More on my project, production in China, and VS as a market competitor

As I mentioned in the previous post, VisionSpring’s principle product in El Salvador – and in fact worldwide – are its ready-made reader glasses. The organization contracts out eye testing and production of glasses for more serious conditions to another local organization.  What VisionSpring has asked me to do is to study their business, study the landscape, and then work side by side with the country director, Heidy, to develop a business plan for VisionSpring’s own full-service optical service shop.  I have been doing a lot of research this past week and laying out the framework of the plan. 

One of the reasons VisionSpring is able to sell at prices below their competitors is that their ready-made reader glasses are made in China.  See the following link to get a description of the factories VisionSpring purchases its glasses from in China: VisionSpring production in China.

However, people with more serious eye conditions often need custom made glasses.  With production to delivery times often exceeding two months, it is obviously not feasible to custom make glasses in China.  That is why VisionSpring’s partner organization (mostly) custom makes its glasses in San Salvador.  I say mostly because I learned that most of the companies that make glasses in El Salvador still purchase their frames in China (or sometimes Italy, of all places). 

To get a better idea of the production and distribution of glasses in El Salvador, I visited Oscar in San Salvador, who in addition to being a licensed optometrist who works with VisionSpring on the side also runs a family laboratory making eye glasses.  Oscar informed me that no frames have been made in El Salvador since the mid-70s when all production moved to China (and a couple of other countries).  In fact, Oscar lost his job making frames in El Salvadora in 1973 when his factory moved to China.  With some assistance, he went back to school to become an optometrist, studying in Guatemala (there was no technical licensing program in optometry in El Salvador until this year).  

Don Oscar in his lab working on a pair of glasses

Oscar works intently, trying not to be distracted by my presence

Oscar's son Paulito poses with some machinery

Years later, in the early 90s, Oscar had a friend who made glasses who was unhappy with his supplier in San Salvador.  Oscar told him: “give me six months and I will meet all of your orders going forward.”  He invested in the necessary equipment and has run his business ever since, assisted by his wife, son, daughter, and other family members.  Today he sells glasses to the non-profit partner of VisionSpring for just above cost – cheaper than he sells to other clients – because he knows how much good VisionSpring is doing for people in his country.

So how is VisionSpring able to sell at a price so much lower than many of its competitors?  It’s in part because they make their ready-readers entirely in China and ship them over in bulk.  Due to standardization and bulk buying, VisionSpring is able to keep its costs down.  Moreover, as a non-profit I assume VisionSpring’s overhead costs are lower than some competitors, not to mention the fact that VisionSpring, while it aims to be self-sufficient, is not pressured to maximize profits through its sales.  (As a double-bottom line business VisionSpring does a balancing act between making an impact and trying to bring in revenue, but priority is placed squarely and firmly on making a difference in the lives of low-income individuals.)  Finally, VisionSpring is able to keep its prices low due to the support of charitable contributions.


Finally, what may also account for the price differences is that the market in El Salvador is dominated by an oligopoly which produces the majority of the country's glasses and sells them through their own high-priced outlets.  Thus, there is also a potential opportunity for VisionSpring to sell to individuals with higher incomes, thus growing the business and making it possible to serve more low-income people.   

In addition to working on a business plan for the optical shop, I am in regular contact with the country director to help analyze other aspects of the business, basically offering general strategy consulting services.  I may also help train up some new Vision Entrepreneurs next month. 

VisionSpring El Salvador

VisionSpring launched its first ever Vision Entrepreneur program in 2002 – in El Salvador.  While in most countries VisionSpring works through franchise partners, El Salvador is one of the exceptions where the organization manages operations directly through its own Vision Entrepreneurs (VEs).  And whereas VisionSpring works almost exclusively in rural areas in other countries, in El Salvador VisionSpring works in both rural and urban areas.  The program is small compared with operations in India, for example, but as a result of VisionSpring ownership over the program and thanks to an experienced, talented team on the ground, El Salvador is a great place to test the model and innovate. 

In El Salvador, VisionSpring reaches out through its VEs to potential clients through vision health campaigns, principally in and around the city of Santa Ana (about a hour from San Salvador where I live).   The VEs are basically franchisees of the larger non-profit organization.  They are given extensive training in eye assessment and business, and then are given a “business in a bag”: all the tools necessary to carry out campaigns, including the glasses to sell.  The VEs then go out and manage their own franchise, and after making money from sales they pay a consignment fee to VisionSpring.  Instead of microfinance, this is micro-consignment.  That is to say that not only is VisionSpring providing low-cost eye glasses to the people who need them most; it is also creating good jobs in the communities in which it works.   

The VEs contact schools, churches, mayors’ offices, friends and neighbors, and other groups and individuals to attract people to the campaigns, where attendees receive free eye exams.  From the get-go, VisionSpring sets itself apart, as all traditional retailers in El Salvador charge for eye exams, some for just $1.00 but the vast majority for upwards of $25.  What is more, most of these exams do not test for one’s overall eye health; rather, they just tell people what prescription they need.

VisionSpring glasses range from $5 to $15 for basic corrective lenses. 

VEs Don Renee and Don Nicolas pose with glasses in the VisionSpring office

And they also sell a variety of models of sunglasses, including sweet aviator glasses, for just $5!  Here's me sporting a pair:

No wait, that's not me

Okay, there I am with Don Renee and Don Nicolas.  I guess I'm more of a Goose than a Maverick anyways.

This is compared to anywhere from $40 to $100 at competitors, many of whom are none too pleased that VisionSpring is able to undersell them.  BJ Optical in particular must be thrilled that VisionSpring set up shop across the street.

Across the street

At VisionSpring campaigns, attendees take a basic eye exam.  If all they need are basic corrective lenses for presbyopia, VisionSpring has them on site for sale.  In addition, VisionSpring tests for a variety of other more serious eye conditions, including myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, and cataracts.  But more on this in a second.

My first weekend in Santa Ana I attended a campaign with Heidy, the country director, and her husband Nelson, a VE.  It was held at a local religious school.  VisionSpring had done a campaign previously for children, and this weekend the parents were invited to get checked out.  Approximately 30 people attended, about 20 of whom purchased glasses on the spot.  

There's a lot going on in this pic: in the foreground, patients waiting for eye exams; behind them, Nelson gives an eye exam; in the background, Heidy is helping a patient try out a pair of glasses.

Nelson and Heidy work their magic

Of the remaining patients, five were invited to a bi-weekly clinic where they could see a licensed optometrist (as is required by El Salvador law for more serious eye conditions); the rest either did not need glasses or decided to wait on purchasing them.

I attended the clinic the next day, where Oscar, an optometrist from San Salvador was checking out once again about 30 attendees who had accumulated from the previous two weeks’ campaigns.  After checking each person out, he either wrote them a prescription for custom-made glasses or made referrals for serious conditions such as cataracts.  The glasses cost in a range of $25 to $50, whereas most competitors charge between $70 and $300. 

Of the attendees, I cannot generalize, only relay how different each person and their needs were.  Examples include young Michelle, who was told she needed surgery for $800 to correct her vision, or at best had to buy glasses for $100.  VisionSpring’s partner organization was able to address her problems with a pair of $30 glasses. 

Michelle poses in her new glasses

Don Santos had glasses from an optical center in town which he paid $60 for.  VisionSpring’s partner organization was able to provide him an updated prescription for just $35.

Patient Don Santos with optometrist Don Oscar

Oscar with another patient

Oscar and patient close up

Other examples include a 10 year old girl who’s had vision problems for 10 months.  Nothing too major, but a pair of permanent glasses will help her with short and long-range vision; a 20 year old woman who has had headaches for five years, and just needed a pair of permanent glasses for long-range vision; a 38 year old woman who works as a secretary and has had vision problems in one of her eyes for over a year – she was prescribed a pair of permanent glasses; a 45 year old man who got a pair of glasses to help him with reading (his prescription was outside the range of what VisionSpring’s glasses cover); and a 70 year old who unfortunately needs cataract surgery and who was referred to a surgeon.

What’s important to note about this clinic is that VisionSpring currently contracts out this service to another organization in El Salvador.  While we have a good relationship with this organization, VisionSpring is looking to study whether it would be feasible to take over this aspect of the business themselves, and then improve it and scale it to help even more people access affordable eyewear.

This is where I come in (more in the next post).

VisionSpring Introduction

I have been deeply immersed over the past three weeks in my work as a Volunteer Strategy Consultant with VisionSpring. This weekend is the third weekend in a row that I am in Santa Ana working with local representatives of VisionSpring in their headquarters and in the field. It has been a terrific experience thus far, and I have been incredibly impressed by the commitment and quality of the field staff. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind of a learning experience, and as I continue to deepen my knowledge about VisionSpring and the local environment, I have started to dig into my project.

Country Director Heidy, her daugher Esmeralda, and me

But first a bit more about VisionSpring, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to reduce poverty and generate opportunity in the developing world through the sale of affordable eyeglasses”. While working on medical missions, VisionSpring’s founder, practicing optometrist Dr. Jordan Kassalow, became aware of how difficult it is for low-income people in the developing world to access affordable corrective eyewear. He regularly encountered people who if they could only see better could be happier and more productive for years longer. VisionSpring has estimated that an “investment in one pair of glasses can generate a greater than 27X return to the wearer”.

Thus, Dr. Kassalow co-launched VisionSpring in 2001 under the name Scojo Foundation with Scott Berrie. The model they developed is to sell low-cost “ready-made reader” glasses for people suffering from presbyopia, an age-related condition where people find it progressively harder to focus on close-range objects. This condition affects the majority of adults over the age of 40, so the need across the world is substantial. In fact, many of you reading this probably know exactly what I am talking about because you wear glasses for just this condition. Whether you are sewing, reading, or using a computer, presbyopia can make otherwise simple tasks extremely difficult. When one’s livelihood depends on being able to see clearly, such as for a seamstress, the ability to perform those simple tasks can be critical.

The glasses are sold through two principle channels: the first is through franchise partners who deploy the VisionSpring model through their own networks; the second is through a direct Vision Entrepreneur channel, which I will describe in more detail below because it is the model used in El Salvador. The idea quickly took off both in terms of growth and accolades.

Today VisionSpring is serving India, Bangladesh, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ghana, Ethopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia, with pilot programs and/or designs for a slew of other countries. Among a long list of awards, VisionSpring recently won the 2009 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, one the most prestigious awards in social entrepreneurship.

Here’s a cool article that was in Ode Magazine back in March.

Despite the impressive results, one thing I really appreciate about the organization is how humble and honest the headquarters staff is about their business model and its limitations, which I think makes them more likely to learn from challenges, and overall makes them a better investment. This is probably an important reason why VisionSpring has been able to raise a sizable equity fund to continue to grow the business.

Music for Heart

One of the many incredible projects that Rotarians make possible is the provision of life-saving open-heart surgery for children with congenital heart defects.  Like its famous polio campaign which practically eradicated polio worldwide (Polio Plus has recently been launched to tackle the disease in the few countries where it has lingered and recently resurged, such as Nigeria), Rotary is helping provide surgeries worldwide.  I originally learned about this effort from Lynda Hammond, a member of my sponsor club (Hi Lynda!), who sits on the board of Gift for Life International and who is a passionate advocate for children’s health across the world.  In El Salvador, I was able to witness this effort on the ground. 

As I learned from the heartfelt presentations made by Brenda Small, President of Music for the Heart Foundation, and Rob Raylman, Executive Director of Gift of Life International (both Rotarians), the statistics of this problem are daunting: in El Salvador alone more than 1,200 children are currently on the waiting list for surgery.  To be honest, I had no idea that so many children suffered from life-threatening congenital heart defects.  What I could have told you is that most developing countries are not equipped to handle serious health issues; to no one's surprise, open heart surgeries are no exception.  Thus, Gift of Life and Music for Heart were in El Salvador all this week.  They saved 57 young lives.

Historically, Gift of Life’s approach was to execute the surgeries with their own international staff, but they now have a push to train local health professionals and build local capacity so that countries can provide the surgeries themselves.  Gift for Life is currently amidst a campaign to train up health professionals in Uganda (and as Brenda stated in her remarks, nurses are especially crucial), and now Brenda and Music for Heart are going to be focusing their time on building capacity in El Salvador.  Currently, the country is not equipped to perform any such surgeries without outside assistance, lacking qualified professionals and equipment.

Rotary International Foundation’s role has been to generously finance most of the operations of Music for Heart Foundation, Gift of Life International, and other partner organizations, while the local clubs – in this case my host club, the Cuscatlán Club of San Salvador – contribute their own resources and handle many of the logistics on the ground.  Rotary is also looking at ways to assist the children and their families after they have had surgery, as some unfortunately return to impoverished conditions once their procedures are complete.

Last night the Cuscatlán Club had a special club meeting where we heard from Brenda and Rob, met visiting Rotary volunteers from the States, and had a special visitor named Jordan.  Jordan has been in need of heart surgery since birth, and he has been on the waiting list now for four years.  Thanks to special fundraising done by Brenda’s daughter’s Irish dancing squad, Jordan’s family will be able to afford the surgery.  The girls also sent along their championship trophy from a recent competition as a gift to Jordan.  He was accompanied by his parents and two brothers. 

Jordan receives a trophy and a special message from Brenda

 

 Jordan receives a trophy and a special message from Brenda

Club Member Victor receives the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award for his work on the Music for Heart campaign

Newly elected District Governor Mario Andino addresses the club 

Brenda and Rob pose with Victor and other club members who helped lead the effort

Today, I was able to catch the end of the week-long campaign and visit some of the recipients of life-saving surgeries at San Salvador's Bloom Hospital.  Rotarian Guillermo and I were escorted around the hospital by an incredibly helpful young woman, Gloria, who works with a local organization that coordinates the medical logistics of the operation.  I was able to meet four girls, aged between a few months and 15 years old, who were being released from the hospital after successful surgeries.  One young girl of about seven years, Jennifer, showed me the bandages on her chest that were covering up the sutures from her surgery.  It was incredibly moving to visit with these healthy, vibrant girls who until just a few days were lethargic, sick, and incredibly vulnerable. 

 I pose with Jennifer and her parents, along with one of Rotary's gift bags

Guillermo with Camille and her mother

 Guillermo with young recipient and her father

Guillermo with volunteer Gloria, young recipient and her mother

If you'd like to make a donation, please visit: www.giftoflifeinternational.org/pages/index.php

First Rotary Meeting

Last week Tuesday I attended the first of what will be many Rotary meetings in El Salvador.  I was warmly welcomed by the Cuscatlan Club, my host club, which meets weekly at the Sheraton “El Presidente” Hotel in the upscale Santa Rosa neighborhood of San Salvador.  It was a little strange but nice to go from my environment of public buses and busy streets to the quiet valet-parking world of the Sheraton.

Welcome from the Club President

The meeting kicked off at 7:15am, as approximately 30 club members gathered around the room.  I arrived early, and was able to make the acquaintance of most of the attendees before the meeting started.  The group began with an invocation, a Rotary pledge, and then the El Salvadoran national anthem.  As we enjoyed our breakfast, members went around the room and introduced themselves.  I learned that most of the members are involved professionally in construction or run local businesses.  And the group was ethnically diverse with members of Latin American, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern decent (apparently there is a sizable Christian Palestinian population in El Salvador).

Through conversations and announcements, I learned that the club focuses their charitable largely on medical missions, such as open heart surgery and cleft-lip surgery, and I am going to be volunteering by sitting with families while they wait for their loved ones to finish on the operating table.

I also learned there is national Rotary conference in November which I will be excited to attend.

The meeting featured a speaker, Julio Hernandez, a well-known and (depending who you talk to) controversial political figure in El Salvador.  What what my host family tells me, his political party, the FDR, used to be the political wing of the FMLN guerillas during the civil war during the 70s and 80s.  However, at some point after the signing of the peace accords in 1992 – the exact point in time I am not sure – the FDR and the FMLN had a falling out.  In the most recent presidential election, the FDR spoke out against Mauricio Funes, the candidate of the center-left, preferring instead to ally itself with the right-wing Arena party.

Julio Hernandez

On the topic of speaking, I made tentative plans to address the club in three weeks when their schedule opens up.  I hope to then go and speak to the other San Salvador clubs as well in the weeks that follow.

The meeting was a cursory introduction to the Cuscatlan Club, and I look forward to learning more at this next Thursday’s meeting (meetings are typically Tuesday mornings, but the 15th is El Salvador’s Independence Day).

 Members of the Cuscatlan Club listen to the guest speaker

Rotary's Four Way Test (in Spanish)

I have also started work on my project with VisionSpring, which I will write more about this next week!

Central American Microfinance Conference

I had the great fortune to be in San Salvador at the same time as the Encuentro Centroamericano de Microfinanzas 2009, or the 2009 Meeting of Central American Microfinance Institutions.  I have my friend Scott in New Haven to thank for tipping me off. 

The conference was sponsored by ACCION International (www.accion.org) and the Citi Foundation (www.citi.com/citi/microfinance), and attended by non-profit microfinance organizations, for-profit microfinance institutions, government representatives, rating agencies and other interested parties.  The conference ran a day and a half and was chock full of experiences from the field and lots of new Spanish vocabulary words. 

Panel topics included responding to the regional economic crisis; funding microfinance organizations in Central America; learning from previous economic crises; reviewing and managing risk; and consumer protection.

Many of the topics were familiar as a result of my work in microfinance and my academic studies under Tony Sheldon at SOM, but the Latin American perspective was a new one for me.  It was also different simply to hear everything in Spanish, which I understood with varying levels of success depending on how tired my mind was over the course of the conference.  There were headphones available that broadcast real-time translations, but I was committed to fighting through with just Spanish.  My mind had to bend at times, as practically each speaker represented a different country with a slightly different accent.

Perhaps the most interesting discussions had to do with the impact of a country’s political environment on microfinance organizations, particularly in more socialist environments such as Nicaragua and Venezuela.  Apparently, in Nicaragua, it is not uncommon for populist groups to run “don’t pay back your loan” campaigns.  As some of you may know, my original placement for the Rotary scholarship was in Venezuela.  While Venezuela is a beautiful country with incredibly warm people across the political spectrum (I spent two weeks there in 2008 so got a good taste of the country and people), I decided to go to El Salvador instead because I felt my prospects for finding volunteer opportunities in microfinance and social enterprise would be severely limited there.  From what I learned at this conference, my perceptions of the limitations were correct.  I also enjoyed hearing the perspective of organizations at varying points along the microfinance commercialization spectrum, from small non-profits to large, for-profit microfinance institutions.

We also had a swanky reception at the San Salvador Art Museum:

San Salvador Art Museum

The highlight of the conference was meeting dedicated professionals from across the region, like Walter from Bancovelo in Honduras. 

Matt and Walter at the San Salvador Art Museum

Pig Beach

On a whim, about a week ago I took off to the beach for an afternoon with three new friends: Ramiro and Omar from El Salvador and Louisa from France.  We had met on the way to Nejapa for Los Bolas de Fuego, and they were kind enough to invite me along with them to Playa El Tuncon, El Salvador.  So at about 4:00 in the afternoon I jumped into the back of a pickup truck for the 45 minute drive to the beach.  Know as “El Tuncon “, or "The Pig" because the big rock in the water supposedly looks like a pig (I don't see it), Playa El Tuncon is one of the world’s best surfing destinations.  The water was warm and unbelievable relaxing; the weather was perfect; the beer was cold and the fish was fresh; the company was even better.  And it was fun to stretch my brain by talking in French and Spanish in the same conversation.  It was a great afternoon and evening.

Dam Conference

In the spirit of the new and vibrant politics in El Salvador, a few students from my language school attended a half-day conference on the El Chapparal dam, which is being built on the Torola river in northern El Salvador. This is a controversial project which in many ways encapsulates the political upheaval that is underway. It is a complicated issue, covering the application of eminent domain versus human rights, concern over the country’s energy deficit, and arguments about environmental protection. And it is a fount for the populist outrage that accumulated under corrupt and uninterrupted 20 year one-party rule, as the deal was negotiated by the previous government.

Attendees listen to a speaker

Many participants traveled from afar to attend the event in San Salvador

The blog at Voices on the Border provides a description of the project:
Despite controversy over environmental destruction of surrounding communities, the Comisión Ejecutiva del Río Lempa (CEL) in El Salvador has began constructing a new hydroelectric dam in the Río Torola located in the northern part of the department of San Miguel in an area known as El Chaparral.


Proponents of the project say that the dam is in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol and has the potential to provide electricity to two hundred thousand families in El Salvador. Other touted benefits would include new economic opportunities in agriculture, fishing, and tourism.


However, there is great contention about the benefits of this project due to the resulting flooding of current communities. Contractors and government officials assure that those individuals who lose their land will be compensated and provided a place to live, but according to parish priest, José Antonio Confesor, of the community of San Antonio del Mosco, the majority of the local population does not agree with the construction. Others living in the affected areas say that they were deceived by CEL concerning the purchase of lands.


The project is being financed by a loan from the Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica (BCIE) for 163 million dollars and by the government that has contributed 56 million dollars.

From the reports I have received and from what I heard at the conference, people in the affected region were intimidated by the government to sell their lands and were not fairly compensated. It seems there was a lack of transparency, which coupled with the intimidation left people feeling pretty helpless. The new government made the dossier on the dam public, which sparked further outrage as the general public has gotten a better sense of the terms of the project and how it will affect the surrounding areas, and how much energy it will actually generate. The issue is made more complicated for the following reasons:

1. The previous government signed a contract, which if violated would lead to a penalty greater than the full cost of the dam. 
2. The father of the head of the CEL is one of President Funes’ most important supporters.
   

The dam’s construction has been blocked for the moment by vigorous protests in the affected villages, along with support from prominent intellectuals and advocates.  This was the purpose of the conference we attended – to allow the aggrieved to air their complaints and to show a unified front against the project.  

It is hard for me to get a good grasp on the complexity of the issue, just having arrived, but it is an interesting case study in economic development and seems to be reflective of the way the country was governed over the last 20 years - without consideration of the opinions and needed of the vast majority of El Salvadorans.  It actually reminds me a lot of a case study we read at SOM on the privatization of Cochabamba, Bolivia's water supply, which really did have a terrible impact on low-income Bolivians.  It will be interesting to see if average El Salvadorans will be able to flex the same muscle as the Bolivians did, who were successful in getting the Bechtel contract canceled. 

A man who lost his land speaks to the media

Great Balls of Fire

Goodness gracious.

On Monday night, a group of us traveled to the town of Nejapa, about 45 minutes from San Salvador, for the annual August 31st “Los Bolas de Fuego” (Balls of Fire) event. The only thing I can think to compare it to is dodge ball, but where the balls are on fire. Perhaps it resembles the annual running of the bulls in Pampalona, Spain (which I have not experienced), in that it is state-sanctioned street chaos which often results in injuries.

 Casey, Antonietta, Oscar and I pose with the city's commemorative statue 

The tradition is more than 100 years old; it recalls the eruption of the volcano El Playon in November 1658, which forced the town to move to its current location. During the eruption the volcano threw balls of fire into the air which then led to the current celebration. Seems like kind of a traumatic experience to celebrate, but it is an important part of history here. The bombs and lava flow from the volcano forced Spaniards and indigenous people to leave their belongings and run to a safe area. The day is also used to celebrate the town’s patron saint, San Jerónimo. The main event is preceded by a festival-like atmosphere, with food, drinks, live music and a parade. 

 

Miss Nejapa 2009

 Pre-fire balls concert 

The main event began around 9:00. The participants, mostly men but some women, dress in black, paint their faces, and soak themselves in water.

Antonietta with participants 

 Another participant prepares himself well 

The balls are made of rags and tied up with wire and sunk into kerosene for a month. Once lit, they do not go out easily. And when thrown, they spew spurts of burning kerosene into the air.

 

Los Bolas de Fuego 

Participant with a fire ball 

The event began innocently enough, with two opposing sides facing off on the main drag with perhaps 15 people to a side. The city, which sponsors the event, shot off fireworks to mark the start of the celebration, as we gathered up a series of steps in front of the town’s main church. My first sense of the nature of the event came as men wearing saddles with lit fireworks on their heads began to run through the street and then through the crowd. People scattered as the “bulls” ran through.

Then the balls of fire began to rain down from the sky. 

The two sides faced off as if in a street fight, but the weapons of choice were only balls of fire. They blasted each other from long range and shorter range, alternately chasing each other down the street one way or the other. As the participants were struck, the balls caused minor explosions as the kerosene sprayed. I especially liked when the participants rolled the balls along the ground, which left a trail of fire reminiscent of tracks left by the time traveling DeLorean in Back to the Future. 

Then errant balls began to fly into the crowd.

We had been instructed to wear fire-retardant clothing, but I’m not sure everyone thought so far ahead. Plus, hair is flammable too. Luckily, I brought a hat. There were rules it seemed, including when participants put down their fire balls if the got within too close range of each other. Also, there were time-outs at somewhat regular intervals, when people could come down and take close-up pictures, or hold the fireballs.

  Matt getting into the action 

Emboldened, a few of us went down to the street level for a closer view. It was an absolute adrenaline rush to be amidst the flaming balls of fire overhead and underfoot.

While there were some close calls, we rationalized that it was safer to be on the street level because you could bob and weave away from the balls, whereas in the crowd people were pinned in as an increasingly greater number of balls flew into the crowd.



Balls were thrown up into trees where kids were sitting on branches to watch, and balls hit buildings, one of which was set alight. However, it was put out quickly. Firetrucks and rescue personnel were stationed along the street to help get balls of out the crowds, put out fires, and treat people who got burned. 

 If you play with fire, you're bound to get burned 

While none of us ended up like this guy, it doesn't mean we didn't get into the action:

Here are some more videos and pics so you can get a better sense of the experience.  Words don’t do it justice:

But as the night when on the rules started to relax, so we we decided to take our leave. Truth be told, it was one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve had in some time. But it was also a case study in how playing with fire, however fun, can have serious consequences.

Sopa de Pata

Rafa invited me last Sunday to join him and his cousin Rafael at the birthday party of one of his good friends, Sampoña, in San Marcos, a town bordering San Salvador. It was a raucous, musical and joyful occasion.

Soon after arriving we were served sopa de pata, or “foot soup”. Sopa de pata was like a cousin of the pilgrims’ “stone soup”, where pretty much everything gets thrown in to the mix: yucca (a tuber), plantains, potatoes, veggies and lots of spices. Of course, the principal ingredient is “la pata”, or the foot of a cow, (I looked up the recipe online and the first ingredient was “two whole feet”) with a healthy dosage of tripe as well. Throw in a little hot pepper and some lime and it was delicious. The soup was accompanied by plenty of Pilsener beer.

Rafael, Sampoña and Rafa

 

Sampoña and me

Sampoña’s real name is Francisco, but his nickname is the name of an Andean pan flute. He earned this moniker because of his work with indigenous peoples, and because of his many musical talents, including playing the sampoña. In fact, his entire family seemed to be musically inclined, and live music permeated the air of the party for hours on end. People swapped guitars, flutes and other instruments, and joined in with full-throated choruses. The family even had what I would call the El El Salvadoran equivalent of Tony Bennett – a cousin of Sampoña and a real crooner. The music varied from traditional El Salvadoran music, to American rock to protest songs of the El Salvadoran revolution.

The rule in the house seemed to be that everyone should share their talents, so when I told Sampoña that I sing he insisted that I join in. We tried to find some songs that everyone had in common – a couple of Beatles songs, Hotel California, and a couple others, but we couldn’t find one that everyone knew the words to. But eventually Rafa, Rafael, Sampoña and I did a set of Pearl Jam songs. It was pretty much lost on the older generation, but the younger crowd really appreciated the renditions of “Alive”, “Jeremy”, and “Daughter”.

Later, when the rain forced the party inside, the festival of music continued:

When Rafa, Rafael and I finally took our leave, the guys took me up to a hot spot on a ridge overlooking San Marcos and San Salvador. There were bars, restaurants, and shops with knick-knacks for sale. We settled down into a bar and had a round of pupusas, which are one of God’s greatest culinary gifts to man.

Humble looking, but ooh so good

I had had pupusas before in Washington, DC – easy to find on many a street corner due to DC’s substantial Salvadoran population – but nothing like this. Like the ones my host mother makes these tortillas stuffed with beans, cheese, veggies and other possible ingredients just ooze with flavor. Add a little salsa and some spicy veggie garnish, and they are hard to beat. Oh, not to mention that they cost just $0.25.

We talked politics and economics – to my great appreciation perhaps the most popular topic of conversation in El Salvador – while overlooking the city. Of note, the mountain we were looking out over was the base of the FMLN’s final attack on San Salvador, which led to the peace accords in 1992. The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) is the former leftist resistance group which fought against the El Salvadoran government from the late ‘70s to early ‘90s. It became an opposition political party in 1992 after peace accords, and is one of the world’s most successful examples of an armed opposition group turned political party. They laid down their arms and have used politics to advocate for their constituencies for the past 17 years. Reaching outside of their party to select a candidate, the FMLN now has their first favorable candidate in Mauricio Funes, who seems to pretty popular across the board with over 70% approval ratings (though he just took office in June). As I mentioned, politics is a huge topic of conversation here. At the same time, it is like an onion with a lot of layers to peel off. More on politics in future posts.