El Salvador

Along the highway from the El Salvador International Airport into San Salvador, billboards dot the landscape. The one that stood out most to me was one addressed to all Salvadorians by the newly elected government: “Unir, Crecer y Incluir” or in English, “Unite, Grow, Include”. There is no more succinct message than that for a country that has emerged from a destructive civil war no more than 20 years prior, has experienced rapid economic growth, and has the vision of the growth being inclusive and promoting greater equality rather than widening the income inequality gap as rapid economic growth sometimes does.

These three words on the billboard very much reflected the culture of El Salvador I experienced firsthand over the next few days. Salvadorians are always working; working long hours, working conscientiously and diligently, working to plan ahead for tomorrow. And yet, nearly every Salvadorian I met was in a cheerful, upbeat mood; it was rare for a Salvadorian to not be smiling or laughing 10 minutes into any conversation.  I thought to myself that these people must love working so much that they couldn’t be happier doing anything else. But it turns out, that work is only part of how they identify themselves. They have rich family and community lives in which they engage when they are not working. As well, the country has a vibrant artisan side, with colorfully painted wood furniture and paintings that apart from being aesthetically pleasing also have deep symbolism and folkloric meaning.

While it is only government that can implement the right policies that can facilitate a good business and investment climate; it is only the private sector, and the actions of entrepreneurs that can grow an economy. Sustainable, robust and inclusive economic growth comes from bottom up; it comes from individual business people entering market economies to provide customers with innovative and valuable products and services. It comes from businesses investing in the human capital of their workers. It comes from businesses thinking about how their strategy and practices align with that of the community, and how they can use their businesses to promote a better future for the whole country.

-Abby Noble
Pioneers of Prosperity