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I was privileged to be part of the Cuba Cycle Challenge 2009, which had particular significance last year taking place in the 50th anniversary year of the Cuban revolution. Some 37 of us took part in the 350km cycle through the beautiful Cuban countryside and £67,000 was raised for the Abel Santamaria School.

The Cycle Challenge

The purpose of the trip – the fundraising Cuba Cycle Challenge – organised through the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, was an incredible experience, and involved cycling 350km over 5 days and we are going back in April 2011 to do it all again!

The Music Fund and Cuba’s inspiring education system

In Havana in 2009 we visited the Abel Santamaria school for visually impaired children, where we took equipment over, including a Braille printer, software and individual donations of musical instruments, and other educational material which are more useful than money, as some essential items cannot reach Cuba due to the blockade. We received, as elsewhere in Cuba, a tremendously warm and generous reception from the director of the school and the children, who performed for us (see photos). We will be returning to this amazing school in 2011 which epitomizes in the clearest way this philosophy of lifting every human being to their best potential. It has a ratio of one tutor per pupil. Children with disabilities, such as those we met, are given every chance and encouragement to excel, and to be an integrated part of society.

The school underlined Cuba’s big achievements in education – reducing illiteracy from 24 per cent in 1959 to around 3 per cent today. Their literacy programmes are thought to be the best methods anywhere, and are, for example used in Venezuela as part of their education missions which helped eradicate illiteracy in that country very rapidly.

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