"Gracias Pura Vida"

As I walk down the hillside, past dozens and dozens of makeshift shelters covered in plastic tarp and corrugated tin, I can hear the faint strains of a guitar. We are walking toward “Esquela Oficial Rural Mixta”, the local school in Tzanchaj that was somehow spared by the mudslide. The school is now the only school in the area and is jammed with students who come in shifts, one group in the morning and one group in the afternoon. Pura Vida has helped to build the school, providing funds to add new classrooms and a library. As I draw nearer, I see hundreds of young children, most dressed in brightly colored traditional Mayan dress, gathered by age on the concrete playfield. When I step over the threshold onto the playground the children begin singing. I wish I spoke Spanish so I could provide a translation; the only words I understood were those of the song’s refrain: “Gracias, Pura Vida….Gracias, Pura Vida.” I feel a huge lump in my throat and my eyes start to tear.

I meet the school’s director Rufino Mendez at the center of the playground and am ushered under the roof to be “officially” welcomed. The celebration is heart-warming: more songs, a few short “speeches” from the kids, a presentation of a hand-carved wooden plaque and then finally, the piñata! As the “guest of honor,” I am invited to take the first hit. I am blindfolded, turned around a few times and then let loose on the playground with a wooden stick. Of course, the piñata moves continually, making it impossible for me to hit but ensuring that I look foolish in the process. The kids and I both laugh. It is nice to hear the giggles and shrieks as the candy finally comes out; many of these children have lost loved ones in the mudslide and some still cower when the rain pounds down.


After the celebration, I tour the school with Rufino and our partners Chris Eaton from Bridge Builders and John VanKeppel from ChildAid and Probigua. The school, provides quality instruction from pre-school through sixth grade, has grown dramatically, up from just 250 students a few years ago to a current enrollment of 420 students. With the new classrooms now under construction, it will accommodate almost 500 by next year. Rufino’s passion for the school and his commitment to the children is evident. “Our school opens up many possibilities for the children. 9 out of every 10 children who start with us in pre-school will graduate in sixth grade….compared to only 2 out of 10 in Guatemala as a whole.” Rufino gives due credit to the school’s 12 teachers, praising them for their commitment, passion and devotion to the children. “Still”, he says, “there is so much more we need to do.”

As we continue walking through the school, it is clear that much work remains. It costs about $30 per child per year to keep the school operational and yet most families are only able to pay $3. Although the government provides the teachers’ salaries and the land for the building, the school depends on donations and outside support to remain open and viable. The needs are evident. New classrooms need roofing and the library needs books. Most students double up to share a single workbook and classrooms are lit by a single bulb. Furniture and desks are either old or non-existent and teachers have no space to store what meager supplies they have.

The school stands out as a source of hope in a community that has known true devastation in the past year. As one of my local hosts notes, “to say “October 5th” in this community carries the same weight and emotion as saying “September 11th” in the States.” The children in this school, many of whom are orphans still grieving the loss of loved ones, find a small measure of care and concern in the midst of the concrete playfield and cinderblock classrooms. It feels nice to know that Pura Vida is playing a small part in building this school and nurturing this community. JS

“Afraid of the Rain”

From La Voz, I traveled another 30 minutes by small boat to Santo Domingo (x), one of 12 towns on the shore of Lake Panajachel. I walked another 20 minutes in heavy rain, passing lush coffee fields and scores of children on the main road to Tzanchaj (‘san cha”). Although I knew that T had been hit very hard by Hurricane Stan in 2005 and that mudslides had decimated the town, I wasn’t prepared for the extent of the damage I encountered. In the pre-dawn hours of October 5, a mountain of mud literally tore through the town, burying more than 1,900 people alive. Rushing down from the surrounding hills, the 30-40 foot tall wall of mud swept through the town, covering or destroying everything in a path several hundred yards wide. Almost a year later, the mud still stands, its telltale traces hinting at the horror of that morning. I see a concrete and brick hospital that lies half-buried; a school playground covered in several feet of mud, making it possible for kids to reach up and touch a full height basketball rim. The pattern of the destruction follows the flow of mud, although in some areas nature seems to have shown a modicum of grace: in the middle of one slide area, homes still stand and fragile structures like a cane chicken coop remain undamaged.
I pass by an area of the slide that is marked by a makeshift cane fence, perhaps 40 by 100 feet. In the middle of the area lies a small wood and tin altar covered in flowers, a makeshift memorial. Nearby sits a lone man in a closet-sized shack, looking forlornly across the mud. Hugo Suarez, my guide and translator approaches and talks to the man for several minutes. He returns with a grim look on his face. “This man lost his wife and all seven of his children in the slide. He was able to grab a tree branch as his home was pushed down the hill, but he couldn’t do anything to save his family,” Hugo says. “He knows they are all buried beneath him and he wants to be as close as he can to them…he doesn’t know what else to do…”

We walk on through the village, passing by the remains of homes and countless villagers who lost loved ones in the slide. I am struck to think that the words “October 5” have as much power, emotion and meaning to the people of T as the words “September 11” have to us. As I walk, deep in my own thoughts, Hugo adds a chilling comment: “You know, John, every time it rains here, people are scared. They know that another slide could hit—without warning—at any time.” It is hard for me to imagine living and functioning with that fear. I watch as the remaining members of this village push on, rebuilding their homes, returning to their fields, trying to create opportunities for their children. I look forward to visiting the school and library that Pura Vida is helping to fund and build. I know that these structures—and more importantly the hope they represent, are a cornerstone of rebuilding the community. -- JS

La Voz Coffee Coop

I traveled across spectacular Lake Atitlan in Panajachel to visit this highly regarded organic, certified fair trade coop and to meet with past president Antonio Chawajnay and new leader Pedro Ixmata. La Voz, which is nestled at the base of one of the area’s many volcanos, has grown to include more than 120 families over the past 13 years and has gained a reputation for producing some of the finest coffee in Guatemala. Like the farmers at Santa Anita, the members of La Voz were caught in the crossfire of government land disputes and civil strife that plagued the country through the 70’s and 80’s.

The coop started with just 13 families in 1976 and began coffee cultivation in 1985. By combining their power as producers, sharing knowledge and helping one another throughout the growing and harvesting periods, La Voz has attracted more local farmers and increased production dramatically, shipping some 13 containers in a normal year. Like most farms and coops in Guatemala, however, La Voz was hit hard by Hurricane Stan in October of 2005 and expects 2006 production of only six containers.

Again, I am struck by the resilience and resourcefulness of men like Antonio (left) and Pedro (middle). They are proud and fiercely determined to create a better life for their families. Even with their incomes cut in half following Hurricane Stan, they continue to fight, replanting their farms and helping one another until production recovers. Because of fair trade and the price premiums that come with certification, they have been able to provide for their families and survive in the gap period while their new coffee trees mature. As a result, their school has remained open and family incomes have allowed for adequate nutrition and medical care for their children.

As I travel around the States, I talk about the benefits of fair trade and the virtues of “conscious consuming” in ways that probably come off as abstract, theoretical and vague. I confess that I often have thought more about the nuance and virtue of the Pura Vida “business model” than the communities and families from whom we buy. Meeting the leaders and families of Santa Anita and La Voz this week has helped me get my head out of the clouds and my feet on the ground. I see the organizational strength, self-esteem and freedom that come from democratically elected and worker-run cooperatives. I see the pride, joy and hope that come with a parent being able to send a child to school. I see the opportunity to build bridges and create connection between producers and consumers of Pura Vida coffee. A good eye-opener for me.
-JS

Santa Anita Cooperative Panajachel, Guatemala

After a late arrival in Guatemala City and very short night in Antigua, I leave early in the morning for Comunidad Santa Anita La Union (“Santa Anita”), one of the coops from which Pura Vida buys coffee. Santa Anita is almost four hours north of Antigua, about 30 miles north of Pana, the second largest city in Guatemala. The coop is fairly small, with approximately 38 families and several hundred people living on just a few hectares. We arrive in the midst of some of the heaviest rains I have ever experienced, where even a short (20 yard) dash from the car leaves me drenched. Our host is Rigoberto, one of the founders and leaders of the worker owned cooperative. Like his fellow coop members, Rigoberto lived a nomadic existence in the Guatemalan highlands while fighting the government for land reform and basic rights. When the government and campesinos reached a peace accord in 1996, Roberto and his fellow “ex-combiantes” were offered favorable terms on the Santa Anita land and given the opportunity to cultivate the land. More importantly, says Rigoberto, “We were given a better chance for a better life for our families….”

Rigoberto and his fellow Santa Anita coop members have worked hard to prepare their land for the cultivation of premium organic coffee and are fiercely proud of their product. The coop, which is democratically run with elections every two years, uses some of fair trade premiums it earns to help fund health and education programs for its members. A small school on the property, for example, provides classes for 62 pre-school children, 30 elementary and 20 high school students every day. Many of these students come from outside the coop, walking to the Santa Anita school every day from the surrounding countryside.

As I continue my conversation with Rigoberto, the torrential rain pounds the galvanized roof of the coop’s main gathering room, making it almost impossible for me to make out his words. Still, what I hear leaves a strong impression. Rigoberto, with no more than a sixth grade education, and a past marked by war and violence, eloquently describes his vision for the future of the families of Santa Anita.

“Please tell Pura Vida customers that we didn’t fight the war to just get a piece of land to sit on…. we are hard workers who can really produce. We have many challenges still to get production up but I know we can. Now we have respect and a chance to earn money for our community so that we can build a better life for our children and our families….we even dream of creating a friendship with your customers and getting the chance to exchange ideas and views someday.”

I am touched by the resilience, hard work and dedication of the Santa Anita farmers. I hope that we can help bridge the gap between customer and producer by sharing the stories and dreams of this community.

Houston

I’m on layover in Houston, preparing to depart for Guatemala City tonight. I’m looking forward to getting out of Seattle and having the chance to visit one of Pura Vida’s most important exporting countries. As many of our customers, supporters and donors know, the roots of Pura Vida extend deeply into Central America, where my friend and co-founder Chris Dearnley has lived and served for more than a decade. As Pura Vida has grown over the past few years, however, our reach has extended far beyond Costa Rica. We will buy almost a million pounds of coffee over the next year, much of it from Guatemala and surrounding countries so I am excited to ‘venture out’ and meet some of our key partners in this region. This is my first trip to Guatemala and I have a long way to go before I understand the challenges and history that color life and culture in this country.

Guatemala, as I am learning, has the highest GDP in the region but the wealth is very unevenly distributed. The poorest 10% of the population take home less than 1% of the national income while the richest 10% take home almost 50%. Guatemala sadly “leads” Central America in illiteracy (48% of population), infant mortality (48 per 1,000), lowest infant birth weight, lowest ratio of doctors per patient (1 per 4,000 people) and lowest percentage of children in enrolled in school. In the last decade, the Guatemalan spent only 1.7% of GDP on education (compared to UN recommended minimums of 5-7% of GDP). The situation is even worse for the indigenous Mayans compared to Ladinos, where illiteracy rates are above 60% and wages are half of the national average. The World Bank has noted that the “indigenous people of Guatemala are the poorest of the poor….” (source: “In Focus” Guatemala, 2005).

I find that stats like these are sobering and sort of depressing…analytical, theoretical and devoid of much emotional power. I sense that I am overdue to see for myself the human toll and consequences that come from such stats. I hope what I see, hear and learn will encourage our staff, customers, vendors and donors to join with us to do even more to create connection with the farmers, families and communities of Guatemala. I am encouraged by the first, small steps we are taking to extend our reach into smaller communities around Quetzaltenango and the area near Santiago that was hit hard by Hurricane Stan. I’ll let you know what I find.
---- JS

Coffee, Capitalism and Conscience

I'm preparing to leave for Guatemala in a few days where I'll visit a couple of coffee coops near Quetzaltenango and spend time with a number of Pura Vida's philanthropic projects near Santiago.

I'm looking forward to this chance to see our work up close and personal. The dream behind Pura Vida has always been to use capitalism as an engine to create value and multiply resources--not so much for individual investors, employees or traditional 'shareholders' but rather for the farmers, families and children in the communities we serve. The blending of compassion and capitalism, though not easy(!) is at the heart of what we do. I look forward to sharing thoughts, observations and reflections along the way.

js