Rolling out classes for pupils in the Andes

Editor's note: This news column showcases stories from around the world that bring a touch of positivity to the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

AIQUILE, Bolivia－Armed only with his bicycle and a whiteboard, Bolivian teacher Wilfredo Negrete treks across rugged terrain three times a week to give classes to children stuck at home under the country's coronavirus lockdown.

"As I have the bicycle and we were going to the market anyway, I grabbed my whiteboard and went to my students' houses," said Negrete, 35.

Negrete, whose fame has spread on social media, lives in Aiquile in the central Cochabamba region of Bolivia known for its festival of the charango, a typical Andean string instrument.

Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out in the South American country in March, school classes have been suspended.

The landlocked country that borders much worse-hit areas such as Brazil, Chile and Peru has recorded more than 19,000 cases and more than 600 deaths from COVID-19.

Authorities have recommended virtual classes using the internet and mobile phones, but such means are beyond many rural families, leaving their children without access to education.

Negrete's dedication, which includes fixing a cart to his bicycle to help carry his whiteboard, has proved popular with the mothers of his pupils, who are mostly from families of the Quechua ethnic group.

"It's great that he's teaching the kids, giving his time," said Ovaldina Porfidio, a mother of two.

A keen cyclist and father of two, Negrete hosts classes at his home as well as making trips to see his pupils.

He has set up tables to keep the pupils apart and also provides alcohol gel to disinfect their hands before and after classes.

Porfidio takes her children at least two kilometers by foot to Negrete's house every day because "the kids are forgetting" what they've learnt.

"They've been without classes for more than two months and they're starting to remember little by little," she said.

'Making them think'

Negrete, who is not being paid anything more to go the extra mile to help his pupils, said school work is sent out by WhatsApp, a messaging platform, but that doesn't help those living in rural areas.

"I have 19 students and of those, 13 don't have mobiles or access to the internet," he said.

Even if they did have such access, the internet signal in Aiquile is poor and where villagers have connectivity, the bandwidth is often so low that they cannot download the homework.

Another issue is that parents often don't know how to download material and don't understand the school work well enough to help their children.

With the coronavirus lockdown affecting the disposable income of many families, few can afford to buy a computer for their children's school work.

Negrete, who is paid around $500 a month, says not just his own pupils but also other children and teenagers visit him to prevent missing out on any more of their education.

"I'm making them think about the illness. For example, about the food pyramid, so they improve their diet to fight infections" given that winter is fast approaching, he said.