The revolution for letters and the day of literacy in Maranhão: a mapping of “Yes, I can” and its social impacts in the fight against illiteracy

Abstract

The Literacy Day “Yes, I Can” in Maranhão, carried out in partnership between the State Government and the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST), reached an audience of illiterate young people and adults in the cities with the lowest Human Development Indexes in the state. This public policy was implemented through the Mais IDH Plan, with the aim of overcoming extreme poverty. The Cuban method, combined with Freirean Culture Circles, characterizes a program that has left a significant legacy in the state and within the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST), with its first experiences beginning in the early 2000s in the MST territories. Divided into two stages, the Literacy Day in Maranhão taught more than 7,000 people to read and write in the first stage alone. In addition to learning to read and write, these people experienced social impacts that transformed their worldview, opening up new opportunities and perspectives in life. In this context, this article aims to map the experience of the Literacy Day “Yes, I Can”