Most Dangerous Ways To School | MEXICO | Free Documentary

The Raramuri children living in the Sierra Madre Occidental in Northwestern Mexico face one of the world's most dangerous routes to school. Their destination is the boarding school in Cerocahui, requiring them to overcome over a 1,000-meter change in altitude through dizzying, steep slopes, often leading to exhaustion. Despite the danger, their desire for education and a better life is stronger than their fear.

In the village of Repichinari, 2,300 meters above sea level, six-year-old Teresa starts her day by making a fire to warm her sister Ankara, mother, and Filomena. Their Raramuri family sustains itself through corn crops and livestock. The girls wear traditional, brightly colored outfits and thin huaraches, their only protection against the cold ground, emphasizing the stark living conditions. Teresa's mother, Aniseta, sends her daughters to school so they can learn Spanish, despite the inherent dangers of the path.

In the small village of Chapaturi, six-year-old Lorenzo, who lost his mother during childbirth, lives with his uncle and grandmother. His journey to school is a two-hour uphill climb through loose stones and steep slopes. For breakfast, he gets fresh spinach and corn tortillas, a rare treat, as his family struggles with crop failure and poverty. Lorenzo goes to boarding school because it offers free meals, paid for by the Mexican government, a crucial incentive for many parents.

The girls have covered significant ground and take a break to collect and eat pine nuts, natural candies that provide a much-needed refreshment. They then face an extremely steep and dangerous slope, a spot their mother always warns them about. Meanwhile, Lorenzo faces rising temperatures and a painful blister on his foot from walking, yet he presses on, knowing there's no doctor or medicine for miles. Halfway through the journey, Teresa's huarache breaks, highlighting the ongoing struggle with poverty and lack of resources.

Lorenzo reaches the most challenging part of his journey: a narrow path directly along a 300-meter-deep cliff, where the rock path can be as narrow as 50 centimeters. He fears falling but carefully makes his way across the porous and brittle rock. The girls reach the river, which, when high, becomes impassable and dangerous as none of them can swim. However, today the river is manageable, and they continue their ascent up a 300-meter rock wall, constantly mindful of hidden poisonous snakes.

The girls arrive in Cerocahui just before classes begin, joining about 100 other Raramuri children. Meanwhile, Lorenzo, delayed by rain, resumes his climb, facing a final steep incline. He dreams of becoming a teacher or having many animals. Despite arriving almost four hours later than usual, he makes it safely. Classes begin, with Teresa and Filomena attending first and second-grade Spanish lessons. Lunch is provided for free to combat malnutrition, and in the afternoon, Teresa enjoys art class while Lorenzo receives tutoring.

After school, the girls attend a Corn Beer Festival, a mix of ancient Raramuri rites and Catholic faith, celebrating special occasions or praying for rain. Despite the sudden cold and rain, they enjoy goat meat soup. By sunset, they return to the boarding school, where about 40 children sleep in a simple metal hut, often three to a bunk bed. With no heating, they sleep fully dressed to brave the near-zero temperatures, dreaming of a future free from worry and poverty.