Cuiba of Colombia

A Pencil Opens a Door

A pencil lying on the desk of SIL linguist Marie Berg caught the eye of a 12 year old boy.

"Will you give me this?" he asked.

It was granted.

"Can you teach me to use it?"

This is how literacy started among the nomadic Cuibas, locked into their own little world, with no way out.

In about 20 hours this youth had learned to read and write his own language, and began to write stories.

When he read those to his kinsmen, they were amazed. They all gathered to see and hear, asking him to teach them.

At first writing was a game. Later, many established themselves near a school and planted gardens, so they could attend classes.

The Colombian government took notice and is training Cuiba teachers.