From caring for the streets to building peace: María Aruquipa’s story in Coroico

^{María Aruquipa and her colleagues carry out urban sanitation work to keep the streets of Coroico free of waste. Photo: Andrea Del Solar.} 

Coroico is a municipality in northern La Paz, Bolivia, renowned for its tropical landscapes and humid climate, making it a popular destination for tourists. During holidays and weekends, both visitors and residents fill its narrow streets and surrounding areas. While these periods offer rest and recreation for many, they are also the busiest and most demanding days for the women employed in the municipality’s urban sanitation services.

María is one of them. Like many of her colleagues, she explains: “We are the sole providers for our families.” Yet many people who enter this line of work do not remain for long because of the demanding schedules and the challenges it entails. Despite their dedication, the effort and sacrifices these women make often go unrecognized. While most people are still asleep or just returning home from celebrations at three o’clock in the morning, María and her colleagues are already on their feet, uniforms in hand, ready to clean the streets of Coroico and the surrounding areas before the garbage truck arrives promptly at five o’clock to collect the waste. 

^{Women urban sanitation workers participated in a participatory assessment that identified the challenges they face, as well as their aspirations. Photo: Alberto Schwartzberg.} 

“I’ve experienced everything in this job: risks, joys, sadness, disappointments,” María recalls. Throughout their daily rounds, she and her colleagues regularly find garbage bags left outside designated containers. They have also observed people from neighboring communities disposing of their waste in Coroico. In addition, waste is often not sorted or separated, leaving sanitation workers to do it themselves, exposing them to disease and injury.

María and her colleagues have reported these issues to their supervisors, who have issued warnings to residents who fail to dispose of their waste properly. Some people change their behavior after receiving a warning, while others continue to act the same way. Some even tell the workers that they “should be grateful because thanks to us you have a job,” a comment the women find deeply offensive. María believes municipal regulations should be strengthened to include stricter penalties or fines. She also hopes to see greater empathy from the public and more research that highlights the true impact of pollution. 

^{Through art and community participation, the workers encourage reflection on pollution and shared responsibility for protecting the environment. Photo: Alberto Schwartzberg.} 

Beyond the health risks, sanitation workers face additional challenges, including insecurity in the streets. They look out for one another and share advice on staying safe. María recalls being harassed on two occasions. The first time, she had to seek help from the garbage truck driver. The second time, she was followed until she turned around and confronted the man, intimidating him enough that he eventually walked away. The workers have also requested police support after fights involving people under the influence of alcohol resulted in damage to their equipment.

The long working hours and the physical demands of the job take a toll on María and her colleagues, particularly affecting their backs and waists. This was one of the key findings of a study conducted by the Aguayo Association as part of the Tramarte project, implemented by UN Women under the United Nations Initiative for the Consolidation of a Culture of Peace in Bolivia, with financial support from the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). 

^{The mural highlights the contribution of women urban sanitation workers to environmental stewardship and peaceful coexistence. Photo: Alberto Schwartzberg.} 

Using a participatory methodology across six territories, including Coroico, participants in the assessments traced outlines of their bodies to identify the physical pain they experience. They also shared their dreams and hopes, turning the sessions into spaces for reflection and emotional release. These experiences were later transformed into artistic works that were showcased at cultural events in the departments of La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija, Cochabamba and Potosí.

In Coroico, a meeting was held at the municipal government offices, bringing together local authorities and women sanitation workers to share the findings of the research and promote the rebuilding of the social fabric through a culture of peace that recognizes the needs of this sector. As part of this effort, a mural depicting the silhouette of one of the women was painted on the municipal building, making visible the valuable contribution these workers make to their community.

“This has been a wonderful experience because it shows the community that we are here doing our job, working for the people, not only by keeping the town clean, but also by protecting the environment,” María says as she reflects on the mural. At the same time, she expresses concern about pollution and the impact it will have on future generations. “Our Earth is not well, it is a little sick, so we have to take care of it and keep it as healthy as possible,” she reflects.

Following the unveiling of the mural, María says several people approached her to invite her for coffee and talk about changing their waste disposal habits, acknowledging that they had made mistakes in how they handled their garbage. For her, these conversations demonstrate that dialogue and greater awareness can lead to meaningful changes in the way people live together and care for their surroundings. In that sense, she believes that embracing shared responsibility for the environment also contributes to building a culture of peace. 

About the United Nations Initiative for the Consolidation of a Culture of Peace 

The United Nations system in Bolivia is implementing the United Nations Initiative for the Consolidation of a Culture of Peace, which runs through 2025 and builds on the achievements of the previous peacebuilding project. The initiative seeks to prevent conflict, strengthen the Bolivian State, promote the country’s first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, advance the National Agenda for Peace and Reconciliation, and implement other actions with a strong focus on the participation of women and young people.