A rural party
by CristinaQuisbert | December 25, 2008 at 2:08 PM
a_party_in_rural_area.jpgFinishing school in rural areas is very important. Students go to school during 12 years but sometimes specially in rural areas, studies are abandoned. As it uses to happen in rural areas girls abandon school because they have to take care of your brothers or sisters or they have to help their parents with other home responsibilities.
But when a girl or boy finishes school generally a party is organized to celebrate it. Last Monday, I was in Sun Island in Titicaca Lake and I saw this party made by the parents of the girl in light blue suit. One of the habitual present in these cases is money. As is can be seen in the picture, the girl has a colourful aguayo on her suit. Generally, bills of 20, 50 or 100 bolivians (bolivian is the name of the local currency) are attached to her aguayo as a present. After the party finished, a godfather and godmother is named in order to count all the bills attached to the aguayo. If the amount is for example 410, godfather and godmother complete to 500 because it is said that it must be always rounded to a bigger amount to attract good luck and prosperity.
Comments
Celebrating education
Hi Cristina,
I love this photo of the party on la Isla del Sol. The colors are magnificent. This is something that I love about the Bolivian people - your use of color. And what a fantastic cause for celebration - the education of a young woman. What a great tradition to celebrate education and to give financial support to a student embarking on adult life. Thank you for sharing the celebration of this young woman. I wish her the best of luck, as well as women across Bolivia and across the globe who are seeking education.
Warm regards,
Jade
Hi Jade,
Thank you for your comment. I also felt happy when I knew what the celebration was about.
Kind regards,
Cristina