In Latin America, Looking At The Positive Side Of Child Labor

Victor Chipani started working when he was 10 years old — a few hours each day, rounding up passengers to fill public minibuses in his impoverished city of El Alto, Bolivia, outside the capital, La Paz. Now, at 15, he does the job from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, earning less than a dollar an hour. His meager wage helps feed his eight siblings and covers his supplies for night school. But the small-framed teenager, who hopes to attend college and even medical school, doesn't want anyone's pity. He can defend himself, he insists — through his union. "United," he says, sounding like a seasoned adult laborite, "we as child workers can achieve anything."

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