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He doesn’t have time to go to school, because he has to work to help his family. He has worked in the square in Santa Cruz, shining shoes, since the age of 10. On market days, he earns over £2, and most other days he earns around £1.
He explains: “For my parents, it’s normal that I should be working, since my father earns very little working in the fields. I would like my brothers and sisters to study, even though they’re young. I would like them to have a better life.
If I had the opportunity, I would like to study myself, but I don’t know whether I can or not, because it’s my job to bring in money. I don’t know if I'll be shining shoes all my life; and I'd like to get a better paid job to help my family more. I'll always be a worker, because my family needs it. I was brought up in a poor family, and even though there are lots of things I'd like to do in my spare time, I don't have any.”
We are helping Juan and other children from marginalised indigenous communities to access education through our new educational curriculum for working children, which is being designed through our child rights project in Guatemala. It will take into account their need for a flexible timetable and useful, vocational subjects, and will be put forward for official adoption by the Ministry of Education so that working children can benefit from it both now and in future.
