Diego, Run!
The following resources will help you find about more about Diego, Run! by Deborah Ellis, published in some countries as I am a Taxi.
Book trailer for Diego Run
How real is the story in Diego Run? This documentary is about children living behind bars in Bolivian prisons. More than a thousand children in Bolivia spend their early years behind bars, living with their imprisoned parents. By law, children under the age of six cannot be separated from their parents, even if they are in jail. Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo reports from La Paz, Bolivia’s capital.
What work was Diego doing on the Coca Farm?
The following clip is taken from a documentary film, Cocaland, produced by Sebastiano Vitale and Simon, an undercover former cocaine producer who wrote the text for the film. The film is cut from images more than 20 hours of video material shot in Chapare, Bolivia, with cocaleros, cocaine producers, soldiers, smugglers. (More information can be found under the INFO section of the Cocaland website.) http://www.cocaland.org/
The War on Drugs in Bolivia
Cocaine Wars (1996): For centuries the coca leaf was a blessing from the gods. It alleviated the hunger of the Bolivian poor. Today it is a source of narcotic evil for the West.
About the author Deborah Ellis
Deborah Ellis – author, activist and philanthropist
Deborah Ellis – the author’s website
Profile of Deborah Ellis – note that The Breadwinner is titled Parvana in Australia.
Where the money goes – Deborah Ellis’ philanthropy
Deborah Ellis – an interview (from publisher’s website – includes a photo of the author)
Another interview with Deborah Ellis
Teachers’ Notes on the novel