[citation needed] Planning for the literacy campaign began approximately four months after the Sandinista Revolution which overthrew the Somoza political dynasty.
Citizen groups, workers' associations, youth organizations, and public institutions provided organizational support for the campaign.
There were two types of volunteers in the project, those who could not leave for the countryside such as: housewives, government employees and workers; thus, they worked in urban neighborhoods as Citizens’ Literacy Promoters (AP).
The second and most important groups of volunteers under the Popular Literacy Army (EPA) were the youth that worked full-time in the rural and mountainous areas.
[8] The groups of influential youth who mostly came from secondary schools or universities, were named after the brigadistas that contributed to the Cuban Literacy Campaign.
Like the Cuban example, about 60% of the brigadistas were female and such a title made the women feel a sense of belonging and equalization in the revolutionary process of their country.
Lastly, due to the great success of the campaign, Nicaragua made a substantial contribution in finding solutions for the eradication of illiteracy worldwide.
It found that a decade later, a significant portion of them were no longer able to read or write; and that of those who could, the majority of them had previously attended formal schooling as children for several years.
[8] The first phase of the literacy campaign was carried out with support of Sandinista mayors’ offices and used audiovisual equipment and teaching materials donated by Cuba as well as consulting assistance.
In 2007, after Daniel Ortega began his second term as President of Nicaragua, under the Carlos Fonseca Amador Popular Education Association, a new literacy campaign was announced and later launched in March 2007.