Global Brigades USA

Community Health Workers Externship

Global Brigades USA is the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. Our mission is to empower volunteers to facilitate sustainable solutions in under resourced communities while fostering local cultures. Since 2005, more than 5,000 volunteers from 110 university groups have traveled to implement our nine skill-based programs to benefit more than 100,000 Honduran and Panamanian community members.

4 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades Summer Internship

Business Brigades empowers rural communities in Panama, without access to financial services and business guidance, by providing micro-enterprise consulting, financial planning assistance and strategic investment. Those selected, will have the opportunity to gain an in-depth look into Global Brigades as a development organization, to work on program-specific projects, to use this experience and knowledge to fulfill a research project or senior thesis, and to complement academic studies with an unforgettable on the ground experience in-country.

1 Members of this chapter

Public Health Brigades Summer Special Project

Public Health Brigades works to develop sustainable health solutions and establish a standard of health quality with an emphasis on preventative methods and education, that will augment the other Global Brigades disciplines in Honduras. The Public Health Program achieves this by implementing in-home infrastructure improvements, providing health education and engaging community involvement. The Public Health Internship in Honduras will provide interns with an in depth look into public health issues in rural Honduras and a hands on experience working to solve problems within an in-depth project. They will work alongside the Public Health Brigades Program Team in Honduras on all aspects of the program; health and hygiene education, infrastructure development, and community involvement. Interns will experience how Public Health Brigades fits into Global Brigades’ holistic development model and see the challenges and successes of an international development organization firsthand.

10 Members of this chapter

Water Brigades Summer Special Project

Water brigades works to provide clean and sufficient water to under resourced communities through four ways: infrastructural development, water quality, community leader training, and education. The Water Brigades Internship in Honduras will provide interns with an in depth look into water issues in rural Honduras and a hands on experience working to solve problems within the sustainable water development project. They will work alongside the Water Brigades Program Team in Honduras on all aspects of a water project including community assessment, water quality and treatment, design and planning, infrastructural implementation, community organization, education, and project follow-up. Interns will experience how Water Brigades fits into Global Brigades’ holistic development model and see the challenges and successes of an international development organization firsthand.

13 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades Special Summer Projects

The Microfinance Program is designed to provide rural community members with a community banking system, know as Cajas Rurales in Honduras and Community Development Funds in Ghana, with access to loans, financial literacy programs and education to increase production and foster a culture of savings and growth. Currently the Microfinance Program in Honduras* is working with six rural community banks, which include ninety members, an agricultural and a basic grains store. There are two savings programs for children and all of the banks have Honduran legal status. The goal for the 2012 summer internship is to enrich the program’s current model and address current bank and financial needs within the communities. In Ghana, there are currently four Community Development Funds, with about 150-300 savers each, both adult and children accounts. There are a few community-led cooperative business projects also connected with the Fund as well as an educational scholarship program. The goal of the 2012 summer internships will be to support the development and refinement of the current Microfinance model and support its implementation through the various initiatives of the Development Funds in each community.

12 Members of this chapter