A Classroom that Cares The inhabitants of El Alto have, in large part, migrated from rural areas of Bolivia's vast altiplano . The lure of the city is strong. People hope to find work, or at least gain access to basic health or water services. But the reality is dire. There is not enough work to go around.
Unemployment is rampant.
In many ways, adolescent girls bear the brunt of the dysfunction born of poverty here. Jayne Lyons, CARE Bolivia's reproductive health sector manager explained. Girls are second in line only to their mothers when it comes to household responsibility. The same is not required of boys. In many families, mothers must work to provide for the family by selling small items at the market, or as maids, cooks or by working other jobs.