The Las Caobas Politechnical Institute, which is run by the Sisters of the Guardian Angels, has come a long way since its foundation in 1978. At present, there are over one thousand students enrolled in its various technical programs and general high school curriculum offered. The director of the school, Sister Lourdes Cisnero, however, told reporters from El Caribe that the start-up of the institute was difficult because of a shifting population. The original inhabitants of the Las Caobas sector had been moved from La Ci?naga, near the Ozama River, and represented poverty at its worst level. Many sold their new public housing apartments and moved back to the river. ?We conducted a census among the student population and found that the majority of the students were at the first level of middle school,? said Sister Lourdes. And so they began with 20 classes of basic middle and high school and have gradually added the technical courses, which include tourism services; finance and marketing; business management; and accounting.