BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA (Granma International staff writer)

                   IT is not the first time that a president, first lady, queen,
                   statesman or politician has concluded a visit to the
                   Solidaridad con Panamá Special School with eyes clouded by
                   tears. This week, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter followed suit.

                   There they met children with varying degrees of physical
                   disability, whom teachers, doctors and psychologists are
                   preparing for a full life. The children feel cared for, know that
                   they are loved and are happy.

                   Thus the visit this morning, May 15, was not just another
                   item on an official program, but one that impacts on the
                   deepest human sensibilities.

                   On their arrival, the U.S. guests were welcomed by
                   14-year-old Mabel Cedeño, who is confined to a wheelchair
                   but has been a veritable star of La Colmenita children’s
                   theater group, directed by Carlos Alberto Cremata.

                   Mabel has completed ninth grade and passed her entrance
                   exam for the Art Instructors’ School. Her vocation and
                   aptitudes are well known. Nothing can hold this child back.
                   She has already created her own Colmenita, with 45 children
                   from regular elementary schools in the Havana municipality of
                   Boyeros, as well as taking part in shows put on by her own
                   school’s theater group.

                   Some of the youthful artists of these two groups came
                   together to dedicate a short show to President Carter, his
                   wife and his entourage, which led him to exclaim: "You are
                   amazing. I wish you good luck, and many thanks for an
                   unforgettable moment."

                   Before the show, Carter toured two classrooms in this special
                   school — established in 1989 and with a current enrollment of
                   146 boarding pupils — and met some of the children and
                   adolescents.

                   In the seventh grade classroom, Carter asked the children
                   what they wanted to be, and Yanela García replied that she
                   was going to study medicine. (She later told this weekly that
                   she wants to help others, like the doctors have helped her.)

                   They were waiting for the visitors in the computer laboratory,
                   but time didn’t permit, so the delegation missed the chance
                   to see how proficient the students are with that equipment
                   (donated by the Emir of Qatar’s wife).

                   Cuban Minister of Education Luis Ignacio Gómez explained to
                   Carter and his entourage the general education program
                   (covering 100% of Cuba’s children, including in remote areas,
                   where there are 75 schools with just one pupil each). He also
                   described the curriculum of the special schools, which goes
                   beyond data: it ranges from eliminating discrimination against
                   persons with disabilities, and continues with their
                   incorporation into society.

                   There are currently 428 schools for children with various
                   congenital or acquired disabilities (the total enrollment is
                   55,053) in nine specializations, including mental retardation,
                   hearing and visual impairment, behavioral problems, speech
                   problems and autism.

                   Like the rest of the educational system, the special schools
                   are free of charge, and in addition to teachers and books, the
                   students are provided with sterling medical attention.

                   "Smile at life," says La Colmenita’s theme song, "Amanecer
                   feliz" (Happy Dawn). "Scare off bad moods and don’t let your
                   dreams be stolen."

                   At the Solidaridad con Panamá Special School, the Cuban
                   children showed Carter that here their dreams can indeed
                   become reality.