On a freezing, brilliantly sunny day, Karen Huaylluco is trotting along an intersection on the busiest street in downtown La Paz, wearing a striped suit and plush zebra mask. Waving her hooves, she ushers people along the black-and-white pedestrian crossing, rejoicing when they wait for green and clutching her head in agony when an errant soul sprints across oncoming traffic. Her work earns many smiles from harried commuters.

“A zebra is love, a zebra is humility, it’s respect,” says Huaylluco, 24, a soft-spoken young woman who cares for her three younger sisters while her parents work in neighbouring Chile. “We learned all that here, and we take it with us and will be this way wherever we go.”

Huaylluco began the programme four years ago and is now a “zebra administrator”. Any morning during rush hour in La Paz, you will find her and a herd of zebras capering down the sidewalk, calling out buenos días and stopping to hug children.

La Paz has experienced a dramatic population increase in recent decades as people relocate from rural areas, and an even bigger spike in the number of cars that cruise its narrow, colonial-era streets. The people and cars are a chaotic, sometimes dangerous mix, so in 2001 the city government created the zebras to educate pedestrians and drivers on sharing the road.

The programme was such a success that two other cities set up programmes. It was in one of those, Tarija, that the dangers of Bolivian roads were brought home last week when a 17-year-old girl working as a zebra was killed. According to press reports she was hit by a truck; the driver, suspected of drink driving, was arrested.

A ‘zebra’ helps a young girl cross the road. The programme has expanded to cover recycling, water conservation and bullying. Photograph: Sara Shahriari

For the campaign, Zebras were selected because in Spanish, as in British English, a striped crosswalk is known as a paso de cebra, or zebra crossing. The programme gradually took on its current mission, to provide a space of friendship and learning for at-risk youth.

At first, two people were meant to squeeze into a four-footed zebra suit, which led to some awkward situations on the road. Now just one occupies a two-footed suit. But it’s not just the zebra’s costumes that evolved over time: their numbers have grown from 24 to more than 200, and they have became an important part of La Paz’s Office of Citizen Culture, which also helped launch the scheme in two more Bolivian cities.

The scope of the zebra’s work also expanded: from the original platform of crosswalks and traffic lights, they now lead educational programmes in schools and public spaces on themes such as recycling, water conservation and bullying. The zebras also recently began a partnership with the UK government’s international citizen service scheme to develop noise pollution reduction initiatives for classrooms and parks across the city.

“Citizen education sets the idea that you can practice citizenship,” says Mama Zebra – AKA Kathia Salazar, who is in charge of the zebras nationwide. “Not just be a resident, but be someone who participates, observes, who questions and requests things, but above all lets everyone share and live together.”

Many zebras join the programme through partnerships with local organisations that work with at-risk youth; others arrive on their own. Some stay for years, others just a few months. All zebras receive a stipend and gain access to a variety of classes and workshops that range from nutrition to computing to self-esteem, and pass through several weeks of training before they hit the streets.



A traffic zebra in La Paz. Many join the programme through partnerships with local organisations that work with at-risk youths. Photograph: Sara Shahriari

“It’s a marvellous job they do, helping the elderly and children,” says pedestrian José Chuquimia Paredes of the zebras. But of course, creating a safe and organised relationship between cars and pedestrians requires much beyond citizen education, including well-placed and timed traffic lights – changes that are starting to take shape in La Paz, but lag behind demand. Pedestrian Waldo Delgado agrees that the zebras are educational and innovative, but adds that serious problems persist for many citizens of La Paz. “There aren’t many traffic lights,” he says, “People risk their lives to cross the street.”

Every weekday at 7.30am, the zebras – who range in age from 15 to their early 20s – get ready for a few hours on the roads with a mix of singing, dancing and calisthenics. Their prep room, though lit by dingy fluorescent lights and furnished only with lockers and a few chairs, may well be the most cheerful place in the city.

“I used to be very timid, and now I’m much more friendly,” says Angel Quispe, 18, who joined the group six months ago. “This helps a lot of young people. If we were going down a bad road, we become aware.” He says there are also challenges. “It’s not all roses. Some drivers shout at us, but it’s all worth it when you see how happy the kids are.”

Now, following the first death in the programme’s history, there are some hard decisions ahead. Should zebras continue their campaign on crosswalks, or is it time to complete the shift into classrooms, parks and public performance spaces?



Salazar says the zebras will remain a fixture on Bolivia’s city streets. “This has been really upsetting for many people,” she said. “The zebras are very sad and upset, but we’re working together as a team and a family.”



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