About Us
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.
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Environmental Brigades volunteers work with rural families and community leaders to improve environmental sustainability and livelihood. During the brigade, volunteers utilize household surveys conducted by Global Brigades staff and face-to-face discussions to connect with the community members and understand their environmental needs, and work alongside them to implement solutions to reforest, farm sustainably, and better manage both inorganic and organic wastes. The planting of native tree species restores the biodiversity and nutrient-cycling directly on the families’ land. By creating and utilizing organic fertilizers and natural pesticides, as well as diversifying the number and placement of agricultural plants, soil nutrients are improved while erosion is minimized. Agricultural yields can be increased without dramatically altering the lifestyle of the rural farmers, while in the meantime, the cost of sustaining the farm can be lessened by breaking away from petrochemical fertilizers. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to educate community members on the hazards of waste burning, as well as the environmental and health benefits of setting up composting along with other waste diversion methods.
Microfinance Brigade volunteers work with community bank loan officers to consult potential borrowers on improving financial sustainability through a 7 day Microfinance Brigade in Honduras. Student volunteers can either join an existing Microfinance Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers. Volunteers provide rural communities with the educational, financial, and organizational resources necessary to sustainably drive their own economic development. By partnering with other international organizations in microfinance, Microfinance Brigades provides the financial backing and technical support to create and strengthen independent community banks.
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.
Water Brigade volunteers implement water systems to prevent communicable illnesses in communities through 7 day Water Brigades in Honduras or Ghana. Student volunteers can either join an existing Water Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers. Our in-country team members work with water technicians and community leaders to design large scale water systems for the entire community. Once the water system is designed, volunteers work side-by-side with community members to implement the water system and provide education and training to proliferate knowledge about proper water use, and proper sanitation and hygiene practices.
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.
Public Health Brigade volunteers empower under resourced communities in the developing world to decrease life threatening diseases by improving home infrastructure and providing public health education through a 7 day Public Health Brigade in Honduras and Panama. Student volunteers can either join an existing Public Health Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers. Working side-by-side with community members, volunteers improve the overall infrastructure within the home through the construction of four projects: eco-stoves, latrines, water storage units and concrete floors. The four projects were chosen based on observations of medical brigade patient records.
Architecture Brigade volunteers design and construct schools for communities through a 7 day Architecture Brigade in Honduras. Once a University Chapter expresses their interest, they will be provided with a brief on an upcoming design contest. Chapters than have a limited time to submit their school design into a contest against other university chapters. The community then selects the design(s) that best fit their needs. For the construction of the school, all participating chapters, along with any chapters that just want to construct and not design, come together to help build. Student volunteers can get involved with an upcoming Architecture Brigade by joining a local student chapter on their college campus or creating a new chapter and recruiting a group of students.
Activities for Alumni Brigaders
Dental Brigade volunteers have the opportunity to shadow licensed dentists in urgent and preventive dental services in communities with limited access to healthcare through a one week Dental Brigade in Honduras, Panama, or Ghana. Student volunteers can either join an existing Dental Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers to go on a brigade. In conjunction with our program, Medical Brigades, over 80 groups of passionate volunteers systematically travel to Central America to establish mobile dental clinics in over 80 of our community partners. Each of our community partners receives a brigade every 3 to 4 months where hundreds of patients are treated with fillings, cleanings and extractions, and are given dental hygiene workshops.
Medical Brigade volunteers have the opportunity to shadow licensed doctors in medical consultations and assist in a pharmacy under the direction of licensed pharmacists through a one week Medical Brigade in Honduras, Panama, or Ghana. Student volunteers can either join an existing Medical Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers. Each of our partner community receives a brigade every 3 to 4 months where hundreds of patients are treated and volunteers deliver public health workshops. Between brigades our in-country team maintains relationships with the communities to provide follow-up and to conduct Community Health Worker (CHW) trainings to empower local leaders to sustain a consistent level of healthcare.
