Nati and Cielito (the cutest thing ever)

Nati is an Aymara woman mother of three who works in the flat. She cleans the house, irons clothes and generally looks after the house. “A servant? Are you mad?”, I say to Karen when she first tells me about Nati. But then Karen reminds me that in a country where half the population have informal jobs (you need look no further than every street corner in La Paz occupied by sellers of everything from sweets, books, telephone services, coca leaves, music…) cleaning and cooking in a home is an opportunity for someone and a way out of poverty for a family. “Do you feel guilty about having someone clean and cook for you? Pay them well and treat them with respect” is Karen’s response.

I introduce you to Nati. Nati needs her 10 hour per week job in our flat. She can bring her 18 month old baby Cielito, she practically chooses the days and the times she comes, and, now that the legislation is in place for this, she can have a contract that gives her paid holidays, health insurance and pension contributions. May be this is the face of solidarity with others instead of exploitation. Is this the path to a Bolivia digna y productiva para que todos vivamos bien? I don’t know.

And Cielito continues to be the cutest thing ever.