UNESCO San Jose provides new materials for teaching Mayangna culture in Nicaragua
©UNESCO/SJO/J.Baker. Workshop conducted with the indigenous community from 21 to 24 January, 2014
- Materials prepared with the support of UNESCO value and strengthen traditions and the transmission of knowledge within indigenous communities.
From 21 to 24 January, 2014, the UNESCO office in San José organised the “Pre-school teacher training workshop” for 15 female preschool teachers belonging to Mayangna communities in Nicaragua.
This workshop formed part of the initiative “Strengthening the transmission of Mayangna knowledge and language in the BOSAWAS Biosphere Reserve”. The activity is also supported by UNESCO’s Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
UNESCO has been working with the Mayangna community since 2004. In 2010 a two-volume book was published titled “Mayangna conocimiento de la interdependencia de la gente y la naturaleza: peces y tortugas” (Mayangna knowledge of the interdependence of people and the environment: fishes and turtles), in Spanish and Mayangna. The book is based on materials prepared by UNESCO.
The workshop covered basic preschool teaching strategies to promote greater involvement amongst students, as well as a session analysing preschool teaching materials prepared with the support of UNESCO and a role playing exercise of a class.
The teachers described the materials as excellent tools to revitalise Mayangna cultural identity. They also said that the children in their classes would feel proud to see their lands and customs in the books, which would thus awaken an interest in protecting the group’s natural resources.
Participants in the workshop included the Mayangna women teachers, officials from the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education, the UNESCO team, and other experts.
The project in the Mayangna communities was made possible by the support of the Regional Office of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Guatemala office; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Managua office; and coordination by the Ministry of Education and the Office of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua.
