dispatches
20
Entrepreneurs intheHood
Anonprofit helps gangmembers go legit
panama city
S
amuelPalacio isdrippingwet,and
notonlybecauseofPanamaCity’s
oppressivemidmorningheat.Today is
thedayhe launcheshisnewbusiness,
a pedal-powered mobile minimart
calledDelivery del Casco, and there
is a lot at stake.
“I’m excited,”he says, standing on
a dusty side street in theCascoViejo
neighborhood.“Nervousandexcited.”
Nearby,adog flopsdown in the shade
ofapalm tree.Palaciosetsoff todeliver
a broom, a simple job that he hopes
will turnhis life around.
Until recently, Palacio, 23, was a
gang member, part of a brutal sub-
culture that has traumatized this city.
He has four bullet-size scars to show
for his troubles, andhe is no stranger
toPanama’s prison system.But,a few
months back,he got lucky.
“I heard of Esperanza when I
got out of jail,”he says, referring to
Esperanza San Felipe, a nonprofit
that helps former gangmembers set
upbusinesses.“Iwanted tobeabetter
person,overcomemypast,havea fam-
ily. I have a2-month-old childnow.”
EsperanzaSocialVentureClubwas
founded last year byMatt Landau, a
32-year-old real estate investor who
movedhere fromNew Jersey.“Iwasat
the funeralofan8-year-oldboywho’d
beenkilledbyastraybullet,”hesays.“I
just thought, ‘This has to stop.’”
So far, Esperanza (or “hope”) has
nine enterprises on its books, includ-
ingDeliverydelCasco,whichhas just
completed its first job.“A lothashap-
pened inmy life,”Palacio says,wiping
his brow. “I knew I needed to take a
stepback andmakebetter decisions.”
With this, he eases his cart into
a torrent of taxicabs, beaming like
amanwho has just won the lottery.
—KATIEMORELL
Blightseeing
In searchof the
world’s largest
burro—or so I thought
vancouver island
R
eggie (just Reggie) is a cabdriver
inPort Hardy, on the east coast
of Vancouver Island, apopular spot
forwhalewatchers, kayakers and
weekend adventurers. A localman
of indeterminate age, Reggiehas a
SantaClaus beard, wide suspenders
and aweathered cowboyhat. He is a
voluble storyteller and keeper of local
lore, andhis routes, asmanyout-of-
town fares havediscovered, canbe as
discursive as his conversation.
On a recent visit toPort Hardy,
I hiredReggie to takeme from the
airport tomyhotel. As soon aswe’d
set off, he asked if I hadmy camera
ready, aswewere going to stop for
a look at theworld’s largest burro. I
toldhim Iwas game, and I spent the
rest of the journey trying to imagine
how largeoneof these animals could
possiblybe. Eventually, wepulled
into a small lot in aheavily forested
area.We got out of the cab and stood
there, facing anoldbut otherwise
unremarkable tree.
“Well, what doyou think?” he said,
his face creasedby a craggy smile.
“Think aboutwhat?”
“That!” Hewas pointing at the
tree. The only animal in sight
was a squirrel.
We stood there for abit, saying
nothing. Finally, Reggiebroke the
silence: “You’re looking at theworld’s
largest burl!” And there itwas,
a tumor-like growthon the tree,
possiblynot theworld’s largest,
but a fair size.
“Oh,” I said.
“I thought you
saidburro.”
“I did!”
he cried,
startling the
squirrel. Thenhe
punchedmeon the
arm andheadedback to
his cab. “Gets ’em every
time!”
—JAMESDORSEY
