Spotlight on…
Redemption and Recovery in the Streets of La Paz
* real names have been replaced and generic pictures have been used to protect the privacy of the girls we support.
La Paz, Bolivia.
They leave their homes for various reasons, not unlike teens elsewhere in the world: abuse, neglect, extreme poverty, violence. But in Bolivia, it’s the scale of the exodus that is alarming.
In a country of just over 10 million, almost two million Bolivian children and adolescents are at risk, living in conditions of extreme poverty. About 800,000 of those aged 11 to 17 toil in menial jobs to make a living, rather than attending school. Tens of thousands of these children live in orphanages or worse, in the streets. And of these, many are swept into the world of prostitution.
No Safety in Numbers
By age 16,(1) the estimated average age of entry into prostitution in Bolivia, many of these kids have made their way to the urban areas of La Paz, Cochahambra, Santa Cruz and El Alto. From there, they band together with others like themselves, assuming that there is safety in numbers. But there is no safety in numbers: instead, there is even easier sexual exploitation of these children, girls mostly (although the number of boys is rising). As they gather together in squats and filthy rooms, they are prey to the pimps and nightclub owners who offer food, clothing, a bed for the night, drugs to feed the habit picked up in the struggle to survive. Children as young as 11 or 12 pay for subsistence levels of food and shelter by giving up their safety, their health, their bodies, their very selves. They risk addiction to whatever drug is cheapest and easiest to obtain; sexually-transmitted diseases; and regular, ongoing physical and psychological abuse and violence.
1 UNHCR, Rights of the Child in Bolivia, 2005
Alexandra’s Story
Alexandra (not pictured; not her real name) is one of these teens. At the age of 15, fleeing her family’s poverty, an absent father and a mother unable to care for her, she left the small town of San Ignacio de Velasco with a friend to take a waitressing job in Santa Cruz. There, they met up with a group of older boys who promised them more money and better jobs in La Paz. Once they arrived, Alexandra’s situation went from bad to worse. With no money of her own, and no livelihood or skills, she was at the mercy of the gang who brought her to La Paz. She was taken to a house, locked in a room, and obliged to work as a prostitute.
Alexandra Meets Little Flower
All are welcome at the Little Flower Drop-In Centre.
Fortunately, Alexandra’s story has a happier ending. In early 2009, she met a social worker from Jiska Pankarita – “Little Flower,” the community outreach arm of La Paz Foundation. Since 2005, Little Flower’s social workers, psychiatrists and health care professionals have worked to intervene and prevent sexual commercial violence among girls and young women in La Paz and El Alto.
Little Flower offers:
- Direct intervention in the streets and clubs – where they encourage adolescent sex workers to attend the Little Flower centre for health and social support, including access to health care, the knowledge to protect themselves from abuse and the opportunity to gain an understanding of their rights, all within an atmosphere of tenderness and acceptance.
- Community education – Little Flower delivers awareness and prevention programs in public and high schools, providing information to parents, teachers and students about the signs and scope of the problem.
- Psychological counselling and health care – For girls involved in prostitution and attempting to leave it, Little Flower supports the development of life skills and helps those involved in prostitution create an exit plan. Mental and physical health care, including reproductive health, prevention and intervention for sexually transmitted infections, and pre-natal/post-natal care, is offered to young women and their children. Most importantly, psychological counselling helps rebuild shattered confidence, and gives girls and young women the self-esteem to choose and pursue a better life for themselves.
- Vocational programs – Skills training, apprenticeships and work placements in start-up jobs instill discipline and basic working skills among girls who’ve never had a “regular” life or any structure. Little Flower’s clients have been placed in a wide range of jobs, including hairdressing, culinary arts, retail/customer service, travel and tourism, and many others.
From its inception helping about 80 girls, Little Flower has grown to provide services to close to 200 adolescents and young adults, their children and their boyfriends, spouses and relatives.
Raising Awareness and Providing Solutions
Because prostitution is legal for those over 18 in Bolivia, an entire industry centred around its urban nightclubs has emerged.
Little Flower’s work is unique in Bolivia. First, they work directly in the nightclubs of La Paz and El Alto (they are considering expansion to other communities), where prostitution is legal among those over the age of 18, and where an entire industry has grown to support it. It’s dangerous, risky work for Little Flower’s social workers, however they have forged strong ties and work in cooperation with local police and other government agencies.
In fact, this alliance is critical. In response to public pressure or calls for “cleaning up” the sordid nightclubs and street life, law enforcement periodically cracks down on prostitution and the illegal activities that occur in the clubs. But as they do, it is the girls and young women – the victims of these activities – who are left with nowhere to turn if and when their only source of income is removed. That’s when Little Flower becomes an even more important resource for these girls, who are more alone and vulnerable than ever.
Bolivia’s track record and international reputation with respect to the protection and advancement of child and women’s rights – especially in the area of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and prostitution – is slow to change. There continue to be cultural barriers that get in the way of meaningful and significant social reform. That is another reason why the work that Little Flower does with respect to community education is so vital. As Fernando Romero, Canadian Feed The Children’s Country Manager in Bolivia, says: “The rate of sexual abuse of children and women is extremely high and on the rise. These kinds of programs reveal more information about an activity that is very much stigmatized and hidden in Bolivia. Through the work of Little Flower, we are discovering more about the relationship between the pimps, the nightclub owners and the adolescents. Little Flower is making that information public, they are educating in high schools and public schools. Knowledge is power, and slowly, they have raised awareness not only about the problem, but about what it will take to reduce the problem.”
Giving a Girl a New Life – for a Lifetime
Another way that Little Flower is unique is because it offers a “lifetime” solution to those who need it. Little Flower’s services are available to its clients from the point they make first contact for as long as they are needed. The program has developed into a community, where former sex workers and those just escaping life in the clubs or on the streets can share their experiences and gain strength and inspiration from each other. Whether it’s to drop in and spend an hour with a counsellor, or engage in a longer-term vocational retraining program, Little Flower is there for its clients whenever and for however long they are needed.
Fernando adds, “It’s somewhat difficult to measure the success of this type of program because it’s such a long-term program. You’re really changing a life. And the support runs very deep. It covers all aspects of the girls’ lives. The psychologists of the program, for example, measure emotional status and life goals at the start and throughout the extent of their work with each girl. They are with them through the ups-and-downs, and helping the girls’ plan and adjust their plans as their lives change.”
Alexandra’s New Life
Steven Rotter, CFTC’s Program Manager for Bolivia, surrounded by Little Flower's clients and community workers.
With such a far-reaching and diverse program, the best way to measure its impact is by hearing the stories about how it’s helped program participants.
Through her contact with Little Flower, Alexandra has returned to school. She’s gained skills, confidence and she’s taken large steps toward the mental and physical healing required to help her recover from her ordeal. On her weekends, she trains in gastronomy while also working in a restaurant to gain experience and earn enough money to support her new lifestyle: one of safety, security and a healthy future. And Little Flower is there with her, as she creates a new life for herself and her 18-month-old daughter.
