At the Ismaelillo Childcare Center, the order, cleanliness, and vibrant colors catch the eye. It’s amazing what imagination and dedication can achieve. Those toys —many made using the papier-mâché technique— are the work of dedicated educators like Ania Eleisy Madrazo Mejía.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Starting the workday surrounded by love and innocence is the greatest gift an educator can receive. “I come from a family of educators. All my sisters work in this field,” she tells us.

“I started as a teaching assistant in the municipality of Colombia, where I took my first steps in the field, and later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Preschool Education. I really enjoy working with young children, especially those in the daycare center.” While engaged in this wonderful work, she also trained as a computer educator, a role she held for 11 years at the Semillitas de Caguairán Childcare Center.

Upon returning to Las Tunas, she began working at the Amiguitos de la Far Childcare Center. There, she pursued a master’s degree in Community Cultural Development, and later took on the role of assistant director of education at the José Mastrapa Childcare Center, a position she did not continue in due to personal reasons.

After some time, she rejoined the Ismaelillo preschool. “I’ve found a wonderful team; I’ve been here for almost three years, and I feel right at home. I’d never worked as a preschool teacher before, and I’ve really enjoyed it. The experience has been incredible. I never thought
I’d form such close bonds with the children’s families.”
Her goal now is to ensure these children enter first grade with a stronger foundation of knowledge, appropriate for today’s world.

“Work, work, and more work… That’s what we have to do so that our children learn everything they need to during this period. I believe we can achieve this with a lot of love and dedication, especially when a strong bond is established between the family and the school. Without that, we can’t succeed.”

Although there are many examples of Cuban women who exemplify the work of the education sector, the efforts of this woman from Las Tunas stand out, as she continues to refine her art of teaching children day by day.