Family Life

Many Bolivian families are currently in crisis because of the economic situation of the country.

Most NATs' families have poor economic resources and poor living conditions. In such situations, children are not given precedence, and are unable to develop emotional links either with their parents or with other members of the family. Violence comes to rule the family, and the children are forced to escape their homes.

Less than half of NATs live with both their parents. In many cases the father has abandoned the family, so they live with their brothers, sisters and mothers.

The mother often lacks work experience and cannot provide for the basic needs of the family, so seeks a new partner to bring stability to their home. However, this can aggravate the situation - the "stepfather" often bringing problems of alcoholism or violence into the home.

Furthermore, the family becomes unbalanced because of the parents' loss of authority. The children often know more than their own parents, and at the same time generate their own income, thereby remaining independent.

In many cases, one parent travels to other areas to find work, and lives away from the rest of the family for long periods, straining bonds and reducing their status as an authority figure.