We all know it. Walked it every day. But none of them were like these.
The world's most dangerous ways to school. Freezing. Climbing. Risking their lives, all for the chance of a better future.
Spectacular and sometimes simply beautiful. The world's most dangerous ways to school. The Yungas Valley in Bolivia.
A unique landscape where the Andes Mountains meet the Amazon rainforest. In this remote section of one of the poorest countries in South America, education is not easily accessible. For the children of the jungle, it's the key to a new, better world. And that's why they run great risks every day in pursuit of it. Their only way to school leads over a ravine over 650 feet deep.
The children entrust their lives to a rusty iron pulley. Fear, hunger and exhaustion are their constant companions. High up on the summit of the mountain range is where the Kispi family lives, isolated and in the heart of the jungle. It's 5 a.m.
Up on the mountain, the school day begins especially early. Nine-year-old Helen and seven-year-old Mariela have a long walk ahead of them, two and a half hours. Of all the children who attend the school, the sisters live furthest away. The girls live in extreme poverty, as does 60% of Bolivia's rural population.
But the hardest thing for them is their solitary life on the mountaintop. All their friends live down in the valley, and the long journey to school is exhausting and dangerous. Helen and Mariela dream of what it would be like to leave the mountain and their poverty behind.
I want to become a doctor, to give people good teeth, make them healthy. I want my own farm and new things. I'd buy sweaters and pants. Pants and socks.
The sisters are growing up without their father. He left them for a new family. Their mother, Lorenza, works various jobs as a day laborer. It's the only way she can feed her children. Lorenza herself only went to primary school, but she wants her girls to study as much and as long as possible.
Education is their only way out of poverty. I work all day and have hardly any time for the girls. It's terrible, but I can't do anything about it. I hope they have a good life.
life, that they live in a nice house, find good husbands and have happy families. The girls know that a good education is their best chance for a life far removed from misery. And that it can open the door to a better future. It's six o'clock. School starts in two and a half hours.
Helen and Mariela have a long day ahead of them. The sisters call the first stage of their journey the snake hill. They've often seen the Nakanaka, a species of coral snake in the high grass. The snakes are hard to spot as most of them are only seven to twelve inches long and their venom makes them even more dangerous.
It causes paralysis and can even lead to death. We're afraid of the snakes here. We hit the grass with sticks to chase them away. Helen and Mariela try to cross over the snake hill as quickly as possible.
They know that if they were to get bitten up here on the mountain, help would arrive for them too late. Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley, the Rivero family are coca farmers, like so many people in the Yungas. This is the only region in Bolivia where it's legal to grow the plant.
Seven-year-old Elmer and his four-year-old brother Porfirio get to sleep in. Until 6.30. Boys, it's time to get up.
Every morning. Elmer has to cross the gorge. I wish I lived somewhere else, where you don't have to use a dangerous cable to go to school.
A finger-width steel cable leads from his house across the valley. A kind of homemade zip line. It's about 650 feet above the ground and already 30 years old.
It's the only way to school. It takes a whole day to walk to the next bridge. Before going to school, Elmer has to help with the coca harvest. The moist, warm climate of the Yungas is also ideal for coffee and citrus fruit. But with coca, Elmer's family can make much more money.
$280 a month. Five times as much as Helen and Mariela's family. What should I do? Help me with the weeding. According to Elmer's father, coca from the Yungas is not used to make cocaine.
There is a tradition with coca leaves in Bolivia dating back centuries. People chew on them and make tea or medicine from them. I don't want to become a coca farmer. It's a lot of work. I'd rather be an engineer and build houses.
And I'd like to build a bridge here. In a half hour, Elmer has to get going. Over the gorge.
The sisters Helen and Mariela can breathe easy. They've made it over the snake hill. Now they're entering the thick forest.
The girls have grown up in the jungle. They know its dangers, but also its tiny treasures. After walking for three quarters of an hour. The sisters need a snack. They like the food at school best.
There's often fruit and yogurt. But when they're really hungry, they eat what the forest provides. Sugar cane contains a sweet and sour fluid, albeit only one small sip for the long march.
Our dad taught us this. It's a plant you can eat. can chew. It tastes like sugar when you chew it.
It's almost seven. The girls need to hurry up. They still have more than half the way to go. Meanwhile, Elmer and his little brother are starting off on their dangerous way to school. Boys, don't forget your backpacks.
Don't dawdle. And be careful. It's a very special day for Elmer. Today, the seven-year-old will learn to fly.
For the first time in his life, he will cross the gorge alone. A stone in the earth. That's all that's holding the homemade zipline in place.
Four thin wires. About 1,000 feet across the valley. After 30 years, they're rather worn out, rusted and sagging. The police scare me the most.
Sometimes I imagine them falling apart. Once, Elmer broke his finger on the journey across the gorge. It was really windy.
I panicked and touched the cable. The wheel went over my finger. Normally, Elmer goes across the gorge on his father's lap.
Today, for the very first time, he'll hang from the steel cable, all alone. I'm old enough. I'm too heavy for my dad.
I'll make it. Elmer, I'll tie this tight. The rope needs to go up here, around your back.
And the other one is for your feet, like a harness. Hold the knot here, and the bag here is like a seat. Make a knot like this. Elmer's entire weight is now resting on the worn plastic bag.
He could fall out at any moment. Several people from the region have already fallen to their death that way. Don't touch the cable.
First, a test run. Elmer's father wants to see if his son will panic. Suddenly, a storm draws near. The sagging cable starts blowing in the wind. When the wind is too strong, the pulley moves slower.
You don't get enough speed to make it to the other side. With that much headwind, he could end up hanging in the middle. We have to be really careful with a storm like this. Lightning could strike the cable.
Anyone on the zipline would get electrocuted. Elmer's ride gets riskier every minute. Meanwhile, in La Paz, at 11,800 feet above sea level, It's the highest capital city in the world. This is where another long, formidable way to school starts.
The teacher's journey. Every week, 63-year-old Angela commutes between two worlds. Her home in the big city, and her school in the jungle.
I do it all for the children. I want to help them learn. Angela sets off with only the bare necessities in her bag.
One of the most dangerous routes in the entire country lies ahead of her. Her first destination, the bus station in La Paz. Hola. Good morning. Angela's colleague, Luis, goes with her.
Together they run the school and teach the children. Let's find a taxi. How much? 70 bolivianos. Maybe a bit less.
No? Well, okay. About $10 for a drive on one of the most dangerous routes in the world. That's a lot of money in Bolivia. The government covers the cost for the two teachers.
On the way, they'll descend almost 10,000 feet from the highlands of the Andes to the edge of the Amazon basin. Angela, Luis, and the driver, Carlos, must cross the Andes. The route?
Unpredictable. Along crumbling rock faces and steep slopes. At 63, Angela actually could have retired long ago. But one thought drives her to take this risky route every week. She knows she can help the students make their way out of the jungle.
The biggest danger lurks in the sky. A thick wall of fog descends on the mountains. Carlos, the driver, is tense. He's seen a lot of accidents on this road.
In this part there is a lot of fog. It's really dangerous with this much fog. There are cars that are going without lights, like the one in front. You never know what's coming. There are often landslides and rocks fall on the street.
On the left, the mountain brings many slums. The most dangerous part of the route is yet to come. Many people have lost their lives here. Back to Helen and Mariella.
They're relieved. Finally they're going downhill for a short, safe stretch. In the afternoon, the sisters will have to hike back up the path they're running down now.
When they get to school differs from day to day. The girls don't have a watch. At this waterfall, the girls know they've made it halfway. Helen and Marguila take a short break.
The water has made the sharp stones. ...slippery. Helen's old shoes are much too small for her, and her toes hurt. We want to play in the water. The girls enjoy the waterfall.
At home on the mountain, there's only just enough rainwater for a quick wash. They can't afford to lose too much time. Otherwise, they'll get to school too late.
Then, a lot more water comes down from above than the sisters would like. We're getting all wet! Here between the Andes and the Amazon, the weather can change within minutes.
Helen and Mariella climb under a rock ledge. The girls don't know how long they'll be stranded here, or if they'll make it to school on time. I'm ready. Great.
On the other side of the valley, the rain has passed by. Elmer is ready for his first flight. Alone on the steel cable.
His father checks all the knots one last time. We can't stay a father-son team forever. The time has come to let them go.
Elmer's father, Porfirio, goes ahead. Elmer is right behind. Keep going. Go, it's almost over.
We're almost there. By myself. Soon you'll be flying over the gorge alone.
Done. This trip has buoyed Elmer's courage. He has overcome his fear of the steel cable. His brother, on the other hand, is still too young for this test.
I felt like a bird. I flew. It was really fast.
I felt the wind, and I flew with the wind. Elmer's little brother still rides over the gorge on his father's lap, tied on with only a piece of cloth. From here the boys have to proceed on foot.
The teachers, Angela and Luis, are approaching the most dangerous part of the drive to school. The dirt road leading toward the jungle. It descends nearly 10,000 feet over a distance of only 37 miles.
The road barely wider than the car itself. The driver stays as close as he can to the rock wall. On the other side, the road drops off 2,000 feet. Traffic coming from the opposite direction means mortal danger. In that case, the car must drive in reverse to one of the rare sections of road that are somewhat wider.
Each week the journey is a real stress on me. It's very dangerous. I do it all for the children, so they can learn something. Crosses remind the teachers of the constant danger. Several hundred people have gone off the road and plunged into the abyss.
Many on this very curve. It drops off thousands of feet into a crater. Waterfalls from above fall directly onto the street. If the ground softens too much, it can give way under the weight of the car and carry those inside to certain death.
Carlos drives the minivan very carefully along the cliff edge. Finally, it's over. The drive down one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Angela and Luis have a week of teaching ahead of them.
During that time, they'll live at the school. In the heart of the Yungas jungle. There are two very simple bedrooms for the teachers, not to be compared with their apartments in the big city.
Before opening the classrooms, they'll take a short rest. It's 7.45 a.m. School begins at 8.30.
Helen and Mariella have made it through the jungle. The street in front of them leads to school. One more hour on foot.
Time is running short. The girls have got to walk faster if they want to be on time. Meanwhile, the temperature has risen to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The girls trudge wearily along the asphalt. They ought to be wide awake and especially careful, though, as the street has treacherous curves and is heavily traveled.
The girls are slowly running out of energy. We get tired when we walk so far. It's hot.
We cool off now, and again in the puddles. The school is still two and a half miles away. To the girls, the road feels endless. After a half mile walk, Elmer and his brother reached their destination. Puente Armas School, in the middle of the valley.
They're a couple of minutes early. The teachers are sleeping and haven't opened the doors yet. But that's no problem. On the contrary. I like playing a bit before school starts.
The soccer field is my favorite place. Helen and little Mariela are out of energy. But then, something truly unusual happens.
An acquaintance of their mother spots the two girls on the side of the road. What luck. On the motorbike, they have a chance to get to school on time.
To be sure, the streets here are also anything but harmless. But Helen and Mariella are simply happy that they don't have to walk. As long as they get to ride, they don't care about the traffic and the dust clouds. Done.
The sisters are almost at their destination. They have rested their feet for a few minutes. A rare luxury.
Now, school awaits them. They're happy for class to start, but also to finally see their friends again. These are the two most important things in the sisters' lives. Mariela is in one classroom with Elmer and his brother. Helen is in a second classroom.
Hi, Helen. The older kids in the school are in her room. In total, 29 children attend the school, ranging in age from 4 to 13. Line up.
The day begins with morning gymnastics. Time to march. Hello, children. Good morning, teacher.
Stand still. Every Monday at the flag ceremony, the teachers announce the government's latest organizational plans. Today, for example, that the school will soon get a new classroom.
In addition, Angela emphasizes how much the president supports the cause of the coca farmers. Then, the most important item on the agenda, the national anthem. The weekly ceremony. is meant to teach the children discipline at an early age. Each week, one child is allowed to raise the flag.
For the little ones, it's a big honor. Finally, after 45 minutes of standing at attention, class begins. There are six classes, but only two teachers and two rooms.
So each room has three classes in it, and they all work on different subjects at the same time. In this room, art, Spanish and nature studies. The first six years of school are free and technically compulsory.
But especially in rural regions, many children have to work from an early age and thus skip school. Bolivia is the only country in the world in which child labor is legal starting at the age of 10. What medicinal plants do you know? Think about it.
Amacayi. You have to wash your hands after touching it. What medicinal plant do you know? No. Daniel?
Coca. Coca. Coca. What does it help with? Stomach aches.
Then comes the students' favourite part of the day, lunch. The government pays for cookies, bananas and chilled juice. It's a very special treat for the kids, as hardly any of the families own a refrigerator.
For Mariela and Helen, this is often the best meal of the day. At home, they usually only get bread and tea. The family can't afford sweets at all. I love lunchtime.
And afterwards, I play soccer with my friends. The children are especially proud of their soccer jerseys, also a gift from the government. Each child gets an outfit with their name on it.
It's usually the children's most expensive and favorite article of clothing. Luis teaches in the second classroom. Today's schedule includes social studies, religion and math. What's four times fourteen?
Fifty-six. Luis also teaches three classes simultaneously. Many of the students have to walk a long way to school, but no one walks as far as Helen and Mariela.
And their walk home lasts even longer. That's why it's often hard for nine-year-old Helen to keep up with the other children. At home, she has little time to study for tests, but she works hard for her dream of one day becoming a doctor.
Very often the children are exhausted. Sometimes they fall asleep during class. Many children don't get home until late, especially Helen and Mariela. They usually don't manage to get their homework done. The girls love their few hours at school.
It's often the only time they have to just be children. The way home is much more difficult. I'm tired from school, and we have to go uphill. At home, I help my mom, take care of my little brother, and I have to do the laundry.
2 p.m. School is over. While the other children wait for the rain shower to pass, Helen and Mariela head off as quickly as possible.
They have to be home again before dark, otherwise they might get lost in the jungle. Home is much more arduous than the way to school. Now, they've got to go uphill. Their one bit of comfort, the leaves of the thick forest, shield them from the rain.
The climb takes them three hours. The boys are also on the way back home. They have to hurry up, because there's a special ritual at home tonight on the plantation. But four-year-old Porfirio is dead tired from school. It's nice to have a little brother.
I like taking care of him. I help him when he falls. Elmer carries his brother the whole way to the edge of the gorge. The children cannot take the zipline without their father. They're not strong enough to pull themselves to the other side in case of an emergency.
Dad! Dad! Hi boys, how are you?
How was school? There are two cables strung across the gorge. The cable for the way back starts a little higher up and is thicker. Here, all three of them can fly together.
But to do so, the father would need to hold on to both of the boys at the same time. Like on the way there, Elmer flies with his own pulley. Little Porfirio's father fastens him to his own body with a piece of cloth.
After one of the world's most dangerous journeys to and from school, Elmer and his little brother are back safe at home. Hi, Mom. Hi, Uncle. Hi, Mom.
Tonight, the family will perform the Pachamama ritual. Once a year, the coca farmers from the neighborhood get together and pray to Mother Earth, their supreme deity. They give thanks for their gifts and ask for a good harvest, happiness and health. The boy's father, Porfirio, builds a kind of altar with various offerings.
Helen and Mariela wish simply to make it back home again. It was a long day for the sisters. They have been on their feet for 13 hours. The girls' feet and knees ache.
It's 5pm. The sun will go down soon. It gets pitch dark quickly in the forest.
Then the girls wouldn't be able to see where they're going anymore. They could get lost or fall down the slope. The girls are exhausted. With their last bit of strength, they make it to the summit of the mountain. They are home.
Hi, Mom. Hi. Relax a little bit. The day ends with a modest dinner.
The girls are tired but happy. I'm hot. And I'm exhausted. But...
Tomorrow we'll take the same path, like every day. The girls always keep their goal in mind, to get an education for a better life, far from the mountain and from poverty. At the Pachamama ritual, seven-year-old Elmer prays for a good and happy future.
When he will be an engineer one day, Elmer's father drizzles pure alcohol on the motley collection of offerings. Herbs, llama wool, tinsel, and figurines made of sugar. Later, the family will bury the ashes in the ground.
In that way, they send their offerings and their wishes to Mother Earth. I want my family to be happy. One day, Elmer would like to build bridges for the inhabitants of the valley, so that no child has to risk its life simply to go to school.