to prove mastery in each unit the student must have a minimum score of 70 percent on the evaluation, a positive report from the tutor that appraises motivation, understanding, participation, and fulfillment of other requirements, and finally a grade that assesses the required exercises and community practices which is determined by both the tutor and the evaluator. When the student is considered to have mastered a unit, the final grade is then sent to the SAT field coordinator who registers the grade in the appropriate student file. The program uses mastery learning. The idea of failing a subject matter does not exist. Students are required to show mastery before they will be credited for a specific unit. As much as possible, students are permitted to move along at their own pace.
The curriculum as developed, focuses on analysis of information, development of skills and an understanding of concepts. Memorization of information is not important, but the ability to know where to find information and manipulate it is. Perhaps the most important aspect of the program is the ability to understand, use, and translate concept into practical applications of technology, systems and processes.
Also of importance is the development of appropriate attitudes and behavior in diverse situations. Specifically, the curriculum aims to instill in the students a positive attitude towards community service, enthusiasm for participatory activities, responsibility, and honesty. More difficult is the development of certain capabilities such as observation, formulation of hypothesis, development of conclusions, decision making, evaluation, practical application of knowledge, team work, and the ability to recognize errors. The development of each unit attempts to address the development of attitudes, behaviors and capabilities. The curriculum is truly interdisciplinary.
The methodology for the subsequent levels of Technician for Rural well-being and Baccalaureate for Rural well-being is similar, although the subject matter increases in difficulty and there is more community involvement as students acquire new abilities.
SAT: Follow-up and Assessment
El Camino trains field coordinators to serve as the bridge between the individual SAT centers and the administration. Generally they are hired by the institution that desires to promote the program. Ideally there is one coordinator for a maximum of ten SAT centers. Field coordinators are expected to attend all seminars that are given for the tutors. They are expected to assist in promoting the program, attend community meeting to explain the program, and once established, to do the necessary paper work. Coordinators should meet twice a month with tutors to coordinate activities and assist in identifying resources that can be used for community projects, as well a visit the SAT groups periodically. Another responsibility is to assure that the texts and other needed materials are available in sufficient quantity to meet the demand. The coordinator supervises the work of the centers, helps solve problems that arise, and represents the SAT groups at national meetings.
In many sectors SAT is seen as an alternative secondary education program, however, the real purpose of SAT is to develop local human resources for development, awakening in them the power to act on their own behalf. Each SAT student offers new prospects for change and development in their communities. El Camino seeks to diffuse this rural educational innovation thought out the region of Vlez in northern Colombia. For some areas this will be the only educational opportunity available, and for others it will be an alternative to the traditional educational program offered by public schools. SAT is one element in a region wide development effort that is already underway.
Significance
Today 51 SAT centers in the Velez region provide educational opportunities for 1,600 students, most of whom would not otherwise have access to secondary education. These students will exercise a positive influence in regional development decisions and help increase the quality of life of 150,000 peasants that inhabit the region. The existing resources and programs will be greatly enhanced by this new group of educated leaders.
By training rural youth in development skills, many of those who would otherwise migrate to the cities will remain in their rural communities. As those who migrate are generally those who tend to more capable, risk-takers, with an abundance of initiatives, this program will serve the communities well by retaining the most capable leaders. The SAT students will serve as an inspiration to all youth in the region. The SAT alumnus will work for better conditions in their communities resulting in considerable improvement of the socioeconomic infrastructure. Existing programs and services will be used and increased in order to respond to the growing demands of the empowered rural communities.
Once implemented, the Vlez program will be a model for the rest of the country and the developing world. Undoubtedly the SAT program will have to be expanded well beyond what this proposal contemplates. Eventually, as the number of graduates increases, further educational and training opportunities will have to offered, perhaps in a regional Rural University.

Other El Camino Programs


Although secondary education has been the main focus of the El Camino efforts the need to develop appropriate curriculum at all educational levels has become a priority in the last two years. In the Vlez area where 70 % of the adult population has not finished grade school and many areas still do not have schools, adult educational opportunities are badly needed. As the stage is set for the first generation of campesino high school graduates, there is also a need to offer higher educational opportunities that correspond to the needs of their communities and the entrepreneurial opportunities in their rural communities.
Basic Adult Education
In 1994 El Camino began to plan the implementation of a rural based, appropriate basic educational program for campesino adults with little or no education. For this program a series of workbooks developed by CAFAM in Bogota are being adapted for rural education. Last year a team of trainers was selected and trained in Bogota with the purpose of developing local based human resource for the implementation of the program. In 1996 two centers have been opened in agricultural areas where as many as 400 students, including local high school seniors, are expected to study under the direction of trained facilitators. Starting in 1997 the program will be expanded to 20 new rural communities a year until the demand has been satisfied.
Degree Program in Rural Education and Community Development
Also in 1994, in order to respond to the Colombian government mandate that all teachers must have degrees and certification, a degree program was developed in coordination with the University of San Gil. This four year program has been developed taking into account the philosophy and experience with the SAT high school program. It is specifically geared for teachers who labor in rural communities. As the communities expect these teachers to be civic leaders and to direct development initiatives, this has been included in the curriculum. This is the only El Camino program that is totally self-financing.
Seminars for Educators
In 1996 the first seminars for rural teachers were offered in an effort to challenge teachers to understand the intricacies of rural education and to help provide them with necessary tools for their work with young minds. Additional seminars will be offered as the need and means permit. In the future, university credit will be available for those who attend these seminars.
Early Education
This year a new program that will provide preschool for campesino children is being developed. The proposal is to provide parents with necessary training so that they may begin the education of their children at home. This will make them the first educators of their children and hopefully will commit them to involvement in all phases of the education of their children. Today many parents, who themselves have little education, feel disenfranchised from the education of their children. Another possible benefit may be increased enrollment of these parents in the basic adult education program.
Campesino Career Opportunities
El Camino is committed to developing college career opportunities for the SAT high school graduates. These careers must respond to local rural needs and the entrepreneurial potential of the students. At present El Camino is seeking alliances with other universities and Colleges for the study and development of the curriculum. Possible careers would include rural engineering, rural health, administration of rural enterprises, appropriate technology and other rural related topics. It is expected that the El Camino Campesino College will open its doors sometime in 1999.
For additional information and questions contact:
Father Jim Mitchell
El Camino Fund
PO Box 2593-CS
Pullman WA 99165-2593
Voice: (509)332-8736
FAX: (509)334-7378
E-mail (when in US): jdmitch@mail.wsu.edu
or
Comunidad El Camino
Apartado 308
Barbosa, Santander, COLOMBIA
FAX/Voice: 011-57-72-265-867
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