Las mejores
noticias están
en la calle**The best news is out on the streets
A message from Lynne, Toybox CEO
This issue was written entirely by the young people who attend our projects in Bolivia. Their words are honest, powerful and genuinely inspiring.
I want to warn you that some of the content is hard-hitting and may feel uncomfortable - but it reflects the honest reality these children and young people chose to share, and we did not want to dilute their voices or smooth the edges of their truth.
So often people talk about giving children a voice; we really are trying to do that, and as I read these stories, one phrase kept echoing in my mind: please don't forget about us. Not a plea of money or material items - just remember me, it does not get more simple or more human than that.
The Alalay team (our partner in Bolivia) told us that writing for the magazine was powerful and even healing for some of the children. They shared some of the pain held tight in their little hearts, which is a really brave thing to do. I hope in the next couple of weeks you remember these little ones in your thoughts, prayers and giving.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Street Life from Bolivia.
Being part of the magazine helped us say things we hadn't been able to say before. Some of us wrote about things we had never told anyone, things that hurt us, like bullying or the violence we've experienced. Others felt that writing was like letting off steam, getting things off our chests and showing what we go through every day.
We also want you to know that we often keep our feelings to ourselves. We find it difficult to say when something hurts or worries us. Some of us want you to know important parts of our story, like when we had to work or the effort we make to continue studying.
Even though we are on the streets, we have feelings, responsibilities and dreams. The message we want to share is: please don't forget about us.
Sometimes we feel invisible. We do not always need money or clothes; often what we need most is for someone to listen to us and see us as people.
We want you to learn to look beyond what you see on the outside. It is possible to get off the streets if you do your part and if someone gives you a chance.
Hi, I'm Maria. I'm 16 years old and I was born in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. My grandmother sold newspapers at traffic lights. From a very young age, she would take me to the traffic lights to help her sell.
At the roundabout where we used to hang out, there were several young people who cleaned windscreens and used inhalants (glue). I never knew my father; I only remember that he died in a street fight.
I got pregnant at 13 and became a mother at 14. To support my baby, I started selling lollipops, but I didn't earn much. Sometimes we ate, sometimes we didn't. My friends who were homeless taught me how to clean windscreens, where I could earn a little more money.
I found the Alalay Foundation, and they helped me get a birth certificate and ID card for my baby. They also encouraged me to resume my studies at a Centre for Alternative Education.
Now I've been given the opportunity to fulfil my biggest dream: to be a football player. I'm training hard so I can be part of the Alalay Foundation's women's team and make my dream come true.
At times I wanted to give up and disappear, but then I look at my son and say, I have someone to keep fighting for and a dream to fulfil.
I'm 13 and this is my story… I used to live with my mum, my four sisters, and my brother in a house in La Paz. My mum beat us a lot, and all the money we earned selling things went to her. She didn't give us anything to eat. My siblings and I got tired of that, so we left home and went to live on the streets. That's how it all started.
I worked selling sweets almost all day: from eleven to three, then again from seven to ten, and even in restaurants in the afternoon. I often went to internet cafés, first to use the computers and later to sleep there.
We called those “all-nighters”. You pay money to stay overnight. Sometimes I'd go sell things in the centre or bars to save up money for the all-nighters, which cost fifteen bolivianos to use the computers all night. During the all-nighters, there were rapes, abuses, people drinking, and many other things, like smoking marijuana and snorting cocaine.
In the mornings, some of us slept on the balcony until one day the police caught us sleeping at the internet café and took us to the Special Force for the Fight Against Crime, and from there to the child protection agency. My cousin came to pick me up, and since then I haven't gone to those places.
I met Alalay after we were kicked out of the all-nighters. They came to meet us at the internet café and invited us to eat and talk about our lives.
I want to change my life. Now I've started studying. I was in sixth grade, and this year I moved up to seventh grade, and I don't go to the all-nighters anymore.
I started going to my aunt's house, and I don't drink alcohol anymore. The people from the Alalay Foundation enrolled me into a football school.
I'm still selling things, but now I go home, and I don't think I'm doing bad things anymore. We participate in activities with the Alalay Foundation, like scouting, and we also go to the project centre where they give us food and breakfast. They also help us with our homework.
In my free time, I like to play football with my friends. I also like going to the internet café, but not for all-nighters, just for two hours. Then I go to sell things and go home. I play Roblox.
In the future, I want to leave the streets completely and become a professional football player, and that's why the people from Alalay enrolled me in the sports school. If I don't become a footballer, I would like to be a doctor.
Once upon a time, there was a young girl who didn't feel loved by her family and because of that, she made some unwise decisions, such as leaving home. Her problems consumed her completely, and life on the streets offered little help. However, she found support among other people living in the same situation. She said that they were her real family and adapted to this new way of living. In time, she gave birth to a son, but the young woman felt unable to care for him and temporarily left, leaving her child with her mother.
This boy, whom we will call 'L', grew up with his grandmother. From a young age, he spent a lot of time alone.
His grandmother worked long hours, and his aunt was studying so he was often by himself, feeling the absence of both parents. Little by little he learned to cope with being alone and tried not to dwell on it. His mother would return from time to time and visit him.
With his mother's visits, he began to feel a mother-son bond. But one day she suddenly stopped visiting him, and 'L' experienced sadness and abandonment. At night, little 'L' felt lonely despite having his grandmother and aunt. 'L' soon got used to it and although his mother later resumed visiting him, he no longer felt the same bond - though he still agreed to see her.
As the years passed, his feelings of loneliness grew, and he was no longer as dependent on his mother.
At school, he was not enthusiastic, struggled to express himself with others, and focused on his phone because he did not feel unique or like a good person. He used his phone as a form of escape.
Time passed. He still felt lonely and found it difficult to feel useful or capable like before. He tried to recover, but never fully did. As a teenager, he began to make more friends and started listening to them and supporting them. His friends cared about him. Even though he made mistakes, he tried to move forward with his unique personality, which made him who he was. He always relied on his schoolmates or friends, sharing his problems with his closest friends.
He learned that crying, smiling, and getting angry were what made life beautiful, even if he kept many problems to himself.
He reminded himself that he would move forward and improve no matter what happened. He always believed it was better to smile in the face of problems, that it’s okay to cry, but that smiling meant you were still standing, still strong and capable of overcoming anything.
Hi, I'm Camila. I love football. Today I've come to tell you my story. When I was eight, my mum got together with my stepdad, and one day she told me: “We're moving house,” and I replied, “That's fine, Mum.” A few days later, we moved into my stepfather's house. At first, I was nervous, but then I got used to it.
One day, my stepfather was talking to my mum, and suddenly he threw everything at her and grabbed my mum by the neck.
I cried, but then my stepfather's mum arrived and shouted, 'What's going on?' She saw her son grabbing my mum by the neck, and my mum decided to take us to my grandmother's house. Since then I've been scared, and all of that started because my dad called my mum to tell her he'd deposited some money.
After we got to my grandmother's house, I felt calm, because I have my uncles, grandparents, siblings and my mum with me. I'm doing well at school, thanks to the support of my mum and family.
I learnt at Alalay that all of us, girls and boys, have rights and should never stay silent and always tell the truth. Rights include the right to a family, the right to live without violence, and others.
For me, the right to an identity document is very important because that right helps us identify whether we are minors or adults through the birth certificate. The first time was complicated because we didn't have any money, but later we managed it; it took a long time, which is why the right to an identity document is very important to me.
Now I understand that my sisters, thanks to their certificates, can identify themselves, and so can I. Because of this, we can go to school and the health centre. Fortunately, my family came across organisations like Alalay, which also helped us with our certificates, even though it was complicated.
I dream of becoming a doctor to help people with disabilities and illnesses.
This part is for children living on the streets: I ask that everyone can have a certificate and that children are helped and supported, even if they do not have a certificate, and that there are also campaigns for everyone.
I have five sisters and one brother. My whole family and I used to stand at traffic lights selling sweets, and we learned how to clean car windscreens. Every day we had to go out, whether it was cold or hot. We had to work in order to eat. Sometimes people passing by in cars would give us clothes and food.
We lived in great fear because once the Child Protection Services almost took my little sisters and my brother away to place them in children's homes.
We did not want to be separated from our mum because we did not have identity documents. None of us was studying, and every time the authorities carried out raids, we had to hide however we could.
At that time, teenagers and young people living on the streets who cleaned windscreens protected us. They always told us that we were already part of their family.
We got to know the Alalay Foundation. They helped us obtain identity documents for me and all my siblings. Only after we received our documents were we able to start studying. They also helped my mum get a job at a cleaning company so she could work and have a reliable salary every month.
From that moment on, we never returned to the traffic lights. We left the streets and the crossroads; now we stay at home and focus on our studies.
At last, I can say that I am closer to achieving my dreams. I want to finish my studies and become a great professional so that I can help my mum.
I started living with my grandma because we didn't have any money. My mum went to Brazil to work, and also because my dad passed away. But I have Don Victor and even though he is not my dad, I call him “dad”. I love them both because they keep their promises.
My grandma is lovely, and Victor takes me to the football pitch and to the park. My mum makes me eat tasty food and sometimes takes me to beautiful places. Sometimes she cooks really well, and I've had her roast beef with potatoes several times.
I've built a Lego set of 5,300 pieces and another one of 5,200. I build with patience.
My idea came because my parents didn't have enough money. There was no money and we wanted clothes. One day, at the juice stall, I said: “Mum, you don't have enough for my clothes or other things. I want to help you with my Legos.”
And that's how it started: first with about 10 pieces, then about 15. The first thing I built was this little figure; I made it in 5 minutes. I sell them in a box for 10 bolivianos and built ones for 15 bolivianos.
I also have my drawings here. I draw at the stall and also at home. I can also draw on the computer — that's something I learned at school. I've drawn a bear and other shapes, and I also know how to add screen borders.
I come to sell with my parents every day. Even though my mum says I'm a headache, I'm also her companion.
I like offering what I make. I call out to people passing along the avenue and say: “Madam, take one! Wouldn't you like to buy Legos?” And I shout: “Legos, Legos, Legos!”
Then they look at me and come over. I show them that I have boxed ones for 10 bolivianos and built ones for 15, or they can place an order and I'll bring it the next day. That's how I help my parents earn more money for us.
To other children who want to work and support their parents, I would say: Be strong. Never give up on life. It doesn't matter if you're a baby, a child, or older — you can still do it. Never feel stupid in life.
Life is not always easy. But with God, everything is possible. With God, everything is possible, because I saw a YouTube video that said that.
With just two coins, I play on the table football pitches. Every time I pay two bolivianos, I get five marbles. Every marble I score feels like a goal to me, and I feel very happy. I'm very competitive; I like winning. At my school, I am happy to study. Once we planted little trees outside, and I really liked that.
Because the park is nearby, sometimes when I do my homework well and don't upset my teacher, they bring me here for a little walk. I like coming to this park because it's very close to my house. I come with my dad… well, my grandpa Victor.
I help my grandma and grandpa by carrying things to their stall after I finish my homework at home and after eating. Sometimes, if I don't finish everything, I take some homework with me to the stall, and while my grandparents sell juices, I finish doing it. Only when I finish my homework do I start selling my Legos.
I like that too, because it's a way to relax by building things. I feel very happy. I want to play.
The other day a young man gave me his jacket because it was very cold. I was sitting at the stall and there was a lot of wind. Then he came over, took off his jacket and gave it to me. I like it very much and I'm happy because it feels like a reward given to me by someone who didn't know me. Now I don't want to take it off.
When I grow up, I'm also going to give warm clothes to other children I see on the street who are cold, just like that person gave to me that day.
I grew up without my father. He separated from my mother and left when I was one. I grew up with my mother; I lived in the Yungas.
Later, I came to La Paz, and here I am happy. I grew up with my mum's brother; he was with me when I was little.
How do I want to get ahead? By selling tissues and books to pay the rent, my school fees, and buy food such as rice, pasta, sugar, potatoes, and flour.
I also want to sell books to help other people with their studies.
I would like to tell you my story. When I was 7 years old, I suffered bullying from my classmates and also from one of my teachers. At school, they teased me every day.
One day, two classmates even hit me, but I didn't tell my parents because I was afraid. However, the aggression continued, and nobody did anything.
One day, my mum took me to a place called the Alalay Foundation. Some time before, she had been able to arrange our identity documents there, because my sisters and I were born at home and were not registered at a hospital, as happens with other children. Thanks to this, we were able to access health and education services.
In that place, I felt safe and had no fear. Although I didn't talk much, I was happy because other children and young people spoke to me and taught us about the rights of girls, boys, and adolescents.
However, when I returned to school, that happiness disappeared, because I knew they would say hurtful things to me again. Several days passed and the situation continued. One day, a teacher said something hurtful to me about my notebook. At that moment, I didn't react, I just stayed silent. When I got home, I told my mum what had happened with the teacher. She said she would go and speak to him, but I knew that wouldn't happen because my mum was always working.
One day, my older sister went to pick me up from school and found me crying. She asked me what had happened, and I told her that a classmate had insulted me, saying hurtful things like that I was useless, that I only went to school as a visitor, that I didn't have a dad, and that I was an orphan.
My sister, angry, went to speak to the classmate's mother to ask her to intervene, and then she went to the school to demand a solution. But I no longer wanted to go back to that school.
Finally, I was transferred to another school. At that new school, I started again: I made new friends, felt accepted and happy, worked harder on my studies, and learned new things.
My life through my relationship with my sister and football
Written by Andrea
I was in a foster home where I lived for a long time, but then I had to leave. At that time, I had the opportunity to go live with my stepbrother, who had custody of me. However, his wife became pregnant and seeing that he wouldn't be able to care for me and that it was too expensive, I had to go live with my sister.
During the time I spent with my sister, I realised how things had changed, or how things had unfolded. I thank God because I was able to get my identity documents, and thanks to her, I was able to enrol in school.
We had such beautiful moments together, and being with her brought me peace. Because I knew that with her, I wasn't going to live with just any stranger; I had the opportunity to have the family I had always longed for.I also had the opportunity to enrol in football school.
The Alalay Foundation helped me get into the sports programme, and my sister was always there to support me. She was always there to see what was happening, to see how I was doing, so I always had her support.
I've also experienced life on the streets, which was very difficult, but thanks to my sister, I had the opportunity to get out of there. I had the opportunity to see reality, because on the streets I couldn't see it that way. Things don't always happen that way on the streets.
Now I have the opportunity to have the family I've always wanted since I was a child. Now I have football, which has great meaning in my life. Many times, when I had problems, there was always the ball, the field. Picking up a ball - and wow! It's having the opportunity to kick it, to play games, to meet many people, to communicate. It fills me with joy.
I always remember that there are many things that can hurt us, but there will always be something that will heal us. My sister and football healed me.
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