Esther Aponte

A Colombian educator who created the first Afro-Colombian literacy program and founded a network of rural schools

Esther Aponte (1910-1972) was an Afro-Colombian educator who transformed literacy rates in Colombia's Pacific region. Born into a farming family in Chocó Department, she taught herself to read using discarded textbooks, later walking 150km to reach the nearest school in Quibdó. After graduating from the National University of Colombia in 1935, she returned to her hometown to establish the first bilingual school for Afro-Colombian children in 1940.

Her 1948 Project for the Pacific created a mobile school system using boats to reach isolated river communities. This initiative raised literacy rates from 12% to 65% in 15 years, with 80% of students from Afro-Colombian and Indigenous backgrounds. Aponte's 1953 manual Teaching Without Walls became a standard text for rural educators nationwide.

In 1960, she founded the Santa Clara School Network, a system of 45 schools across Chocó that emphasized cultural preservation alongside academic learning. Her schools integrated traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern curricula, a model later adopted by UNESCO's 1970s education programs.

Aponte's advocacy led to Colombia's 1968 Law 39, which mandated bilingual education in multilingual regions. Her 1969 report Educación para la Diversidad influenced national education policies, ensuring representation for marginalized groups. Despite death threats from paramilitary groups opposing her work, she continued organizing teacher training programs until her death.

Today, the Esther Aponte Institute (estheraponte.edu.co) trains educators in culturally responsive teaching methods. Her legacy is celebrated annually during Colombia's Black History Month, with her portrait featured on the 20,000 peso banknote since 2018.