sustainability or pollo campero

The other day I was sitting in front of Pollo Campero (think Guatemalan KFC), waiting for a ride. A little girl came and asked for a coin. I didn't have one. She sat down and I started talking to her. Ten years old. Not in school. Doesn't know the alphabet. Never been inside a Pollo Campero. Her twenty-year-old tatooed sister with two children sat, begging, about 15 yards away. I invited them all in for a chicken dinner. Did it fix anything? No. Did it create dependency? Maybe. Did it reinforce begging? Probably. Was it the right thing to do?

Sustainability is the hot issue in the development world. Can the project sustain itself? Is it financially viable? Is it scalable? Is it profitable? What's the effect on the environment? Is it creating dependency? Is it teaching self-sufficiency? All these questions are crucial. There are too many stories of people with wonderful intentions who come and make a mess of things, and then, of course, are the billions of dollars of government interventions which are wasted. In Bangladesh I saw a multi-million dollar fishpond investment standing empty. Some foreign government had sent the money, the project was left half-completed and now stands as a memorial to ill-advised planning. Here in Guatemala we have been told stories about how LDS Church members from rural communities will take off their shoes, dress-up "really cute Lamanite" and go begging every time a Book of Mormon tour bus carrying North Americans rolls into town. I don't fault the rural members...they are doing the most economically rational thing they could possibly do, and their needs are real...but somehow it doesn't seem like the best solution.

On the other hand, solutions such as microcredit (when done well) have proven to be highly effective. The repayment statistics are incredible, the money is given directly to the poor and the capital is used to generate employment. But microcredit is not without its critics. It has been argued that microcredit doesn't reach the poorest of the poor, that MFIs (microfinance institutions) that focus on financial sustainability become as bad as the money lenders they seek to replace (google Compartamos), and that microcredit doesn't really provide a ladder to the formal economy, but instead allows people to eke by. Personally, I don't agree with those critics. I'll admit that mainstream microcredit is probably not a viable solution for the poorest of the poor (crippled beggars, the sick, the elderly, street children) but I don't see why someone would criticize helping a person who makes $2/day instead of $1. We just need to continue to seek out solutions for those microcredit doesn't help currently. As for financial viability--I'm convinced by the scaling argument. If only donor-funded microcredit is "pure" because it charges incredibly low interest rates, we'll never reach the required scale to really help the world's poor. And I do believe in the power of the market to dictate interest rates, especially as more and more MFI's spring up. Finally, the recipients of microcredit may never really grow their businesses beyond subsistance levels, but their children are going to school and the real effects make take a generation to see...

So what does this all have to do with the school? I guess I'm inclined towards the side of financial sustainability. We are making progress right now. We're reviewing the school's finances, we're reworking the organization and we are trying to lay the groundwork to grow the school. We will try to look for the best/most effective ways to use donations. The goal of financial sustainability requires hard decisions...what do you do when a family that is not on scholarship ceases to pay tuition--should they be asked to leave? Should they be allowed to enroll indefinately just because they have a sad story? I think these are cases best judged individually, but certainly there has to be a mix...

I have reflected on my experience here with the school, as well as with the beggars and finally came to some conclusions. On a systemic level, I think you have to push for sustainability (financial and otherwise) to have any real impact. As ProGuate moves forward, I think we will emphasize this more and more. On a personal level, however, I think we have been commanded to give, to succor, to love, without asking questions. So did I do the right thing by buying a chicken lunch for a family of beggars? Maybe not, but I would do it again.

the bus, fear and consequence

Another tri-topic entry. Three days ago a bomb went off on a bus. Nobody knows much, but my guess is that it was the local gangs...One version of the story is that the driver didn't pay his "war taxes." It happened in the city, but on a bus headed for Palencia--a route that I've taken as recently as two weeks ago. Fortunately it was the work of amateurs and while four people ended up gravely injured, no one died. The use of a bomb was new--a scary development in a city already full of bullet holes.

Which leads me to the next topic--fear. Some people here (not all, but many) live in a constant state of fear. Not a rational fear, but a deep, unnerving sense that I think in large part comes from violence that can't be explained. It's one thing to say, "there was a gang related shooting and a gang banger died." As tragic as it is, there is the underlying feeling that there was a reason and that it is explainable, if not predictable. This is the kind of occurence that we point to when we tell our children "be home before midnight" or "don't hang out with the wrong crowd." The implication is that as long as you are good, hang out with the right people, say your prayers and do what is right, you'll be fine. But that's not how it is in Zona 18. Instead, it's violence that can't be explained--good people who for no apparent reason, end up on the nightly news. And it isn't just faceless strangers; it's the neighbors kid or your brother-in-law's best friend. And so people end up afraid--afraid to go out, afraid to speak up, afraid to report crime (this is a MAJOR problem), afraid to live their lives. I do believe, however, that the fear often surpasses the reality. Despite the dangers, I think that often times people give in to fear that is almost irrational. The most widely read newspaper doesn't help--pictures of the dead and dying and those weeping for them. The fear prevents people from acting--from banding together, from reporting crime, from reaching out to others. Every 17 year-old with spikey hair is treated far too seriously. The fear plays into the gangs' hands. Despite the danger of gang violence, I'm sure that far more people die in car wrecks (especially given how people drive around here) and yet no one is traumatized every time they hop in their car. I'm not advocating wrecklessness or bravado--just a different approach. 17 year kids with guns are still just 17 year old kids...Let's deal with the problem without the fear that plays into their hands.

Finally (gosh I'm feeling long-winded) consequences. It's been interesting lately with the school. We've been working on the functioning of teams. It's gone well with some of the groups. Basico teachers (whose students are 13-16) have done especially well. But it hasn't come without cost. Yesterday the group made the decision that one of the teachers needed to be fired. They had worked with this individual for three years, tried multiple times to get this teacher to function as needed and finally last week delivered an ultimatum that he either improve or find work elsewhere. The group was given the responsibility for smooth functioning and given the authority to implement this decision, due to my work here in the school. I spoke with the director and she agreed that it was something that should have happened long ago, but she just never had the heart to fire the guy. I'm glad to see the team take responsibility and make hard decisions. But it also makes me think that change never comes without pain. It makes me think about the consequences (good, bad, painful) of what I'm doing here. There will be sacrifices, but in the end I believe that a greater good will be served.

Motorcycles, Bacteria and Sustainability

It's been a better past week. Everyone seems to be over their illnesses. We had to take my daughter (who turned 1 last week) to a local pediatrition to get her treated for diarrhea. The doc seemed competent, but the location was enough to make you nervous. It was small, dark, dingy and in the middle of a tough part of town. We had to take her because we weren't sure if she had parasites or bacteria...it was bacteria. She's on antibiotics and doing much better.

We also saw a motorcycle rally last week. La Caravana del Zorro. 40,000+ motorcyclists headed to Esquipulas to ask blessings from El Cristo Negro. Pretty cool to see that many motorcycles. We sat on the highway watching for more than an hour before the fumes started getting to us and we headed home.

Work here at the school is making slow progress. I've been able to go through the financials as well as continue work on teamwork and other organizational issues. Looking at everything closely, I really believe that in this location, a for-profit solution is the best answer. There is poverty, but there are also more resources than you would find in a place like Bangladesh or even Quiche (Guatemala). The major issues in this place are related to violence, abuse, lack of opportunity for progress, etc. I really believe in the power of the school to combat these problems. But I also believe that there are enough students who can pay to subsidize those who can't...And I think that with some help on financial management systems, the school will be capable of running on its own. And if they can, then it's better for everyone if they do. In addition, financial sustainability means the possibility to scale...hopefully this school will serve as a model for future schools. There is certainly a lot of work to do, but I'm optimistic.