A Day in the Life of a Niña Trabajador at the Centro Hermano Manolo
My name is María. I am 15 years old, and I currently live with my mother and two stepsisters. My father disappeared before I was born, when he found out I would be a girl, so I have never known him. My mother has a new partner with whom she has two daughters, but the relationship is not what I expected. My mother is in a toxic relationship. Every time they fight, my stepfather disappears for months, and it hurts me a lot to see my mom suffer and struggle to work to feed my sisters.
I’ll tell you about my daily routine: From Monday to Friday, I get up at 6:00 a.m., then I get ready for school and usually have bread and tea for breakfast. I leave with my 9-year-old sister at 7:00 a.m., because my mom stays home to cook and get ready for work.
We arrive at school at around 7:30 a.m., although it is sometimes difficult to find transportation during rush hour. From 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., I am in class. I like going to school and making friends, and my favorite subjects are maths, social studies and Spanish. Thanks to the support of Centro Hermano Manolo, where my little sister and I go to do our homework, we get good grades in school.
After class, I go to the market to meet my mom, who sells fruit while carrying my 2-year-old sister. She brings us the food she prepared at home. At 2:30 p.m., I go to the Centro Hermano Manolo on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Mondays, I stay home to do household chores, such as laundry and house-keeping. On Tuesdays, I take baking classes at school.
When I leave Centro Hermano Manolo, some days I take my two sisters home so my mom doesn’t have to walk with them, and other days we help my mother sell at the market. When I get home early, I make dinner for my little sisters and mom. After dinner, I help my sister with her homework or do my own. I also like to play soccer in the local field because I love sports.
On Saturdays and Sundays, I get up at 6:30 a.m. and go to work without breakfast; sometimes my boss invites me to have coffee with empanadas or bread. I work all day, from 8:20 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., selling baby clothes. Sometimes I get tired because I sit for so long, but I like it because I need the money for my personal expenses: food, transportation, and school supplies. I get paid 60 bolivianos / 6 euros per day.
I love to dance the traditional dances of my country. My goal for the future is to study culinary arts or become a teacher.
The Centro Hermano Manolo in Cochabamba, Bolivia supports 80 niños trabajadores (working children and teens) in La Cancha marketplace; these young people have to work from a young age to support themselves and their families. The project provides a safe environment and academic and personal development supports to help the young people complete their education, ensuring a better future for them and their families.
