THE independence cause of the Sahrawi people has been supported by Cuba in international forums and with solidarity for over more than 30 years.

Going back into history, the Polisario Front was formed in May 10, 1973 with the objective of fighting Spanish colonialism. Two years later, Spain abandoned Western Sahara in a shameful manner, signing a tripartite colonization agreement with Morocco and Mauritania, which withdrew in 1979.

In August 1976, Cuba received the first group of young Sahrawis to study at the secondary and pre-university level. The following year, 11 Cuban doctors arrived at the Tinduf Camp and to date thousands of health personnel have worked in this area.

"My parents were in the first generation of Sahrawis who came to the Isle of Youth, a special municipality in the Cuban archipelago, to complete their secondary and pre-university education," commented Semae Biut, a student of Medicine, who comes from a camp in Smara.

"I am studying medicine because the population is suffering very much. They are living in a desert, in inhospitable conditions. Illnesses abound and there is a lack of doctors and nurses. Neither are there any universities, or educational centers for training the professionals we need. As a consequence of the war, there is a proliferation of cases of amputated legs, with physical and motor deficiencies. There are also people who cannot care for themselves and need social support," she added.

In July 2009, President Raúl Castro held talks with President Mohamed Abdelaziz of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and leader of the Polisario Front. To that date 1,882 Sahrawis had completed studies in Cuba, 1,035 at the technical level and 847 in universities.

Leuli Fadhi arrived in 2010 as part of the first group of students to enroll at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM).

He talks with affection about his stay in Cuba. "You must study seriously and rigorously. We receive all the educational support but a lot is demanded in terms of academic training."

For him, ELAM signifies living alongside young people from 100 nations. "I have learnt a great deal from my compañeros, discovered the culture and traditions of places I didn’t know anything about," he commented, adding, "We maintain our religions and idiosyncrasies, share political problems with each other. We are aware that all conflicts, although they are taking place in distant points of the planet, have common roots. For that reason, we have learned to come together and socialize more."

The Guebel Mohamed’s father studied Political Science in Cuba and the name of the island has been familiar to him since his childhood. "Hundreds of youth present themselves at the education offices with their resumes to qualify for a scholarship in Cuba, then you are called for examination. It is important to have high marks for intermediate education subjects, but the essential requisite is a professional vocation."