Most Dangerous Ways To School | Best Of - Philippines, Colombia & Bolivia | Free Documentary

[Music] we all know it walked it every day but none of them were like these the world's most dangerous ways to [Music] 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 scool Sanga Del a peninsula in the southern Philippines children who want to get an education here have one of the the most dangerous and most extraordinary ways to school their school is located in the heart of the mountains deep in the rainforest in circumstances like this it's hard for many students to get an education some Walk Alone through the jungle for hours others risk their lives in order to make it past this Pang a steep face of rock and bould ERS overgrown with moss and tree roots a gigantic wall that the children must Climb Every Single Day in the hopes of a better [Music] future [Music] when the Sun rises on mindo at 5:30 a.m. it gets light quite suddenly the day begins early this close to the [Music] equator Tanga is located in the northwest of the second largest island in the Philippines the thinly populated Coastal strip gives way to sharply Rising [Music] mountains in the tiny fishing settlement of mbago the day begins with a Break of Dawn and thus also begins one of the most dangerous ways to school in the world when the rooster crows aan processo wakes her f family there's no time to lose her daughter iy has class in 2 and 1/2 [Music] hours before getting ready she helps her mother make breakfast like every morning there's rice fish and Moringa the processos can't afford anything else like 86% of the Filipino population the family lives in [Music] poverty I go to high school in Oro it's a long and very difficult Journey every day down here on the coast there is no school for the 11-year-old every day she has to walk uphill Through the Jungle it's no coincidence that her school is located on the neighboring Mountain nor is it bad planning in this region of the Philippines families live far apart from one another scattered across the mountain slopes the coast and the woods the AO Elementary in high school has a central [Music] location more than 2,00 , 500 ft further up iy's classmate Ryan gazes dreamily down on the fishing Bay the 12-year-old lives high up on the summit for him it's already high time he started off the school but first Ryan has to help his grandmother dependant on rain up here if it doesn't rain we don't have any water to drink then I have to come down here before school to get water from the fountain only done can we go to school it's over half a mile to the Fountain and back but more than the long distances it's the isolation up here that makes life so hard for Ryan he lives in a small cottage along with his grandmother and all his friends from school live far away together they raise pigs every couple of months Ryan's Grandma sells one down in the markets in The Villages that's enough for them to survive on but she wants Ryan to have a better life someday school is the first step [Music] Ryan isn't like other children he's wonderful he helps me with the housework and with other work he always does what I tell him to do but he only has a few friends to play with up here he is playing on his own most of the time he's a Daydreamer Ryan's parents live in the capital Mila 500 M away their dream at least a little Prosperity the reality Ryan's father doesn't have a good education and has to make his living as a motorbike taxi driver he doesn't earn enough money to feed his son in the city so ever since his third birthday Ryan has lived here every month his father sends a support check about $17 even in the mountains of minda no that's not much it's just enough for a breakfast of rice and instant noodles Ryan's grandmother packs the leftovers for his school [Music] lunch I go to school because my dream is to be an engineer to earn enough money to fly to my parents to realize his dream the boy has to walk more than 2 hours to school every morning when I see him go it breaks my heart every day he takes the path down to Oro without complaining jungle the roads a child shouldn't have to go to school like that what can I do it's the only school and his only chance to become something decent to get to school Ryan must descend for Miles through nearly unspoiled nature and the 12-year-old has to hurry in fact he's already late class starts in 2 hours 6: in the morning time is also getting short for the processo family in the fishing settlement of miago right after eating breakfast II has to go to school until a few months ago her older brothers accompanied her but since since they graduated they've been looking for work in the city it was good when my brothers were still there they could tell me where I should step or what I could hold on to I felt safer now I have to find my way by myself one last touchup in the mirror before going an 11-year-old girl should have other things on her mind than worrying about how she'll make her way to school today without getting hurt I's mother used to be a teacher at her school Ida climbed the path with her children together but she's no longer physically capable of making it on her daughter's route whenever I see iy go I'm always reminded of the accident I was with her I was climbing a few feet underneath her and all of a sudden she fell towards me luckily I was able to hold on to her I can't bear to think that she's alone on the wall now the closest larger town in which there's something like medical care is about 12 miles from miago dapitan City someone lives here who knows the way over the Steep face better than almost anyone else Frederick comes from iy's settlement today he's the principal in uto I know exactly how dangerous it is for the children I went that way for years myself and that's why I actually don't want the children coming to school over the crack but I also know that some don't have any choice because of his own experience Frederick along with the school board has even officially prohibited families from taking the route over the Deep face but he also knows on the one hand he can't tell anyone which path to take and on the other hand it sounds much easier than it actually is for the children shortly after he leaves the city on his motorbike it becomes apparent why that's the street to malibo is the only Street to the school in AO you have to go along the coast first and then it's twice that distance to get to the school it's an uphill walk most people can't afford a taxi $1 that's how much a ride on a motorbike taxi to school costs but iy's family simply doesn't have the money and going around could mean walking for hours so for decades children from adago have been taking the shortcut through the jungle and they have to make it over this a steep face the people here simply call it Pang Pang which means something like short crossing a Crossing from the coast to the mountains from water to rock it rises all of a sudden like a huge wall in some places its slope is 90° the naked rock is overgrown with slippery moss and Roots many people have fallen here some have critically injured themselves while trying to climb Pang that's why the children from miib Bago prefer to go together I hope there are some older kids today if not I have to leave the younger ones in fact other children are already waiting at the meeting place so they can climb pom Pang together but it's only 8-year-old Shamari and his younger brother Chanel who will share the path with I today at the age of 11 I is the oldest and as such is responsible for the other children school is compulsory in the Philippines too but only through sixth grade and many children simply don't go to school one in 10 is illiterate meanwhile Ryan has reached Cobra Rock which is inhabited by highly poisonous but thankfully timid snakes Ryan is not afraid of them he likes to play in the High Grass too much and he has encountered snakes more than once while doing [Music] so once I was running up the hill and afternoon I wasn't looking down all of a sudden I heard tack tack and my leg hurt a snake in the grass luned at me and bit me here in the calf luckily for Ryan it was only aawe a nonpoisonous variety of snake not the Filipino spitting cobra which lives here in the mountains and can kill with one [Music] bite [Music] 6:30 school starts in 1 and 1/2 hours Ryan still hasn't covered even 1/4th of the way yet the three children at the foot of the mountain have also made little progress they're approaching the most difficult part of their daily [Music] room I always get a bit nervous when we get close to pom pong it scares [Music] me show and his brother Janelle are in second grade their Trail which children and flip-flops have trotten down over decades Through the Jungle it's getting increasingly steep even this early in the morning the temperature on their way to school is already over 85° f in addition there's also the high humidity of the Jungle and they haven't even gotten to the hardest part yet meanwhile up on the mountain Ryan has reached the coconut Fields sometimes he encounters ERS the coconut Farmers here cutting new notches in the palm trees with their machetes they use these notches as steps to climb up the trees and harvest the Coconuts by hand along with rice and mangoes coconuts are the most important crop in the region but the yields from the Mountain Fields aren't big enough to play a role in the large-scale export business it's too difficult to transport the Coconuts down to the cities most are sold at markets in the mountain Villages it's almost 7:00 already school begins in 1 hour but the heat is getting to Ryan sometimes when the farmers let him the 12-year-old takes a short break and catches a [Music] breeze coconut trees reach a height of 65 to 100 ft one mistake and Ryan would fall straight down but the mountain children learn the special climbing technique at a young age and the notch steps provide good support although time is getting short Ryan isn't thinking of getting right back to the trail at school he's even better at doing handicrafts and inventing things than he is at climbing trees as long as he's already up here the Daydreamer is happy to take a breather he dreams of working as an engineer and of someday visiting his parents in [Music] Manila but he also knows that the key to realizing his dreams isn't up in the crown of a palm tree but a couple miles further down the [Music] mountain iby Shari and Chanel have have reached the steepest part every time she gets here iy thinks about the day her mother saved her life in the nick of time it rained that day right up there that's where I slipped she would have been dashed against the Rocks if Ida hadn't caught her but iy's mother isn't there today the 11-year-old is on her own and has to lead the younger children right as the children are about to get started someone comes from the other direction the iron rule on P Pang the person climbing down has right of way at some parts the rock ledges and routs are so narrow that only one person at a time can climb on them it's one of the fishermen who climbed down every day from their homes in the mountains to feed their families for them Pang is more than a shortcut it is the most important connection between life on the mountain and life on the coast Hold On Tight kids it's very slippery today a quick well-intentioned piece of advice and then the children are all alone again their way up the Steep face is now free I's father is also a fisherman while she's up here climbing he's making the family's living on the Sulu sea a marginal sea of the Pacific [Music] Ocean the Sulu sea is quite shallow along the coast the fishermen can walk hundreds of yards out to their boats but a little later the ocean floor drops off sharply to a depth of up to 4 and2 miles B processo never got an education but he knows his children's way to school very well she should be up there right about now I always look up when I paddle out to go fishing I wonder if it's right to send my daughter on a path like that but what can I do after all she has to go to school traditionally the fisherman cast Nets into the bay to catch fish there were times when enough fish swam into his net when Ben could actually afford a motorbike taxi for his children but this luxury has become rarer and rarer the catches are getting worse and worse three fish that's actually pretty good for one morning sometimes I even get five I don't want my children to become fishermen well if that's what they want then okay but they ought to learn something useful that's why they have to go to school once again the catch is just large enough to feed his own family Ben hasn't sold fish for a long time now and that's why he simply doesn't have the money to spare his daughter the dangerous Journey To [Music] School Frederick the teacher is proof that education can function as a path out of poverty he too came from a fisherman's family in mbago and he took the way to school over Pang every [Music] day Oro has one primary and one secondary school with a total of 340 students Frederick teaches 1 through fourth grade plus kindergarten fifth through 10th grades which iy and Ryan attend are in a separate building right next door I think I'm kind of a role model for the children I'm an example for them that they shouldn't give up that the path is worth taking no matter how difficult it is that in a metaphorical sense the path is also a path to one's goals in life Ryan's break in the palm tree lasted a bit longer than he planned it's 7:15 at 8:00 that is in 45 minutes class starts if Ryan doesn't hurry up now he'll get there too [Music] late but instead of getting a move on he enjoys a coconut that he has just scavenged again and again along the lonely path Over the Mountain Ridge the 12-year-old gets lost in his own thoughts many I think of my parents a lot up here I don't know when I saw them last it's been a couple of years now I missed them a lot I wish they were here [Music] several hundred ft below iby Shari and the seven-year-old Chanel have other problems to deal with the three children have reached the steepest part of P P this is where most accidents happen the wall changes constantly according to the weather conditions each day the children need to read it aresh and find New Paths up it the only thing they have to hold on to are the roots that grow out of the wet soil and wrap themselves around the Rocks some are sturdy some are not I'm really afraid of this part I've slipped here a couple of times the children climb slowly following the Three-Point Rule that means they should seek a new support with only one arm or leg at a time a necessity if they want to survive on their way to school another rule the oldest goes last thus iy keeps her eye on the others can guide them from below and in an emergency can perhaps still react and catch them [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] while her daughter continues to climb up pom Pang iy's mother walks a few hundred yards along the road to her new job to save the very youngest children from having to make the climb the Govern government has at least opened a kindergarten on the coast and Ida is the [Music] teacher in return for working there 6 days a week iy's mother gets about $23 a month the children in the kindergarten always remind her of her own [Music] daughter you when iy was that age she was a very shy girl that didn't change until she suddenly had to climb pom Pang alone since then I barely recognize my child she's suddenly an adult and she pays a high price for it just like those children who now go to kindergarten soon will as long as there is no school on the thin strip of Coast they will also have to take the dangerous there is no longer any trace of iy's earlier timidity courageous and confident she leads the seven and 8-year-old up the CAG their strength is fading climbing takes it out of them especially the two boys it's important for them to maintain their concentration as it's especially slippery today [Music] [Music] done exhausted the children struggle the last few feet up the CAG their arduous Ascent has taken them more than a half hour for the moment iy is relieved the 11-year-old has led the boys to safety P was extremely difficult today but their Journey isn't over yet no time to rest school starts in 40 minutes and from this point the children still need at least that much if they hurry [Music] up on the plateau several children from the surrounding Villages have already reached the school in Oro and they're supposed to be there early every morning before school starts all the students and the teachers clean the ground the children from adago and the remote Mountain settlements rarely participate Frederick the principal doesn't have the heart to punish them or to be mad at them those children who live far away almost always come too late all we can do is offer to spend time in the afternoon reviewing the material they've missed from the other side of the ridge Ryan finally reaches a building a building he knows only too [Music] well it's the daro Elementary School The Village School he used to attend it also has a kindergarten there are only three rooms and three teachers first and second grade share one room and one teacher as do third and fourth grade I went here from kindergarten to fourth grade that's all the further it goes schol there's no secondary school here that's why Ryan now has to go all the way to Oru at least from here on he walks along the road many of his former classmates don't go to school anymore the way is simply too long for [Music] them almost 8:00 after the climb I and the two boys are hurrying through the undergrowth of the mangrove forest the 11-year-old is determined not to arrive too [Music] late they reached the school grounds just in time many children from the surrounding area are already [Music] there the children from miago are happy each time they manage to beat the Bell like today school begins at 8:00 sharp with a traditional Flag Ceremony Frederick the teacher takes attendance for each class a handful of students are just about always missing at this time of day nevertheless school begins as planned with the national [Music] anthem [Music] [Music] [Music] as usual Ryan misses it the 12-year-old has been walking for over 2 hours all alone sometimes someone on a motorbike is nice enough to let him ride along for a bit and that saves him a lot of time but not today no one with a free space has driven by I know I'm definitely too late I always try to be on time but even when I hurry class has usually already begun when I get there [Music] he gets to school at 8:45 Ryan has missed the first class not for the first time this week and he's not the only one to miss it [Music] [Applause] [Music] today in second grade the lesson is well underway and 8-year-old Sharie and his seven-year-old brother are there today the children's classes are math English social studies and science Filipino and local dialects but not all the children seem to be paying attention the exhausting climb up pom Pang has taken its toll are you [Music] ready you can recognize children from maribago like je Marie and Janelle immediately their inability to concentrate makes them stand out they're tired I have to give them special attention to make sure they [Music] participate to find the area of square unit there's a long break at 11:30 the school doesn't have a real cafeteria but a few mothers from the surrounding Villages sell food in the Pavilion there's a kind of donuts Penta eggs and Chicken all for 1 to 5 pesos that's about 5 to 25 C at that price even the poor children can sometimes buy something to accompany the rice they've brought with them Ryan and Ivy are in seventh grade in the afternoon they have history class R Berlin or why because Italy Rome is capital of ital Italy they've been learning about the second world war at home I prepared a report about Spain's participation in the war the Philippines were a Spanish colony for centuries even today the influence of that time can be seen in the country's food culture and language as always iy's report is a success the 11-year-old is a model [Applause] student I is an except the kids with a long walk to school do worse in class than the others take Ryan I know he walks down from the mountain every day he's very intelligent but he can't concentrate and almost always misses the first class first [Music] period [Music] school ends at 3:30 The Pavilion has transformed from an improvised cafeteria into a taxi stand many motorbike drivers from the region some of them the same AG as of students are waiting in the hopes of earning a little extra money Shari and Chanel are in luck another student from the coast has enough money for a motorbike taxi and takes them with her today the two boys don't have to climb back down pom Pang Ryan has also found a ride a farmer going his way can take him along for part of the journey a rare Stroke of [Music] Luck [Music] most of the other children stay at school the grounds are open to everyone in the afternoon teenagers who live far apart from one another use the opportunity to play basketball together the national sport of the Philippines or just to spend time with their friends like iy my friends are here this is my only chance to be with them getting a ride from the farmer saves Ryan a whole lot of time over 1 hour on foot I want to get home fast for a change the 12-year-old does not Dole on the way home as happen so often a storm is drawing [Music] near the weather can change suddenly in the Philippines thanks to the high humidity short heavy range showers tend to be the rule even in the dry [Music] season this is no problem for most of the children the clouds often disperse as quickly as they've gathered but for iy it means even greater Danger on her way home from school The Roots The Rocks the soil pom Pang is now even more slippery than [Music] usual I hate it when it has rained in addition climbing down is more difficult than climbing up [Music] I's mother Aida dislikes the rain as much as her daughter her concern grows with each passing minute her fear that iy might slip a second time last time Ida managed to save her in the nick of time a couple bruises a couple scrapes luckily that was the extent of the damage iy was 8 years old then I always look for something to do when the weather is like this to distract myself otherwise all I do is think of ibe and how she's hanging on to the roots I can't stand it at that very moment iby has reached the steepest part of Pang and the rain is getting stronger there's no one around to help her in an [Music] [Music] emergency [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the way home lasts longer than usual normally IU would be home by [Music] now at a certain point no shirt in need of mending could distract Ida anymore she must keep a lookout for her [Music] [Music] daughter [Music] what Ida would really like to do is Embrace her daughter but she doesn't want iy to notice how concerned she is ultimately tomorrow is another school day and so no exceptions can be made today iy has to do her homework I want to be police officer and put criminals in jail the school day comes to a close on top of the mountain too like every evening Ryan does his homework while eating dinner he's pretty tired but that doesn't keep the 12-year-old from chasing his [Music] dreams [Music] my biggest wish is to have enough money someday to go to manil I like to visit my parents so much it's really my biggest wish even before the sun has completely disappeared behind the Horizon 11-year-old iy goes to bed exhausted [Music] Ryan also goes to bed early like [Music] always the children from Tanga Del n they've got to get started again at the break of dawn starting along one of the world's most dangerous ways to school [Music] [Applause] for the dooos family the day starts at 4:30 in the morning while daughter kendis is still sleeping father Salvador and mother yasiris prepare breakfast like most people in this region they live with very meager [Music] means in this small wooden Hut they have just enough money for food all the more reason whether the 28-year-old mother wants to give her children the chance to have a better life [Music] with the sunrise at 6:00 yasiris wakes her daughter kendis like almost every morning the 10-year-old doesn't have much time lessons will begin in Just 2 hours Ki school is far away and getting there is a major [Music] undertaking there is no running water the people who live here use collected rain and river water for cooking laundry and washing [Music] themselves keny's 11-year-old sister goes to the high school in the next bigger Village of curu 20 km away the parents taught their two daughters what school is at an ear the age I like to go to school I learn a lot there her teacher promotes the talents of the individual students for Kendy it's painting this is from a movie we watched the man had to collect the stones and when someone touches the stones they turn to gold [Music] about 50 families live in the community of laala [Music] esqua to get from A to B the residents mainly use motorcycles or boats or they have to walk like candies and the other school children the roads are very bad it's super slippery when it rains hard we don't even go to school the distance and the path across a dangerous bridge are enough of a challenge for the children in addition to the Heat and high humidity which make walking difficult just past 6:30 in the morning kendi sets off off her mother joins her on the first leg of the journey to school temperatures are already around 32° C but this is the least of kend's problems what she's thinking about now is the bridge she has to [Music] cross living just a half hour away from her by boat the school day starts differently for kend's classmate 10-year-old Juan Carlos lives on his grandparents [Music] Farm [Music] I like horseback riding best but I also like to drive the cows in those ones over there I know all of them by name when I call them they come like almost every morning Juan has to bring the cows in from the pasture it is not uncommon here for children to grow up with relatives Juan's mother doesn't make enough money to raise two kids so she decided to keep her younger son with her and send Juan to his [Music] grandparents [Music] while Juan drives the last cows in his grandfather Jorge begins with the milking as a result of selling milk and cheese he is among the better earners in the region from his perspective the fact that his grandson has to help does have its advantages he's learning how to care for the cows for example how to give them medication and help with birthing after half an hour Quan returns with the cows he still has 1 and 1/2 hours before class starts exactly the time he needs to get to school he's usually the last to arrive sometimes I have to let the Ducks out and feed the checks then I shower and [Music] go even if onean is late and has to hurry breakfast is important the physical work makes Juan hungry and there's still a tough road ahead to make sure he has enough strength he eats rice eggs cheese and aena an oat drink Juan doesn't have to cross the rickety Bridge like Kendy does but he faces his own challenges I have to go on a canoe and I can tip over very easily and then there's a spot where I'm up to my chest in the water that's why Juan puts his school uniform in his backpack and changes into it later grandmother Ana Maria always finds it difficult to see her grandson [Music] off I'm very sad when I see him go away and rightly so there are many dangers lurking along the 1 and 1/2 hour walk to school river currents swamps poisonous animals and the rising [Music] Heat [Music] kendis and her mother yasiris are only a few meters away from the bridge class starts in just an hour after strong rains they have to leave even earlier in the morning because then the road is especially slippery and muddy [Music] the bridge is the most dangerous part of the way to school Anything could happen at any time both on the way there and back it's the hardest part without the bridge it would take Kendy yet another hour to get to school the children are never allowed to cross the decay in wooden construction alone if anything should happen someone else needs to be able to get help this is why the 10-year-old meets her classmates Andrea nvea and naidi at the bridge yes this bridge 180 M long 4 M High the foot bridge is made of thin thin rotting tree trunks that are only Loosely connected one false step and there's certain to fall into the smelly water the children could seriously injure themselves or even drown good I'm afraid I'm going to fall fall down and break my foot or my hand it's always dangerous to cross the bridge from the very first step the children have to keep their concentration with every day and each downpour the bridge becomes more unstable I'm afraid the children might fall and if the wood breaks they could drown or or break their legs I'm tortured with worry the whole day the nearest hospital is 2 hours away and treatment would be [Music] expensive the children have only one thought to cross the wooden bridge safely the wooden bridge their parents built for them to shorten their way to [Music] school [Music] kend's father Salvador helped to build the bridge like 90% of the villagers he has no permanent work he does odd jobs like working in the fields or fishing with which he earns the equivalent of just €280 a month 2 years ago it wasn't possible to move so freely the Guerilla movement farc had the area firmly in its grip it fought against the government and its supporters the population still suffers from the consequences but is trying to get their lives [Music] back really make a living I'd need at least 10 fish like this a day that doesn't happen very often fishing alone is not enough to pay for my daughter's education it's just enough to feed us every day although the state schools are free of charge the families still will have to pay for books school uniforms and travel expenses Salvador wants his daughters to have a better life that's why he and his wife put every scent into their children and into their dreams Juan has to hurry he left the house way too late today [Music] now I have to cross the river in a canoe I'm always afraid it'll tip over the canoe is extremely wobbly one wrong move and Juan would be sitting in the water together with his school uniform and books Juan learned to canoe two years ago from a man working for his grandfather besides the horses the canoe is Juan's grandparents only means of transportation if they need a Dugout canoe during the day the boy has to swim home in the afternoon with his school supplies in his backpack which is why a lot of his things have broken Juan will have to walk for half an hour as close as it is to the Equator the climate is almost constant throughout the year hot and muggy due to the high humidity it often rains at night the ground becomes very soft which means Juan has to work that much harder now I have to put my backpack on my head sometimes the water goes all the way up to here [Applause] the mud causes a lot of trouble for him Juan can't see where he's stepping in the murky water it's only 50 m to the shore but those 50 m are what he's most afraid of meanwhile kendice and her friends continue to confront their own fears they still have a good 70 M ahead of them 70 M along which Anything could happen at any time friends of mine have already fallen down and hurt themselves especially in the places where there's no railing kend's heart pumps that much faster it's even more unstable [Music] here one basic rule is never step on the same trunk as someone else if a trunk breaks and one child falls in the water at least the other will be able to go for help while the children are still fighting to get over the bridge their teacher arrives at school Yuri's Journey with a motorcycle taxi begins Mondays at midnight over the weekend she always travels to her hometown of midin 7 hours away about 2 years ago the government rebuilt the school during the week it's Yuri's [Music] home it's a small chamber with no windows and no daylight but Yuri tries to make the best of it it's my calling to be a teacher if you don't feel called you can't deal with it there are tons of mosquitoes in my room in the beginning there was nothing I had to bring everything from it was really hard for me there was no TV no mattress no blanket it's difficult every time 2 years ago Yuri got one of the few permanent jobs available for teachers it was a big shock when she learned where she was placed now she has made it her goal to spread knowledge in remote places like [Music] this it's a big challenge I'm afraid for my students I don't feel calm because there's always something that could happen they could drown or hurt themselves the bridge is really difficult for the children Yuri now has a good half an hour hour of worrying until the first children begin to arrive kendis and her friends will soon have made it if all goes well the closer they get to the shore the faster they go and even forget the most important rule to keep their distance from each other they can't get over the bridge fast [Music] enough 10 year-old nidi has an especially difficult struggle she suffers from a fear of heights with every step the feeling of dizziness Rises forcing her to her [Music] knees [Music] nai's friends cannot wait for her together at one place the danger of collapse is too great after about half an hour the first ones finally make it they have Solid Ground under their feet once again the children's exhaustion and relief is noticeable it's not just the intense concentration but also the heat and humidity that are tiring 30 minutes in the blazing sun over a wobbly wooden bridge it's become a part of everyday life but it is something they will never get used [Music] to I'm relieved because nothing happened and nobody got hurt class starts in just a half hour there is still a long walk ahead but the most difficult part is now behind [Music] them [Music] [Music] for Juan the most dangerous part is yet to come [Music] I'm afraid of the Stingrays if they sting you you can [Applause] die I have to be careful they bury themselves in the mud a stingray sting can be fatal or cause serious injury but this is the only way to get to school [Music] mission accomplished without meeting a stingray without getting the backpack and school supplies wet I am relieved because because I have the mud and the water behind me now [Music] finally Juan can put on his dry school uniform class starts in 20 minutes although he already knows he's going to be late again he's glad that he can go to school at all it brings him a little closer to his dream of moving to a big [Music] city [Music] Kies n Andrea and naidi have been on the road for over an hour now unlike Juan at least they're not alone which makes time go by [Music] faster the temperature is already 34° C at a/4 to 8 in the morning with humidity at [Music] 97% it's really super hot while walking we have to protect ourselves from the Sun if we get too hot and when we go home in the afternoon it's even hotter even while they are walking to school they are already thinking about the way back even hotter and over the wooden bridge again if the children are lucky an adult will pick them up on a motorcycle after school but they won't know until school's out at 1:00 the last 15 minutes are the hardest the temptation to just sit in the shade is [Music] great okay let's go [Music] H they know the reason they're making such a great effort to learn things that will help make their dreams of a good job come true Juan will soon arrive as well he gets up his strength for the last stretch the most difficult part is the hill we just pass and the one coming up to pass the time Juan practices doing calculations in his head math is his favorite subject [Music] after 1 and 1 half hours Kendy and her friends have finally made it just before 8:00 the Blue Roof of the school appears behind the last Hill this sight alone gives them a shot of [Music] energy the classmates who live a little closer are already there a total of 15 children between the ages of 6 and 10 go to the [Music] [Applause] school [Music] education is compulsory in Colombia for 9 years but only 85% of children actually go to school Juan finally arrives shortly after 8 even though he has to take an arduous Road he likes school for him it's a welcome change from the hard life on the [Music] fire amen today the subject of of means of communication is part of the curriculum computers in addition to general knowledge the children are taught math Spanish art religion and sports the school only gets textbooks through donations teacher Yuri buys most of the classroom materials using her meager salary of €350 a month [Music] speee no the teacher faces the same challenge every day teaching six different levels from preschool to fifth grade all at the same time it's very difficult to teach like this why because I look for a topic that is good for everyone then I assign a task that everyone can do and then another one that is appropriate to the level this means the tasks have different degrees of difficulty two years ago most of the children wrote very poorly and came to school irregularly yui is proud that that has changed her students really like to go to school [Music] now [Music] but there's still one problem the children arrive exhausted they are often tired and have trouble concentrating I try to teach things that are fun for the children and where they have to actively participate I know the circumstances they don't have it easy but I always tell them that the effort and learning will pay off in the future after 3 hours the children have a 45-minute break they can rest and get something to eat [Music] sweet sometimes the parents bring something to their kids during the lunch break but most of them get a break box before I get here I eat breakfast and my grandma always gives me some something to eat because there's no cafeteria here after lunch there's still time to play something Juan doesn't get to do much at home here he can finally be a [Applause] child and the fun continues in gym class the kids love it they can stop thinking and just goof [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] around shortly before 1:00 the end of the lesson approaches and thus also the trip back home I'm always a little afraid of going back because it's so hot there and if you go into the water when you're that heed you'll get a shock and drown Candy's hopes that her father Salvador has time to pick her up with a motorcycle today it's it's also not particularly safe but at least it's better than the wooden bridge the teacher lets her young charges go but with mixed feelings she knows that today she has brought them one step closer to their dreams but she also knows the trials and tribulations that lie [Music] ahead kendis and her friend Andrea are lucky Salvador is already waiting he can't always pick them up it depends on whether he or his wife need the motorcycle for something else it's their only means of Transport the two girls are happy when someone Picks Them Up although the ride on the motorcycle is also not without its risks coming on the when it rains I'd rather walk when it's so wet it's easy to slip and get badly hurt yes the muddy roads are the most difficult you have to be very careful when driving here you have to make sure not to slip in the mud there are also a lot of Buffalo here that destroy the ground that's also very difficult for the kids and you really have to watch out [Music] in the morning it is often too wet and muddy to drive the children safely by the afternoon the sun has dried the ground at least a little [Music] bit although the people here are very good drivers there there are accidents every day on the bad roads they slide fall and can seriously hurt [Music] themselves the good thing is that it only takes 30 minutes to get back by [Music] motorbike [Music] Juan has just completed a quarter of the way the midday heat is getting to him 38° C no wind and the water supply is limited only the trees provide a bit of shade Juan's grandparents are waiting for him and get worried if he comes home too late but they also know he takes a break on the way home and therefore takes a little [Music] longer I like the cry in the tree it's nice and Shady here and cooler especially in the afternoon when the sun is even hotter after school I take a break here sometimes I use the leaves as a sunblock they give me a little shade [Music] see after the short break Quan goes step by step toward the section of the route he is most afraid [Music] of it's almost 2: in the afternoon the 10-year-old has been on his feet for 9 hours and now he has to go back through the water with those dangerous [Music] creatures but there's one thing on his way home he is looking forward to his favorite place on the river while Juan still has an hour's walk ahead of him the others approach their destination after a half hour [Applause] ride [Applause] mother yasiris is relieved to have her youngest back again and all in one piece I'm glad to be home now I'll relax and then do my homework [Applause] [Music] she enjoys watching TV after school with her 11-year-old sister [Music] Karen after that homework calls mother yilis helps her daughters she recently returned to school and graduated herself she has no vocational training for that she would have to move to another city leave her family but she doesn't want that so it's all the more important to her that her two girls are able to make their dreams come true meanwhile Juan has arrived at the river he still has to cross it but then he is home although he's late there's one thing he's not going to miss [Music] today Juan loves to swim in a river without dangerous [Music] animals the water is so nice and cool and I can relax a little bit I can swim fast one canoe trip later and he is finally at home exhausted after a very long day his grandparents and his work are already waiting for [Music] him I feel very relieved when he comes home and nothing has happened I'm also proud of him when he brings home good marks I'm glad to be here and not have to go through the mud and the water anymore I'm really relieved in the late afternoon Kies gets together again with her friends before they go to bed the family spends some time together I'm very happy when they get home because every trip to school and back is dangerous even though kendis is afraid of going to school every day she knows it's the only chance she has to achieve her career [Music] aspirations I want to be a great artist I love to [Music] paint I love painting landscapes for this she goes up against against the shaky rotting wooden bridge every day she's sure that this is how her dreams will become reality at 7:00 in the evening Juan is finished with all his tasks even though his grandparents are very strict they do give him support I hope that Juan will become an engineer like Sons he shouldn't end up as a field worker or a fisherman I always tell him he has to study I want to go to medine and study there I want to be an engineer in order to get closer to their wishes and dreams Juan and the other children from the village laala esqua have to go to school for the next few years on one of the world's most dangerous ways to [Music] [Music] school high up on the summit of the mountain range is where the k family lives isolated and in the heart of the Jungle it's 5:00 a.m. up on the mountain the school day begins especially early 9-year-old Helen and 7-year-old Mariela have a long walk ahead of them 2 and 1 half hours of all the children who attend the school the sisters live furthest [Music] 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 marela dream of what it would be like to leave the mountain and their poverty [Music] behind I want to become a doctor to give people good [Music] teeth make them healthy I want my own farm and new things I'd buy [Music] sweaters and [Music] pants and socks the sisters a 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 [Music] 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 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 [Music] misery and that it can open the door to a better future it's 6:00 school starts in 2 and 1/2 hours Helen and marela have a long day ahead of [Music] them the sisters call the first stage of their Journey the Snake Hill they've often seen the Naka Naka a species of coral snake in the High Grass the snakes are hard to spot as most of them are only 7 to 12 in long and their venom makes them even more dangerous it causes paralysis and can even lead to [Music] death we're afraid of the snakes here we hit the grass with sticks to chase them away but hand Helen and Mar 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 rivo family are Koka Farmers like so many people in the yungas this is the only region in Bolivia where it's legal to grow the [Music] plant 7-year-old Elmer and his 4-year-old brother porfido get to sleep in until 6:30 boys it's time to get up every morning Elmer has to cross the [Music] 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 zipline it's about 650 ft 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 [Music] Bridge before going to school Elmer has to help with the Koka harvest the moist warm climate of the yungas is also ideal for coffee and citrus fruit but with coka Elmer's family can make much more money $280 a month five times as much as Helen and mariela's [Music] family what should I do help me with the weeding according to Elmer's father Koka 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 Coco farmer it's a lot of [Music] 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 [Music] gor 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 3/4 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 Mark our dad taught us this it's a plant you can chew it tastes like sugar when you chew it it's almost 7 the GS 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 Dole and be [Applause] careful it's a very special day for Elmer today the 7-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 ft 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 the park once Elmer broke his finger on the Journey Across The [Music] 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 [Music] alone I'm old enough and 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 [Music] suddenly a storm draws near the sagging cable starts blowing in the [Music] 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 [Music] electrocuted Elmer's ride gets riskier every minute meanwhile in laaz at 11,800 FT above sea sea level it's the highest capital city in the world this is where another long formidable way to school starts the teachers Journey every week 63-year-old anela commutes between two worlds her home in the big city and her school in the [Music] jungle I do it all for the children I want to help them learn anela sets off with only the bare necessities in her bag one of the most dangerous roots in the entire country lies ahead of [Music] her her first destination the bus station in laaz oh good morning Ana's colleague Lis goes with [Music] 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 of the two teachers on the way they'll descend almost 10,000 ft from the highlands of the Andes to the edge of the Amazon basin anela Lise and the driver Carlos must cross the Andes the route unpredictable along crumbling Rock faces and steep slopes at 63 anela 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 of accidents on this [Music] road it's really dangerous with this much fog you never know what's coming there are often landslides and rocks fall on the street the most dangerous part of the route is Yet to Come many people have lost their lives here back to Helen and marela 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 [Music] watch at this waterfall the girls know they've made it halfway Helen and marela take a short break the water has made the sharp Stone slippery Helen's old shoes are much too small for her and her toes H 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 Mariela 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 that's G 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 fatherson team forever the time has come to let him go what thises elma's father poerio goes ahead Elmer is right behind [Music] is yeah 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 voided 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 [Music] 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 anela and Lise are approaching the most d dangerous part of the drive to [Music] school the dirt road leading toward the jungle it descends nearly 10,000 ft over a distance of only 37 mil the road barely wider than the car [Music] itself [Music] the driver stays as close as he can to the rock wall on the other side the road drops off 2,000 ft 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 [Music] you 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 [Music] crater waterfalls from above fall directly onto the [Music] 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 [Music] finally it's over the drive down one of the most dangerous roads in the world [Music] Ana and Luis have a week of teaching ahead of them during that time they'll live at the [Music] 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 [Music] 8:30 Helen and Mariela 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 [Music] time meanwhile the temperature has risen to 86° F 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 [Music] 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 2 and 1/2 miles away to the girls the road feels [Music] endless after a half mile walk Elmer and his brother reached their destination [Music] the Puente ARA School in the middle of the [Music] valley they're a couple of minutes early the teacher te 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 are out of energy but then something truly unusual [Music] 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 [Music] time to be sure the streets here are also anything but harmless but Helen and Mariela 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 [Music] clouds [Music] done the sisters are almost at their destination they have rested their feet for a few minutes a rare [Music] luxury [Music] 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 sister's lives marela is in one classroom with Elmer and his [Music] brother Helen is in a second [Music] classroom hi [Music] [Applause] Helen the older kids in the school are in her room in total 29 children attend the school ranging in age from 4 to [Music] 133 line up the day begins with morning gymnastics time to [Music] [Applause] March hello children good morning teach stand still every Monday at the flag ceremony the teachers announc the government's latest organizational plans today for example that the school will soon get a new classroom in addition an emphasizes how much the president supports the cause of the Koka [Music] Farmers then the most important item on the agenda the national anthem [Applause] 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 [Applause] 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 you have to wash your hands after touching it yeah what medicinal plant do you you know Daniel CA C Koka what does it help with stomach cakes then comes the students favorite part of the day lunch the government pays for cookies bananas and chilled [Music] juice it's a very special treat for the kids as hardly any of the families own a refrigerator for Mariella 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 [Music] all I love lunchtime and after 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 Lis teaches in the second classroom today's schedule include social studies religion and math what's 4 * 4 56 Louis 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 marela and their walk home lasts even longer that's why it's often hard for 9-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 [Music] 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 so 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 the way home is much more arduous than the way to school now they've got to go [Music] uphill their one bit of comfort the leaves of the thick forest Shield them from the [Music] rain The Climb takes them 3 hours [Music] 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 4-year-old porfido is dead tired from [Music] School J 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 [Music] gorge the children cannot take the zip line without their father they're not strong enough to pull themselves to the other side in case of an [Music] emergency dad uhoh 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 [Music] pulley [Music] Chey little porfido's father fastens him to his own body with a piece of [Music] [Music] cloth made it after one of the world's most dangerous Journeys to and from school Elmer and his little brother are back safe at home hi Aunt hi Uncle hi Mom tonight the family will perform the patcha mama ritual once a year the Koka Farmers from the neighborhood get together and pray to Mother Earth their Supreme [Music] deity they give thanks for their gifts and ask for a good harvest happiness and health the boy's father porfido builds a kind of alar with various [Music] 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 her feet for 13 hours the girls feet and knees [Music] ache it's 5:00 p.m. 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 [Music] slope the girls are exhausted with their last bit of strength they make it to the summit of the mountain they are [Music] home [Music] hi Mom hi relax a little bit the day ends with a modest dinner the girls are tired but happy I'm [Music] H and I'm exhausted but tomorrow we'll take the same path like every day the girls always keep their gold in mind to get an education for a better life far from the mountain and from poverty at the patcha mama ritual 7-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 mly collection of offerings herbs llama wool tinsel and figurines made of sugar later the family will bury the ashes in the ground in the 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 [Music] school l

Channel: Free Documentary

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), most dangerous ways to school, most dangerous ways to school documentary, the most dangerous ways to school, the most dangerous ways to school documentary, MostDangerousWaysToSchool

Id: yY53YY0KfRY

Length: 140min 23sec (8423 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 21 2024