Children March on Lima, Annoy All
Lima, Peru

I'm not sure if it was relegated to the primary school behind Tatiana's tiny backyard, but this morning the children marched. …They marched for water.

How Latin, I thought, as I watched the young Peruvians flooded the mid-morning streets. Signs were being waved: "Water is the source of life," "Where is the water?" and "Water is life, be careful." I'd almost forgotten how much Latinos love to march or protest.

Now, mind you, this wasn't as scary as the communistic marching seen on a school ground in Vietnam (33 second video, 3.5MB)—with teachers beating on children who weren't stepping in unison—but it was strange enough still.

Yes, Lima faces serious water and power issues if the highlands/Andes don't receive enough water, but I wonder what parents think about their children being paraded around the streets, used as public service announcements.

I had Tatiana ask her family what they thought of the little demonstration that noisily passed in front of the gated walls of their home, and suffice it to say, they weren't particularly pleased with the disturbance. Apparently, the children rally several times a years, for odd events like Mother and Father's Day.

Shouldn't they be learning something more… useful?

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