Each April 4th, Cuban students celebrate all over the island the Pioneer’s Day and the OPJM (Organización de Pioneros José Martí) organizes all types of political and cultural activities that remind the young pioneer of his function in the communist society and the need to watch for the progress and the continuation of the Revolution in the future.

This afternoon, they have events scheduled to happen in the Anti Imperialist Tribune in Havana where many kids from primary school and secondary school will probably sing, talk and repeat all kinds of socialist slogans.

Being a pionera the thing I remember the most is the Guardia Pioneril (Pioneer Guard). The children used to gather in each block and go around to watch for the security of the neighbourhood. It is ridiculous, I know, but for us it was a chance to be out at night and to meet our friends in a different environment. We had to wear our school uniforms and to pretend to be “taking care of things”.

Although we had a lot of fun and we did not see the moral objective of this I will be a happy person when one day I have a kid, who never experiencing being a pioneer, hears this story and considers my childhood a weird one.