In the Sierra…
The Sierra Maestra are beautiful mountains in Cuba
Lots of important things happened there…
Here’s a little cartoon strip about the Cuban Revolution…
“I was a part of Castro’s Communist movement. I lived in the Sierra Maestra with him and helped him plan his strategies. I also taught lots of soldiers and farmers how to read.
One of my jobs during the Revolution was dressing in disguise and delivering letters, pamphlets and recordings around Cuba. Letters were usually written in code, so if someone else found them, they couldn’t be read. My code name was ‘Deborah’.
After the revolution I worked for the government. I was very interested in making sure that women were treated the same as men, and that they could have the same jobs that men did”
Activity 5: Reading coded letters
There’s a letter here written in code - can you help Vilma decode it? I think it’s using a pigpen cipher.
Take a look at page X of the worksheets. You can write out the answer there and find the word with the star.
Ladies in White
One group who doesn’t like Fidel Castro are called the Ladies in White. Some of their husbands have been arrested by Castro, which they say is unfair. They want to make sure that people don’t forget about their husbands, so every Sunday they dress in white and walk through the streets in Cuba. Sometimes they have also been arrested by police.
They are always peaceful, but want to make sure that no one forgets that their husbands are still in prison.