Laying foundation of development (Part II)

Development requires capacity building. It was with this in mind that many Eritreans got training in different entrepreneurship including in agriculture, smith work, veterinary and tailoring. Within the combatants, besides those who were attending at the art school, different training programs were arranged in order to upgrade their capacity. Many schools were established in different areas as well as expanding the Revolution School. Education programs were being organized for the combatants to upgrade their education. The illiteracy eradication program was expanded between 1983 and 1984. Many teachers were dispatched to different areas to participate in the illiteracy eradication programs and 200 educational centers were established. In the program that commenced in 1983 within five years 175 thousand adults attended. This was one tenth of the population that could have got the opportunity. The illiteracy eradication program was not confined inside the country only; it was also conducted abroad where Eritreans were residing.

Every citizen has the right of getting health services. Healthy citizens have big contribution to make to the development of the country. Non-healthy society has less to contribute. Our people had no opportunity for getting enough health services. Occupation and drought were the main causes for our people for not getting the necessary health services and as the result the death rate was on the increase. Many mothers and children were dying due to lack of medication.

After the strategic withdrawal the distribution and development of health services was declining as any other activities. But later many hospitals were established at the liberated areas. The hospitals were providing health services to the combatants and the people. In the other places mobile clinics were on the increase. The mobile clinics were providing health services not only to the people living in the area but to people living under the occupation and abroad. The number of people receiving health services was increasing from time to time and in 1986 the number reached up to 880 thousands. In that year alone 24 thousand children received vaccination for different diseases. 
Bare foot doctors were trained and they in return were providing health services to the population. Different basic medicines were being produced inside the country. Written documents were prepared and distributed for preliminary health care.

All activities mentioned were activities to lay the foundation for nation building. No activity could be seen in isolation. However, they didn’t register an impact as expected for they were being conducted under difficult condition. But they did reflect our capacity of doing things in the future as we pursue our efforts for nation building.