Lending Voice: The creation of a street paper in Cochabamba
In June and July of 2013 I embarked on a more than 2,000-mile journey that ultimately influenced the visions I have for my future as well as the future of our world community. The people that I met in one particular city, Cochabamba, Bolivia, who are transforming the citywide social justice work inspire my proposal to create a street paper. In recent decades, street papers have emerged as a viable form of alternative employment for homeless communities worldwide.
While in Cochabamba I stayed with a friend living in one of Sustainable Bolivia's (SB) volunteer houses. SB is an umbrella organization that places international volunteers in Cochabamba-based
NGOs and provides administrative and fundraising support to said organizations. One of SB's partner organizations is Yo voy a Ti, an initiative aimed at alleviating poverty and homelessness in Cochabamba's young adult population. Yo Voy a Ti was founded in 2008 and has since established a number of projects including a mobile school and clinic. Yo Voy a Ti will serve as the local partner and home base for the communication initiative I propose.
Each day, roughly 5,000 individuals wander the streets of Cochabamba performing odd jobs such as shoe shining and window washing just to get by. I have spoken with the administrative coordinators at Yo voy a Ti and proposed the founding of a grassroots communications campaign that would take the form of a "street paper". Street papers are produced and sold by homeless individuals to address the problems facing their community from within the community, as opposed to the negative mainstream media that tends to surround this issue. These papers serve as a space to create agency and lend a voice to this invisible population as well as provide a sense of pride and ownership over a project. Moreover, they can serve as one of the first steps in reintegrating a homeless individual both socially and economically.
I plan to work with the young adults who participate in and benefit from the Yo voy a Ti initiatives to create a street paper that they will both produce and sell. I will follow the international model of street papers; vendors will buy the paper for a fraction of the cost, sell it and keep the profits as their salary. Articles will be produced using collective journalism and will focus on the unique challenges faced by homeless youth. By including the vendors in the creative process, a sense of ownership is encouraged and contributes to the ultimate success of the paper.
The paper will be produced bi-monthly to start, with the goal of monthly production within the first year. With the support of the Yo voy a Ti staff and the network of organizations created by SB, I hope to create a sustainable project that will ultimately help alleviate some of the social and economic exclusion felt by the homeless population of Cochabamba.
Background
I first became interested in the work of street papers when my mentor became a founding member of Word on the Street (WOTS), Baltimore's street paper that is entering its third year of printing. I became involved with WOTS in the summer of 2012 when I served as an intern in the
Mayor's Office of Homeless Services working on Baltimore's first Project Homeless Connect
(PHC). PHC is an event designed to connect homeless individuals with the resources needed to

change their condition. The WOTS vendors serve as role models for the homeless community and were very involved in the planning of PHC. Hearing their inspirational stories of success, I was quickly convinced of the power of grassroots organizing and above all else, the power of words.
In the Fall of 2012 I spent a semester in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil participating in an SIT program on public health, human rights and racism. As the culminating project of this program I conducted research on the efficacy of alternative communities and employment opportunities in helping to reintegrate Salvador's homeless. I worked with A Comunidade da Trindade, a shelter founded in an abandoned church that now thrives as a self-sustaining community serving approximately 40 adults, and Aurora da Rua, the street paper located on the shelter's grounds.
For three weeks, I spent my days in the community observing daily life or out in the city shadowing vendors. This resulted in an ethnographic research paper that provides an in-depth and very personal perspective on homelessness in Brazil.
Following my work in Brazil, I spent the Spring 2013 semester in Cordoba, Argentina where I volunteered with the street paper, La Luciernaga. This setting provided a comparative perspective and taught me more about the inner-workings of a street paper. The interviews I conducted in Argentina may be used as supportive evidence in my senior thesis that will focus on a comparative perspective of street papers and vendors in Salvador and Baltimore.
Reflection
This project would allow me to combine all of the skills I have accumulated throughout my four years at Hopkins and abroad. By working with homeless communities in three countries, I have developed the ability to relate with a very diverse group of people. Hearing and observing harrowing stories of adversity has forced me to face the reality that we live in a precarious world, but hearing inspirational stories of triumph has instilled in me the belief that we are all capable of galvanizing change in the lives of others.
I envision a future where an individual's birthplace does not restrict the opportunities they will be afforded. This future is attainable if we are able to recognize the impact each human has on one another. Many people believe that because they lack power, they are unable to be an influential force in the world community but I have learned a very different lesson; the reality is that, like ants in a massive anthill, we must work together to ensure the wellbeing of our communities.
This experience would ultimately help me hone many of the skills required for a successful career in public service; I would work on community activism and organizing while learning how to combat the challenges of starting a new project and enhancing my language abilities. In the future, I envision myself continuing my work with urban public health development, both academically and on a grassroots level.
Importance to others and me
For me, receiving the Walsh Award will serve as a gateway to use the opportunities I have been granted to create opportunity for others. I believe we are all responsible for improving the world we live in and securing a stable and bright future for generations to come. By combining my global experiences and this opportunity, I hope to make this vision a reality. I have the privilege

to express my hopes for the future but this is not the case for all young adults. The street paper will provide an economic window through which these youth are able to reintegrate while simultaneously changing social attitudes. It will serve as a space for young Cochabambinos to voice their hopes and dreams, and demonstrate the capacity of all individuals when they are given the chance to showcase their talents.