“This has been really upsetting for many people,” she said. Salazar says the zebras will remain a fixture on Bolivia’s city streets. Should zebras continue their campaign on crosswalks, or is it time to complete the shift into classrooms, parks and public performance spaces? Now, following the first death in the programme’s history, there are some hard decisions ahead. Some drivers shout at us, but it’s all worth it when you see how happy the kids are.” If we were going down a bad road, we become aware.” He says there are also challenges. “I used to be very timid, and now I’m much more friendly,” says Angel Quispe, 18, who joined the group six months ago. Their prep room, though lit by dingy fluorescent lights and furnished only with lockers and a few chairs, may well be the most cheerful place in the city. “There aren’t many traffic lights,” he says, “People risk their lives to cross the street.”Įvery weekday at 7.30am, the zebras – who range in age from 15 to their early 20s – get ready for a few hours on the roads with a mix of singing, dancing and calisthenics. Pedestrian Waldo Delgado agrees that the zebras are educational and innovative, but adds that serious problems persist for many citizens of La Paz. But of course, creating a safe and organised relationship between cars and pedestrians requires much beyond citizen education, including well-placed and timed traffic lights – changes that are starting to take shape in La Paz, but lag behind demand. “It’s a marvellous job they do, helping the elderly and children,” says pedestrian José Chuquimia Paredes of the zebras. Many join the programme through partnerships with local organisations that work with at-risk youths. All zebras receive a stipend and gain access to a variety of classes and workshops that range from nutrition to computing to self-esteem, and pass through several weeks of training before they hit the streets.Ī traffic zebra in La Paz. Some stay for years, others just a few months. Many zebras join the programme through partnerships with local organisations that work with at-risk youth others arrive on their own. “Not just be a resident, but be someone who participates, observes, who questions and requests things, but above all lets everyone share and live together.” “Citizen education sets the idea that you can practice citizenship,” says Mama Zebra – AKA Kathia Salazar, who is in charge of the zebras nationwide. The zebras also recently began a partnership with the UK government’s international citizen service scheme to develop noise pollution reduction initiatives for classrooms and parks across the city. The scope of the zebra’s work also expanded: from the original platform of crosswalks and traffic lights, they now lead educational programmes in schools and public spaces on themes such as recycling, water conservation and bullying. But it’s not just the zebra’s costumes that evolved over time: their numbers have grown from 24 to more than 200, and they have became an important part of La Paz’s Office of Citizen Culture, which also helped launch the scheme in two more Bolivian cities. The programme gradually took on its current mission, to provide a space of friendship and learning for at-risk youth.Īt first, two people were meant to squeeze into a four-footed zebra suit, which led to some awkward situations on the road. Photograph: Sara Shahriariįor the campaign, Zebras were selected because in Spanish, as in British English, a striped crosswalk is known as a paso de cebra, or zebra crossing. The programme has expanded to cover recycling, water conservation and bullying. A ‘zebra’ helps a young girl cross the road.
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