Nor will they perform the simple dances they normally love. A rare group of visitors to their isolated village in the Bolivian Andes has left them paralyzed with shyness. But Oscar, children clinging to his legs, is only too proud to show the visitors his precious copy of Pinocchio and the other books and learning aids he uses to teach the village children. They are part of a programme to provide early childhood stimulation for youngsters whose lives are almost devoid of the laughter and play that help prepare young minds for learning. Life looks as it has for many generations high in the Andes of Bolivia, but Oscar is proof positive that, despite the postcard scenes of women in bowlers and petticoats herding llamas, a quiet revolution is in the making.
Activities vary in each country and district depending on local needs.
That strength is vital, because the communities are so small and isolated they live and die by their own resources, which sometimes are limited to the wits and talents of 30 people. A visit to the residents of the district of Tapacari begins with a two-hour drive on a paved road from Cochabamba, Bolivia's thirdlargest city. The next stage is bouncing along rocky sheep paths into 'villages' of a few adobe and straw huts clustered at the head of steep, barren valleys overlooking a vast, silent, austerely beautiful world. Life is austere here, too. At 4,000 metres and higher, vegetation is sparse.