- 1 year ago
It is early in the morning as Vidal gets himself ready. But before Vidal can brace himself for his dangerous way to school he must take care of his family`s sustenance – like every morning he checks the fishing nets. After work it`s time for a Uro bread and he drinks a Mate tea. Both things, like almost everything else here are made form the totora reeds. The Uros are a people that are very rooting in their tradition. They have even managed to preserve the Pukina, their mother language dating back to the colonial time.
After two hours of paddling, Vidal reaches the center of the village. He floats past houses, where a family is building their new island since the old one has began to rot. It is the normal rhythm here. Every three years a new ground under the feet and a new roof above the head needs to be made. The construction begins by cutting the roots of the totora reeds in 30 cm long blocks. Five hundred of these are then tied together with ropes and soaked in the water for three months until they melt into one large block. On top of this block, the family piles totora reeds up to two meters high, until a part of the block sinks in the water and starts to rot. The gases released from this biomass under water produce a buoyant force that causes the new island to swim.
After three hours of paddling, Vidal has finally reached the Uro elementary school where he learns to read and write. Here besides his native language, he also learns Spanish. It is not the language of his parents, but at the same time it is his chance of a future outside of his village.
After two hours of paddling, Vidal reaches the center of the village. He floats past houses, where a family is building their new island since the old one has began to rot. It is the normal rhythm here. Every three years a new ground under the feet and a new roof above the head needs to be made. The construction begins by cutting the roots of the totora reeds in 30 cm long blocks. Five hundred of these are then tied together with ropes and soaked in the water for three months until they melt into one large block. On top of this block, the family piles totora reeds up to two meters high, until a part of the block sinks in the water and starts to rot. The gases released from this biomass under water produce a buoyant force that causes the new island to swim.
After three hours of paddling, Vidal has finally reached the Uro elementary school where he learns to read and write. Here besides his native language, he also learns Spanish. It is not the language of his parents, but at the same time it is his chance of a future outside of his village.
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TVTranscript
00:00We all know it.
00:04Walked it every day.
00:08But none of them were like these.
00:16The world's most dangerous ways to school.
00:20Climbing. Freezing.
00:24Paddling for hours. All for the chance of a better life.
00:28Risky. Spectacular.
00:32And sometimes just simply beautiful.
00:36The most dangerous ways to school.
00:44Peru. Lake Titicaca.
00:483,800 meters above sea level. The world's greatest
00:52mountain lake. On this lake,
00:56two schools where children learn
00:58and fight for their dreams.
01:02But the way to school leads across
01:04infinite water.
01:06And even the smallest children have to cope
01:08on their own.
01:10The most dangerous ways to school.
01:14Almost daily.
01:16Up to four hours of paddling.
01:18And trudging through reeds.
01:20Always battling with nature.
01:22On one of the world's most dangerous
01:24ways to school.
01:26the road.
01:28And the most dangerous ways to school.
01:38Five o'clock.
01:42The first rays of the sun break through the clouds
01:44above Lake Titicaca, Peru.
01:46A new day is dawning.
01:55A few miles away from the mainland, somewhat hidden between huge fields of Totara reeds,
02:01about 50 families of the Uruklan, the native inhabitants of Lake Titicaca,
02:07live together in a village community of floating reed islands.
02:16On each lives one family.
02:22At the first break of dawn, the nine-year-old Mariella and her little sister Belinda get up.
02:28Still a bit drowsy, they put on their traditional school uniform all by themselves.
02:34Their parents are out fishing.
02:36The elder siblings work on the mainland.
02:39Especially important, hair care.
02:47Every morning, the sisters copiously comb their hair and then braid it.
02:52That's what the Indian tradition demands.
02:55Because hair signifies strength, beauty and life in the Urukulture, it needs special attention.
03:05On the other side of the village, something stirs too.
03:11Four-year-old Harold is an early bird. After all, kindergarten is waiting.
03:19But the morning wash with cold lake water is not one of his favourite pastimes.
03:25The children's colourful hats are not only part of the traditional clothing, but also offer protection against the aggressive sun in this high mountain region.
03:39Far away from the village, a three-hour-long boat ride from the mainland, 11-year-old Vidal and his family also get up at the break of dawn.
03:58They live on a tiny, isolated island in the midst of the world's greatest mountain lake.
04:08But before Vidal can brace himself for his dangerous way to school, he must take care of his family's sustenance.
04:18Like every morning, he checks the fishing nets.
04:25Vidal has built his boat himself, which, like almost everything else on this lake, is made of reeds.
04:37The water is only two metres deep here. The 11-year-old pushes the boat forward with a long wooden stick.
04:44For centuries, this is how the Urus have been calmly navigating the lake.
04:50Especially in wintertime, with its frosty temperatures, fishing is a tough job, on a lake which lies 3,800 metres above sea level.
05:02By tradition, Vidal stands in for his father, who at this time of day is busy with other tasks.
05:10Due to the increasing water pollution over the past few years, the yield hasn't improved.
05:16Vidal is all the more delighted if he finds something in the net.
05:23I like fishing a lot, because then we could eat the fish.
05:31If something is left in the basket, my mother can trade it for something else on the mainland.
05:38After work, it's time for the well-deserved refreshment. The cooking and eating is done outdoors.
05:51Vidal's mom prepares breakfast for the family of eight. She bakes traditional Uru bread.
05:58Their whole life takes place on a 30 square metre island with two little reed huts.
06:04None of the children have a room of their own.
06:07Vidal braces himself with reed blossom tea. He will need a lot of strength today.
06:15Because Lake Titicaca, with a total area of almost 8,300 square kilometres,
06:23which he has to cross on his way to school, is the largest navigable lake in the world.
06:39At half past six, Vidal sets off on his adventurous journey to the Uru State Primary School.
06:46Two hours lie ahead of him, across the great lake, all by himself.
07:04Two hours to get there.
07:07And another two hours coming back in the afternoon.
07:11Since Vidal turned eight, he paddles to school on this long journey.
07:18It makes his mother Paulina nervous to see him vanish on the infinite lake.
07:23I'm very concerned when he sets off. What happens if he keels over?
07:30I don't even want to think about it.
07:33Most Uru children go together with a number of others in larger boats.
07:40So they can take turns.
07:43Vidal lives so far off that he has to go by himself.
07:47But he has a goal.
07:49I really want to study. That's why I travel so far.
07:57Slowly Vidal pushes the boat forward.
08:00He has to ration his strength.
08:02The punting with a long wooden rod is the most efficient and at the same time least tiring method to make way.
08:09But still, it forces him to go to his limit.
08:21It's a long way.
08:23Especially for an eleven year old.
08:27A few kilometres away, in the Uru village, the nine-year-old Mariela and her little sister Belinda are still busy tying colourful woolen pompons to their braids.
08:47Only then are the girls ready to go.
08:50Mariela likes going to school.
08:53Because she too has a dream.
08:56I want to study.
08:59The medicine.
09:03That's why the nine-year-old takes on such a tough way to school.
09:10At seven a.m. she and her sister Belinda row off.
09:15An hour across the great lake lies ahead of the girls, before they reach the private primary school.
09:24I am afraid they might fall into the water.
09:39It has happened to Belinda.
09:41Luckily, Mariela was able to save her.
09:44I thank heaven for that.
09:46But she is left with no choice than to let them go on their own.
09:52She and her husband have to work.
09:59Mariela's way stretches right through the village, which is traversed by many bigger and smaller waterways.
10:06Mariela's way.
10:11Sixty minutes of rowing.
10:13Tiring for the nine-year-old.
10:15But also, the daily routine.
10:25Her sister Belinda is lucky.
10:27Being younger, she gets to enjoy the boat ride.
10:30Mariela, being the older, had to take it on at an early age.
10:36I didn't know how to row.
10:39My mother taught me when I was about five years old.
10:42In the beginning, it was difficult.
10:44But when I turned six, it started to become easier.
10:56The eleven-year-old Vidal also learnt rowing at an early age.
11:00Most of the time, he is far out on the lake, completely by himself.
11:04On his traditional reed boat.
11:10I like my boat, because it is so easy to handle.
11:15To build it, we first dry the reeds.
11:18Then, we waddle the boat by weaving the two broad middle parts with the smaller parts that are used for the edge.
11:27And tie them together with nylon cords.
11:33To help the boat to float, we put empty plastic bottles in the middle part.
11:39To build the boat, it takes me about two to three days.
11:42The eleven-year-old is used to being on his own when he is under way.
11:53Only the men working in the reeds cross his way from time to time.
11:58Today, he took a route leading him past his father, Carlos.
12:01So they can say good morning to each other.
12:11Since the break of dawn, the forty-year-old harvests the Totora reed.
12:15With a sort of sith, he cuts the stems just above the root and drags them into piles.
12:26He wants to use the new harvest for the expansion of the island.
12:30Only one of the many ways to use the reed on Lake Titicaca.
12:33For us on the lake, Totora means life.
12:52We build our boats, our houses, our islands with it.
12:56We even eat it. We use Totora for everything in our lives.
13:07With his harvest, Carlos returns to his family island.
13:11The fresh reed provides the basis for the continuance of the family-owned island.
13:26Once a week, Carlos must do some repair work on their floating home.
13:31Because the islands are fragile structures.
13:43The Uru are the only inhabitants living on Lake Titicaca.
13:47After battles with other tribes, they built their floating islands of reed.
13:52And with these, they fled onto the lake.
13:56In case of danger, they could move on along with their island whenever they wanted to.
14:03The islands float even to this day.
14:06The reed of which they consist rots from underneath.
14:10And the rising foul gases keep the construction afloat.
14:14Today the Uru's are more or less settled.
14:18They've made themselves at home on their bobbing islands.
14:20Still, almost everything is made of reeds.
14:29People live off the things the lake offers them.
14:32Fishing has always been the Uru's main source of income.
14:36Since they are a people of the water, they own no land to grow fruit or vegetables.
14:42And therefore, have to trade a large part of their catch for other food at the lakeside.
14:47Vidal's father Carlos also lives off fishing and built the island from reeds as is the custom.
14:55Since it rots from underneath, Carlos has to pile up a fresh layer of Totara again and again to prevent his family from getting wet.
15:03But it's a race against time.
15:06After three years, repair work doesn't suffice anymore and Carlos builds a whole new island.
15:12Vidal's father observes the sky.
15:18The dark clouds above the mountains worry him.
15:21The weather quickly veers over the huge lake and that signifies danger for his son.
15:26If clouds like these appear, I always get a bit nervous.
15:32But the real problem is not the rain.
15:35It's the wind.
15:37It's the wind.
15:43Because the wind causes waves.
15:46And for Vidal and his little boat, that doesn't mean ideal conditions.
15:52The change of weather normally happens around midday.
15:55These are the forebodings.
16:16A few miles away in the Uru village, nine-year-old Mariella and her sister Belinda are rowing towards school.
16:22It's windy here too, but the many islands provide cover.
16:27And so the water is calmer.
16:36If it's very windy, it becomes exhausting.
16:39Sometimes the wind is so strong, it blows me away and I drift off.
16:43If it's very windy, it's very windy.
16:47Due to its size and location, Lake Titicaca is unpredictable.
16:54It lies on a high plateau between the Andes Mountains at a height of 3,821 meters.
17:01Allegedly, the cradle of the legendary Inca civilization is to be found in the lake.
17:12According to legend, the gods created the first Incas here.
17:17They rose from the bottom of the lake.
17:20For many, a magical place.
17:22Today, only the many ruins of temples testify to the existence of the ancient high civilization of South America.
17:37Mariella makes a stop on her way to school.
17:40After all, the lake offers the students a special delicacy.
17:43The so-called chulio is the Uru children's favorite food.
17:56And can be found in the white insides of the totura reed.
18:04Mariella and Belinda peel the reed and enjoy the fruit pop.
18:08The children love chulio because it tastes slightly sweet.
18:17It contains many important minerals.
18:21And also bleaches teeth.
18:25The reason why the Inca's offspring often have this sparkling white smile.
18:30I like the chulio from a reed. It's so yummy because it's sweet.
18:43It also gives me strength so I can row.
18:50Vidal, too, takes a detour into one of the reed fields on his way to school.
18:54He, however, rose really deep into the closely intertwined totura reed.
19:07He's looking for nesting water birds, which he wants to bait.
19:10Only those like Vidal, who are very familiar with the reed, find their way.
19:26Many have gone astray.
19:28It takes a lot of effort, even if one knows the place.
19:40It takes a lot of effort.
19:43Sometimes the eleven-year-old gets stuck, even with his narrow boat.
19:47He tries to free himself by rocking the boat with his feet.
20:10Finally, Vidal spots a nest full of fresh eggs.
20:26When I go looking for nests, I just go into the reed by instinct and keep searching.
20:32I just go into the reed.
20:33I just go into the reed.
20:37But Vidal is not really interested in the eggs.
20:40His plan?
20:42He wants to catch the parents.
20:44They are the only source of meat for the urus, and therefore especially precious.
20:49Only if Vidal catches something, will his family have a meal other than fish for a change.
20:55The ducks are supposed to get caught in these nylon snares.
20:58Carefully, Vidal puts the eggs back into their nest.
21:02The parents will only return if the clutch is full.
21:05On his way back from school, Vidal will check his trap.
21:11Freshly invigorated, Mariela and Belinda continue their way to school.
21:16Since the urus always help one another, a little stopover is also on the agenda today.
21:21The girls pick up four-year-old Harold, and row him across to his kindergarten.
21:40In the village community, the older children often collect younger ones, and thus share the ride.
21:54They have a lot of fun.
21:55They have a lot of fun.
21:56Quite some responsibility for a nine-year-old.
22:11Especially since they are now on the busy main channel of the village, with plenty of traffic.
22:16I'm worried when Harold goes with the girls.
22:26What happens if he falls in, or an accident occurs?
22:29There is so much traffic in the morning.
22:32That's why I try and bring him as often as possible myself.
22:40Harold doesn't know how to swim.
22:42Most children learn to swim in school.
22:49Mariela rose as careful as possible.
22:52A couple of times she almost collided with other boats.
22:56More and more urus in the village own fast motorboats.
23:00The children with their wooden punts barely stand a chance.
23:04I'm afraid of a collision, because we will instantly sink.
23:12Mariela has made it through the busy traffic, and safely delivers Harold at his kindergarten island.
23:29The girls wait till the four-year-old has safely reached the building.
23:32Per year, on an average, three little children drown in the village, falling off the island while playing.
23:39Then the girls move on.
23:52At all costs, they want to reach school, which lies at the far end of the village, long before the actual lessons start.
23:58Meanwhile, Vidar has been on his way for one and a half hours now.
24:10His way to school leads him across the fields of Reed, which in some places is traversed by fully fledged waterway networks.
24:19I never get lost in the reed.
24:40I simply use the sun for my orientation.
24:42And so the eleven-year-old continues to cut his way through the many canals in the reed, undeterred by more than 90 minutes of his tiring way.
25:12After a good hour, Mariela has nearly made it.
25:18She and her sisters safely arrived at the private primary school.
25:27Fellow students from all over arrive in dribs and drabs.
25:30This is the best moment of the whole day for Mariela.
25:39Because here at school, she meets her girlfriends, can let go of her responsibility as an older sister, and simply be a child again.
25:47A whole hour before school starts, the girls meet because they've got something to do before the serious side of life begins.
26:09Every morning, before school, they practice swimming together.
26:25The fact that the water is only 12 degrees Celsius only bothers Mariela and her friends in the beginning.
26:34But the Mary splashing around has a serious background.
26:53Learning how to swim is essential for the children's survival on the lake.
26:57But they don't have proper sports lessons where they would get competent instructions.
27:22After half an hour, the nine-year-old has had enough of the cold water for the time being.
27:27After half an hour, the two-year-old has had enough of the cold water for the time being.
27:30After half an hour, the two-year-old has had enough of the cold water for the time being.
27:38Finally, Vidal has also almost made it.
27:42The state primary school is in sight.
27:48He has been on his way for a good two hours now, and is tired.
27:52But also happy to finally be there and meet his friends.
27:56The children arrive from all sides.
27:59Some are delivered by their parents.
28:01Others have shared a reed boat standing up.
28:05Because they only had a short way to school.
28:07Because they only had a short way to school.
28:08The children arrive from all sides.
28:12Some are delivered by their parents.
28:14Others have shared a reed boat standing up.
28:15Because they only had a short way to school.
28:20A quick spit bath in the lake, and then it's time to finally enter the schoolyard.
28:45The first steps in more than two hours for Vidal.
28:57And although his way to school is so tiring, he's glad he's able to be here.
29:01Here I can have fun and be with my friends.
29:18Whether reed island or not, just like everywhere else, the schoolyard is the place where children can charge around.
29:26It offers much more space than the islands at home.
29:30At last, the children can run around.
29:35But even if most of them have already had their fair share of sportiness, the delight in foolishly charging around is unaffected by it.
29:49The teachers' pets among them already peer around for their teachers and rush to their welcome.
30:02Vidal's teacher, Señora Condori, also has a long way to school.
30:07She comes from the mainland, and it took her one and a half hours to get there, with a motorboat, however.
30:17At 9 o'clock sharp, the 40 students start lessons with a morning assembly.
30:22Vidal and his fellow students sing the Peruvian national anthem, slightly out of tune, but always fervently.
30:42Off to the two classrooms.
30:54Two age groups are taught together in one classroom each, since there are only two teachers.
31:00Not the only handicap the state school has to deal with.
31:04Many of my students come from far away islands.
31:13For them, it is physically very tiring to row the boats, and often the children had little or no breakfast.
31:21So when they arrive, they are already very exhausted, which makes it harder for them to learn, and to concentrate.
31:37That's why the level at this school is lower than the one in Puno, on the mainland for example.
31:44Nevertheless, the teachers try to bring their syllabus across.
31:59The timetable starts with math, as first lesson.
32:05Even if boring for some, it's Vidal's favourite subject.
32:09He wants to become an engineer.
32:12It's geometry today.
32:17Signora Condori has to teach 3rd and 4th grade together, and always makes sure they all understand.
32:25Even in math, the ever-present reed plays a role.
32:35The pieces of Totara are wonderfully suited to illustrate the polygons the teacher showed at the blackboard earlier on.
32:47A few miles away in the Uru village, the private primary school has also started at 9 o'clock sharp.
33:06Mariela's school is run by the religious community of Adventists.
33:15However, religious education plays a minor role.
33:21The teacher follows the ordinary national curriculum.
33:26Reading, writing, arithmetic, and geography are the main subjects.
33:31Right now, Mariela and her fellow students are struggling with Spanish syntax.
33:36Also in Vidal's school, it's time for Spanish lessons.
33:55As opposed to the population on the mainland, the Urus speak a distinct language of their own, the so-called Aymara.
34:07They have to learn Spanish from scratch.
34:10For the children, it is very important to learn Spanish.
34:15Because in the towns on the mainland, like Puno and everywhere else, Spanish is spoken almost exclusively.
34:22The people speaking Aymara are often discriminated against, so I encourage the students to learn Spanish.
34:30They are often diluted.
34:32But they're never done.
34:33It's done.
34:34Mmhm.
34:35.
34:36.
34:3712 o'clock.
34:40Break.
34:41Time for lunch.
34:46There is nothing to be bought on the school island, so all the mothers give their children something to eat to take along.
34:55Since some have more than others, the children share their food, so everyone gets what he likes.
35:02Vidal loves fish and rice.
35:09The girls prefer grilled beans, even if they are a bit stony.
35:14Whoever is thirsty afterwards simply serves himself from the lake, drinking with their own special technique.
35:29The teacher, Signora Condori, always checks the sky around noon, because here on the plateau there is often a sudden change of weather around 12 o'clock.
35:52The biggest problems here are the thunderstorms and the wind.
35:57Especially in the afternoon, it's dangerous, because just when our children head off for home, often we have a change of weather.
36:10If we see that the weather will worsen, we finish school early, so the children can get home reasonably safe.
36:19For the moment, the weather doesn't look too bad, but what it will be like when the children head back home, nobody knows.
36:33After half an hour, the break is over, and a Spanish test awaits them.
36:39Nothing escapes Senora Condori's stringent gaze, even if the children try to cheat a little.
36:53Spanish is not exactly Vidal's best class, and he is dragging behind a bit in the subject matter.
37:00Vidal is a very active student.
37:06He takes part in everything, and being one of the older students, he even sometimes helps me teach the other students.
37:13But I worry about him, because at the moment, especially on Fridays, he often misses school.
37:20His parents want him to stay at home and help, because his older brothers have all left home already and have their own families.
37:29And so they often expect Vidal to lend a hand at home and help sustain the family.
37:35That's very difficult for him.
37:37The tests are corrected immediately, as almost everywhere in the world the girls are done first, and are anxiously awaiting their results.
37:51Vidal and his desk neighbors are still struggling with the questions.
38:21For Vidal, the test is quite important. The last one, he flunked badly.
38:36This time, he at least got 14 out of 20 points. He can be proud of himself.
38:51At 2 p.m., school's over. After five hours of school, it's time to go back on the long and dangerous way home.
39:14The way back is much harder, because I am already tired, and often the wind is blowing in the afternoon.
39:21It's very good. It's very good.
39:28All on his own again, Vidal rose towards his parents' isolated island.
39:48The weather seems to keep up.
39:51Mariela's school is over, too.
39:58Mariela's school is over, too.
40:00Depending on which direction they're heading to, the children share rides.
40:04Mariela and Belinda's island lies at the far end of the village. The two of them row home together.
40:21Bidal can't take the shortest route home. He wants to check the trap he set in the morning at the duck nests.
40:35Again, he navigates his little boat right into the tortura reed.
40:49He has to concentrate in order to recover his snares in the midst of the infinite tangle of reed.
40:54But after a quarter of an hour right through the reed, he finds the nest, with a dead duck inside.
41:15It's important I catch something, because that's the only meat we have.
41:24Bidal takes the remaining egg back home. He will hatch it at home.
41:37The sisters have picked up little Harold from kindergarten and bring him home on their way back.
41:52He may play the rest of the afternoon.
42:03Theoretically, Bidal only has half an hour left, but the wind has grown stronger, and he is unable to find protection in the canals.
42:11Like it or not, he has to cross the wide open space in order to get home.
42:33The eleven-year-old struggles to keep balance.
42:35I have to be careful. If I move too much, I could fall over.
42:53Bidal is exhausted, but still has quite a long way to go.
42:57Because the village is close by, the water is calm where the girls are.
43:13Since nine-year-old Mariella has been rowing the whole time on the way there, it's now Belinda's turn.
43:19She is supposed to learn how to steer the boat by herself.
43:22Next year, Mariella will have finished primary school.
43:26The little one is already quite capable of the movement sequences, but she is careless and doesn't pay attention to the other boats.
43:38To Belinda, the whole thing seems like a game.
43:41She will have to practice a while before being allowed to row by herself.
43:44She's got half a year before she has to go on the water on her own, and Mariella is off to secondary school.
43:50It's extremely tiring to row against the wind and the waves, but Bidal must keep concentrating, or else he will keel over.
44:12Water swashes into his reed boat.
44:19Again and again, he has to stop and bail it out.
44:37His arms burn, but it is already past four o'clock, and because the equator is so close, the sun goes down within half an hour.
44:57The student must not slow down.
44:59Finally, his home island comes to the fore, a moment that always liberates extra strength in Bidal.
45:09As soon as I see her house, I know it's almost over, just a bit more.
45:15Shortly before sunset, Bidal reaches home, after two and a half hours, soaking wet.
45:37He was away for ten hours.
45:43He doesn't arrive empty-handed.
45:46His catch means that his family can finally eat some meat after ten days.
46:00But his mother, Paulina, takes only little interest in the duck.
46:03She is so pleased her son has made it across the huge lake unscathed.
46:08I am always worried until he is back, and then I try and warm him up with a jacket and a warm soup.
46:27Mariela and Belinda have also arrived safely at home in the village.
46:34Like good girls, they quickly do their homework.
46:36Mariela does math, and Belinda is drawing.
46:40little Harold is put to bed by his mother.
46:50But also, he has to do some reading exercise before he goes to sleep, exhausted by a long day.
46:55Vidal and his family warm up by the fire and the last sunset light, and are feeding the hatchlings.
47:10He knows why he endures his tough way to score.
47:14I do this every day because otherwise I would not be able to study.
47:23I am lucky.
47:24My older brother couldn't go to secondary school.
47:27But my mother told me that I'll be allowed to study, and that just makes me happy.
47:35And so, again tomorrow, Vidal will row for four hours across the largest mountain lake in the world.
47:48For his dream of a better future, he will endure even the longest way to school.
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