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P.O.P.

CONTENT

REPUBLIC OF PANAMA CULTURAL BACKGROUNDTRAVEL

Passport, Visas, Health Precautions

Insurance, Pack your Bags

Food and Accommodations, Upon your Arrival

RULES

TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

GENERAL ITINERARY

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND (CIF)

PROJECT INFORMATION

Project Profile

Important Information

Images

PARTNERS INFORMATION

CONTACT INFO

PAGE No.

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Also visit:

Our Online Knowledge Center: http://globalbrigades.wikidot.com/

Join our networks:
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Official Name: Republic of Panama.

Capital: Panama City

Nationality: Panamanian

Population: 3,410,676 (2010 est.)

Land Area: 29,340 sq mi (75,991 sq

Km)

Age Distribution (%): 0-14 years

37.0%, 15-59 years 56.3%, 60+ years

6.7%

Literacy Rate: 90%

Weather: The weather is tropical,

and uniform throughout the year.

The average temperature is 27C.

Panama is located in between Co-

lombia (W) and Costa Rica (E), bor-

dering the Caribbean Sea (N) and the

Pacific Ocean. (S)

Panama is a constitutional democra-

cy with an executive branch led by a

president who is elected to a 5-year

term, a unicameral legislature, and

judicial branch. The country is divi-

ded into 9 provinces and 4 territo-

ries called comarcas. Panama has a

rapidly developing economy butsuffers from a weak, non-

transparent judiciary. Outside the

Panama City area, which has many

first-class hotels and restaurants,

tourist facilities vary in quality. The

U.S. dollar is the paper currency of

Panama, and is also referred to as

the Panama Balboa. Panama mints

its own coinage.

GENERAL COUNTRY INFORMATION

vernment. Known for their tenacity and ingenuity, they enjoy one of the

greatest degrees of political autonomy of any indigenous group in Latin Ame-

rica.

There are 9 provinces and 7 indige-

nous communities (distributed in 4

comarcas)

Comarcas are indigenous reserves

where 7 indigenous groups in Pana-

ma reside. The 7 indigenous groups

are: Kuna, Ngbe, Bugl, Ember,

Wounaan, Bri Bri and Naso.

The comarca de Kuna Yala, better

known as San Blas by foreigners, is

home to the Kuna. They run the

islands of San Blas with minimal

interference from the national go-

POLITICAL DIVISION

P.O.P.

Panamas National Flower: Holly

Spirit Flower (notice inside it

looks like it has a dove)

The Pollera is Panamas

National Dress. The Montuno is

Panamas National Males outfit.

Red Color stands for the blood of our

leaders who fought for the independ-

ence.The red star stands for the lib-

eral party.The blue color stands for

the seas we have. The blue star

stands for the conservative party.


4/17

zens in Panama. In his statement,

Bush claimed that Noriega had de-

clared that a state of war existed

between the United States and Pa-

nama and that he also threatenedthe lives of the approximately

35,000 US citizens living there. There

had been numerous clashes be-

tween U.S. and Panamanian forces;

one US Marine had been killed a few

days earlier and several incidents of

harassment of US citizens had taken

place.

- Defending democracy and human

rights in Panama.

The official United States justifica-

tion for the invasion was articulated

by President George H. W. Bush on

the morning of December 20, 1989,

a few hours after the start of the

operation. President Bush listed four

reasons for the invasion:

- Safeguarding the lives of U.S. citi-

- Combating drug trafficking. Pa-

nama had become a center for drug

money laundering and a transit

point for drug trafficking to the

United States and Europe.- Protecting the integrity of the

Torrijos-Carter Treaties. Members

of Congress and others in the U.S.

political establishment claimed that

Noriega threatened the neutrality of

the Panama Canal and that the

United States had the right under

the treaties to intervene militarily to

protect the Panama canal.

LA INVASIN - DECEMBER 20TH, 1989

crime in the country. In Colon, un-

employment is estimated to be 50%

among youth between the ages of

15 to 25.

The poorest group of people is the

indigenous native people, who make

up only 8% of the population. This

minority group lives in remote areas

of the country where access to edu-

cation and health care is limited.

About 17% of the overall population

is undernourished and almost half of

all Panamanian children are poor.

Overall, 7.4% of the population is

living on less than $1 a day.

According to Transparency Interna-

tionals Corruption Perceptions In-

dex, Panama is ranked 84 out of 163

countries.

Major Exports include: Banana,

shrimp, sugar and coffee.

Panama has the second most un-

equal income distribution in Latin

America.

About 30% of the population lives in

poverty, primarily concentrated in

rural areas. The wealthiest 20% of

Panamanians control more than 50%

of the country's wealth, while the

poorest 40% only control 12%.

Colon, Panamas second largest city,

has the highest rates of poverty and

GOOD TO KNOW FACTS

Panamas Shield or Armors

P.O.P.

Panamas National Bird

The Harpy Eagle

TheDirty Devils

(Diablicos Sucios)


5/17

Key Events in PanamaYEAR HIGHLIGHT

1821Panama becomes independent of Spain, but joins the confederacy of Gran Colombia, which also comprises Co-

lombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

1830 Panama becomes part of Colombia following the collapse of Gran Colombia.

1846 Panama signs treaty with US allowing it to build a railway across the isthmus.

1903Panama splits from Colombia and becomes fully independent. US buys rights to build Panama Canal and is given

control of the Canal Zone in perpetuity.

1914 Panama Canal completed.

1939 Panama ceases to be a US protectorate.

1968-81 General Omar Torrijos Herrera, the National Guard chief, overthrows the elected president and imposes a dicta-torship.

1981 Torrijos dies in plane crash.

1983

Former intelligence chief and one-time US Central Intelligence Agency informant Manuel Noriega becomes

head of the National Guard, builds up the size of the force, which he renames the Panama Defense Forces, and

greatly increases its power over Panama's political and economic life.

1988 US charges Noriega with drug smuggling; Noriega declares state of emergency in the wake of a failed coup.

1989

Opposition wins parliamentary elections, but Noriega declares results invalid. Noriega declares "state of war" in

the face of increased threats by Washington. US invades Panama, ousts Noriega and replaces him with Gui-

llermo Endara.

1991 Parliament approves constitutional reforms, including abolition of standing army; privatisation begins.

1992US court finds Noriega guilty of drug offences and sentences him to 40 years imprisonment, to be served in a US

prison.1999 Mireya Moscoso becomes Panama's first woman president.

1999Panama takes full control of the Panama Canal, ending nearly a century of American jurisdiction over one of the

world's most strategic waterways.

2004 Panama Canal earns record revenues of $1 billion for the financial year.

2006Voters in a referendum back a $5.2bn plan to upgrade the Panama Canal. The scheme aims to double the capac-

ity of the waterway.

2006 Panama and the US agree on a free trade deal.

2007 Work to widen Panama Canal begins.

2009A US federal appeals court says Panama's ex-leader, Manuel Noriega, can be extradited to France. Noriega was

released from a Florida prison in September 2008 after serving a 17-year sentence for drug trafficking.

Source: BBC News

P.O.P.


6/17

P.O.P.

Although the security situation is

stable, Brigade members should

exercise caution due to high

crime rates. As in most large cit-

ies, brigade members should

take precautions against theft,

stick to well-traveled areas and

be alert to pickpockets. Do not

display unnecessary signs of af-

fluence or carry large of sums of

cash, and be aware of your sur-

roundings when using ATMs in

public areas. Demonstrations and

protest marches over various

social and political issues occa-

sionally occur in Panama City,

especially near the state univer-

sity, and on main streets and

highways. Brigades are always

accompanied by local guides and

we advise members to stick to-

gether while exploring the city.

For the latest security informa-

tion, U.S. citizens traveling abro-

ad should regularly monitor the

Department of State's Bureau of

Consular Affairs' website, which

contains current the Travel War-

nings and Travel Alerts.

PANAMA IS VERY SAFE COMPARED TOOTHER CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES

vice on vaccinations and health

precautions before leaving thestates. If you have a medical con-

dition, you should also share

your travel plans with any doc-

tors you are currently seeing for

other medical reasons.

You should always check with

your personal physician for ad-

Vaccines our volunteers need:

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Tetanus

Typhoid

Malaria

Every volunteer should obtain Typ-

hoid and oral Malaria vaccines.

Hepatitis A, B, and tetanus

passport. Leave one copy with a

trusted individual at your univer-

sity (i.e. an advisor) so that it can

be faxed to you in case you lose

the original. Stash one copy in

your wallet and have it on you at

all times.

If you have a US Passport you

don't need a Visa. If you dont,

please visit the following website

t o m a k e s u r e y o u

have the correct visa:

www.embassyofpanama.org/

cms/immigration3.php

You need an

u p - t o - d a t e

passport (at

least six

m o n t h s

valid ) to

travel to Pa-nama check

the expiration

date! Before leaving, make two

copies of the inside page of your

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS

PASSPORTS & VISAS

Ave. Balboa, Panama City

CARRYACOPY OFYOURPASSPORT

WITHYOUEVERYTIMEWEMOVEFROM

PLACETOPLACE.

Dengue mosquito

DON TFORGETYOURMOSQUITO REPELENT

(DEET> 30%)
http://travel.state.gov/http://travel.state.gov/http://travel.state.gov/http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.htmlhttp://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.htmlhttp://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.htmlhttp://www.embassyofpanama.org/cms/immigration3.phphttp://www.embassyofpanama.org/cms/immigration3.phphttp://www.embassyofpanama.org/cms/immigration3.phphttp://www.embassyofpanama.org/cms/immigration3.phphttp://www.embassyofpanama.org/cms/immigration3.phphttp://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.htmlhttp://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.htmlhttp://travel.state.gov/http://travel.state.gov/


7/17

Passport (Original & 2 copies)

Other important documents (e.g.

Visasif needed)

Spending money ($200 should beplenty)

Bug spray (>30% deet)

Sleeping bag, blanket & flashlight.

Light rainy jackets

Lightweight pants, light sweatshirt

Hat, sunglasses, sun block

Pack light, yet remember the

essentials.

Shorts & t-shirts

Camera/ Video camera

Water bottleShower sandals, towel, toiletries

Swim suit (Its a must!)

Closed-toed shoes (sneakers)

Pen and notebook

Long-sleeves shirt & below-the-knee pants for Indigenous Meetings

(if applicable).

PACK YOUR BAGS!

while on their Brigade. GB Travel

will handle the arrangements for

this policy for all Brigaders. Tra-

vel insurance is over and above

the price of the air ticket and is

non-refundable once paid.

Insurance Cost: $35 per person

Coverage:

$25,000 Emergency Medical/

Dental Coverage

$100,000 Emergency Medical

Transportation

24-hour Hotline Assistance

It is mandatory that all travelers

purchase travel insurance that

includes coverage for medical

attention and medical evacuation

INSURANCE

vaccinations should already have

been received if attending school

in the U.S., however some mayneed these as well.

If you need HEP A and HEP B,

they are given in doses that are

months apart, so you will need as

much time as possible to comple-

te these. However, if only one ortwo doses are received before

departure for Panama, this is

okay, and they should receive the

final dose(s) upon return to the

U.S. Vaccinations can usually be

obtained at the university health

clinic, through each volunteers

personal health care provider, or

through a travel clinic.

For more information about ne-

cessary vaccinations, please see

t h e C D C ' s w e b s i t e :

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/panama.aspx

P.O.P.

GLOBAL BRIGADES MAINTAINS AN

EMERGENCY PLAN FOR EACH BRIGADE,

MEANING ACCESS TO A LOCAL CLINIC,

HOSPITAL AND AVAILABLE PHYSICIAN IS

SECURED PRIOR TO CONFIRMING A

PROJECTSITE.

Contact your travel advisor for the lost baggage policy.
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/panama.aspxhttp://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/panama.aspxhttp://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/panama.aspxhttp://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/panama.aspxhttp://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/panama.aspx


8/17

Panama is hot,humid, and

wet. When onc o m m u n i t yvisits, what-ever you wear

may get wet, muddy, and dirtyso dont bring your favorite

jeans.

In the city youll want to look

presentable, but there is no needfor high heels, expensive jewelry,or formal clothes.

Leave hair dryers and most majorelectronics (iPods are O.K.) at

home.

Try to pack light. A large back-

pack or duffle bag should provide

plenty of room for everything

that you need to bring.

We may be moving back and

forth daily between your accom-

modations and the project site,

so you may want to bring a small

backpack for day trips.

Medicine: keep them in their

original prescription bottles and

always in your carry-on luggage.

Be sure to follow security guide-

lines, if the medicines are liquids.

Bring some plastic zip-lock bags

to keep your personal belong-

ings (e.g. camera, wallet) dry.

Leave some room in your bag to

bring presents home!

while in Panama.

Most U.S. cellular phones do notwork in Panama unless an interna-

tional phone plan is pre-arranged.

All transportation and lodging is pro-

vided. Global Brigades ensures that

you are taken to and from lodging,

projects sites and any other brigade

activities conveniently and safely.

There will always be at least one and

Make sure you keep your passport

and other important documents in a

ziplock bag and in a secured place.

Your emergency contact will be noti-

fied by email of your safe arrival in

Panama.

Every student will receive an wallet-

sized card with emergency contact

numbers and accommodations ad-

dresses of the hostel to keep you on

generally two adult advisors on each

brigade. A trained Global Brigades

Coordinator will lead the week-longbrigade, as well as a trained logistics

coordinator.

Water is potable in Panama City, and

Brigaders will always have access to

safe drinking water during communi-

ty visits.

Panamanian food (e.i. rice, chicken,

vegetables) will be served. If you

have any special needs (i.e. vegeta-

rian or allergies), please notify a Bri-

gade staff as soon as possible.

While in the city, brigaders will be

staying at Hostal Doa Victoria, loca-ted in Cerro Campana, 45 minutes

away from the center of the city.

Tel.: +507 6618-8370

While in the community, the brigade

will be staying at local accommoda-

tions, like the communitys school

or another safe place to sleep and

keep the personal belongings. All

accommodations are pre-checked

for safety, cleanliness, amenities,

access to project site and emergency

needs.

While in the city, lunches/dinners

will be either prepared, ordered in

or in a restaurant type setting. While

in the rural community, traditional

UPON YOUR ARRIVAL

FOOD & ACCOMMODATIONS

P.O.P.

PACKING TIPS

SMALLBACKPACKSORHANDBAGSCOME

HANDY WHEN MOVING AROUND WITH

VALUABLEBELONGINGSORESSENTIALS.
http://www.tsa.gov/http://www.tsa.gov/http://www.tsa.gov/http://www.tsa.gov/


9/17

Every brigade will be assigned a bri-gade coordinator and interpreter.

GB staff has been previously trained

to carry-out brigades according to

their specific roles and responsibili-

ties.

Reach out to your Brigade Coordina-

tor for itinerary, workshops, food/

medication allergies and overall bri-

gade issues.

Reach out to your interpreter for

cultural sensitivity and language

issues.

Time at the community will go faster

than you think!

It is of utmost importance that the

brigade handles time efficiently and

wisely. Debrief sessions during the

night can and will extend for many

hours. Take advantage of this free

time to prepare and to get together

for your workshops.

Be considerate to your team and the

community members; everyone's

punctuality is requested. Even when

the locals do not share this best

interpreters)

RESPECT Show respect for their cul-

ture and language. Ask yourself, "How

would I feel if I were in their shoes?"

NAMES Learn how to pronounce

names correctly (even if it is in dia-

lect). Their name is as important to

them as yours is to you.

FEELINGS Be sensitive to their feelings

about their homeland. Developing

nations are not as poor, backward or

uneducated as it sometimes assumed.

Working with rural communities in

Panama can be a challenge. This is

not because they are unwilling to

cooperate, but it more so because oftheir cultural tradition. Fortunately,

this is not a huge obstacle.

Here are a few pointers to follow in

order to be culturally sensitive.

INITIATIVE Take the initiative to

make contact with the community,

even if language is a problem at first.

(Remember you will count with a

AUTHENTICITY Be yourself. Show

our interest & that you care about

them as people and are here to

learn and help.

LISTEN Take time to listen. You will

be amazed by the reasons behind

many of their decisions.

Panama is a tropical-rainforest coun-

try, this means we have many differ-

ent species of animals anywhere

you go. Regardless of if youre in the

countryside, the jungle or on an is-

land, DO NOT walk around by your-

self without letting anyone know

especially at night.

Snakes like to go out at night and

they are not necessarily the friendly

ones.

Always stay with the group. It is im-

portant that we stick together so

that we avoid having anyone get lost

this includes city or country side. If

were all together, its safer.

While at the city tour, inform your

coordinator if you are separating

from the group to go the bathroom.

It is completely prohibited to drink

alcohol while in the community. We

do not want to have any issue or an

uncomfortable moment. We cant

control situations when alcohol is

involved and this can cause irreversi-

ble damage to the relationship our

organization has with our partners,

schools, brigaders and community

members.

Carrying liquor with you during the

brigade is prohibited.

P.O.P.

TOP OF MIND

FOLLOW THE ALCOHOL POLICY BE CAUTIOUS

REMEMBER: CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

STICK IN GROUP

REACH OUT TO LEADERSHIP HANDLE YOUR TIME

Brigaders! Your are just a few months

away from living this gratifying and

adventurous experience! Here are a

few ground rules for you to always

keep in mind.


10/17

There are many things you can do to

prepare for your brigade! You will

stay in the community for 5 days and

you will need to handle your time

efficiently to have as much impact aspossible with your workshops.

Here are a few things your brigade

could do:

Read the previous Law Brigades Re-

ports to get a sense of how a brigade

flows and what techniques, work-

shops, and approaches other groups

have adopted in the past that could

be useful in Panama.

Read the pre-brigade documenta-

tion thoroughly, including workshop

templates, and how you and the

club can creatively engage the com-

munity (role-playing, community

presentations, etc).

Click hereto see past projects!

Research on methods, techniques or

models that could be applied to the

project you have been assigned.

Research the partner you will be

working with, so you can understand

how their work are how can we sup-

port them.

Research on Panamas Economic-

social and political history so you can

gain a sense of the country s current

situation.

Listen to the community members and ask

them questions! Don't take any informa-

tion for granted and test your assumptions.

Gather as much information to gain a bet-

ter understanding of what they already

know and want to know. You will be sur-

prised to find the community's true objec-

tive. Maybe their priority is to preserve

their culture instead of increasing their

profit.

Second Topic: The Program Lead

and Advisor will host this call to dis-

cuss the project assigned to your

chapter.

Third Topic: The program Lead and

Advisor will host a second confer-

ence call to answer more questions

about the assigned project and to

prepare the group for the Capacity

Building Workshops.

Fourth Topic: Logistics Lead and

Advisor will host this call to discuss

logistics details such as accommoda-

tions, water, bathrooms, food, and

transportation.

Attend all conference Calls hosted

by the Global Brigades Staff. Valu-

able information will be shared dur-

ing these calls that you will later

need during the brigade.

GB Staff will cover four main topics

via conference calls with the brigad-

ers.

First Topic: Our advising team will

host conference calls with brigaders

to help start the club and prepare

everyone for the brigade.

KEEP THIS IN MIND DURING THE BRIGADE!

INFO SESSIONS & CONFERENCE CALLS

P.O.P.

PREPARING FOR YOUR PROJECT

TEST ALL ASSUMPTIONS

Instead of conducting a question-

naire or survey, have an informal

and comfortable conversation.

Language may be a barrier, how-

ever, you have interpreters to help

you! Body language is commonly

understood, regardless of the lan-

guage you speak.

HAVE A CONVERSATION

Contact and keep in touch with

ex-brigaders so you can expand

your understanding. Having con-versations with ex-brigaders is a

great idea. Also, frequently visit

our Global Brigades Facebook

Page to get the latest updates

and links to other brigaders.

Building rapport with the locals. They will

share more information with you and you

will better understand their needs.
http://globalbrigades.wikidot.com/glb:past-projectshttp://globalbrigades.wikidot.com/glb:past-projectshttp://globalbrigades.wikidot.com/glb:past-projects


11/17

time during the brigade.

There will be one pick-up and one

drop-off at the airport. Always re-

main as a group when at the airport

so GB Staff can easily find everyone.

The best time to work on your Pro-

ject Report is right after returning

from the community. We will provi-

de your group with a template for

Global Brigades will provide trans-

portation throughout the entire bri-

gade.

Punctuality is esssential. We will

loose valuable time if we wait just

for one person.

We encourgade brigaders to come

prepared from their origin country

so they can make the best use of

you to start taking notes and for

keeping track of each days activities

and workshops.

During your time in the city, it is ex-

tremely important that everyone

stays together. If at any time, you

need to separate yourself from the

group, please inform your brigade

coordinator.

NOTE: All Itineraries are subject to last minute changes.

Every brigade will have its own itine-

rary. Itineraries are created taking

into consideration the three keyelements of every brigade.

Legal Capacity Building: You will use

this precious time to interview the

members to get a good grasp of the

community and identify the best

ways to approach and address their

legal need. A powerful way of impro-

ving their legal knowledge is through

workshops delivered to the commu-

nity that have been tailored to their

needs and level of understanding. A

great part of the time at the commu-

nity will be focused on planning,preparing and delivering the works-

hops, in order to ensure the brigade

leaves the how to behind.

Cultural Exchange: The community

will organize cultural activities at site

that will show brigaders their way of

life. Students will work together with

the community on seeding, planting

and harvesting

Community Investment Fund: Stu-

dents and Staff will use their time in

the community to observe and inter-view the members to discover the

priorities of the project and the

community. Students, Staff and the

community will meet up to present

their decision for using the Commu-

nity Investment Fund in a sustaina-

ble and economically beneficial way.

P.O.P.

WHAT A GENERAL ITINERARY LOOKS LIKE

IMPORTANT


12/17

For EVERY program donation that a

brigader contributes, $100 will be

invested directly into the project asthe Community Investment Fund

(CIF).

The purpose of this fund is to use it

for paying legal paperwork, govern-

mental fees, notary fees and any

other legal expense needed to suc-

cessfully address the communitys

legal need.

The CIF is not a donation. It is an

investment.

In the brigade, the community along

with the Brigade will be in charge of

identifying what are the costs andfees requested to complete the pro-

ject.

Please remember the following:

CIF cant be allocated as cash

under no circumstances, in-

stead, fees or paperwork will

always be administered by GB

Staff once the brigade is gone.

For other Programs, such as

Business Brigades, in which they

have to deliver materials or equipment

to the community, our CIF Lead, Oscar

Valencia, will take care of doing the CIFpurchases and sending/taking it to the

community after the brigade is gone.

The CIF can only be used in tangibles

that will contribute to the success of

the communitys need.

the end of the year. This fund will be

used to support the project and edu-

cation of those members who have

shown the most dedication and par-

ticipation during capacity building

workshops and have thoughtfully

made use of the investment.

All projects are assign to clubs de-

pending in the amount of invest-

ment needed to complete them. In

the event that after everything has

been payed and there are still funds

available, the leftover will be allo-

cated into a fund that will be used at

It will serve as an incentive for those

members to keep up the good work

and effort. Since in many cases left-

overs are just a few dollars it may

take some time to really get a good

amount to invest in that community.

Most of our projects includes paying

some fees & and other legal costs.

This is one of the main reasons of

why most of this communities cant

accomplish them.

Once the brigade has departed to

their country of origin, Law Brigadeswill start programming with the

Local Lawyer Staff Member in charge

of the project, all the costs for com-

pleting the project.

Once the project is assigned to a Law

Brigades Local Lawyer, brigaders will

be notified by GB Staff.

The project will be assign within 60

days after the brigade.

LEGAL PAPERWORK: REGISTRY & NOTARY FEES

P.O.P.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND

REGISTRY FEESNOTARY FEES

LEFTOVER FUNDS


13/17

by offering a variety of products to

the market, they might get better

prices, more costumers, and of

course more profit, gathering all

these over production and selling it

as a whole.

They are also aware of the impor-

tance of having a savings culture

among their farms, families, and

communities, and that is why their

goal is to get their Coop status to

help not only their farms and fami-

lies, but the whole region.

These farms are focused on agri-

culture.

Most of these farms have identi-

fied a market where to sell their

over production, but it is not as

enough production to let them getprofit from it. It is basically trying

to get some cash out of what they

would not consume.

And this is almost the same situa-

tion for the other farms of the

region. But the real solution they

had identified is that, even though

is not that enough of production,

The group of auto-sustainable farms that we are going to

be working with is supported by Patronato de Nutricin.

Its a group of farmers from the Veraguas Regional Asso-

ciation of Patronato Farms, that have been working for

years now, but never been able to join efforts to take their

farms to the next level. They had decided to establish a

Coop that can revamp their efforts, and that will let them

work together, as a group. By doing so, they will let them

pass from consumption to actually growing for profit, with

a variety of products, instead of one or two. By doing so,

they will be able to access new markets and costumers,

letting them improve their quality of life.

PROJECT PROFILE

PROVINCE:

COMMUNITY:

TRAVEL TIME FROM PANAMA CITY:

PARTNER ORGANIZATION:

P.O.P.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Veraguas

Calobre

4 1/2 hours

Patronato de Nutricin

Panama City

Calobre

Legal Capacity Building

* Requirements for setting up a Coop

Importance and How to Run a Coop

Building up the Coop Statute

Best practices & recommendations

of Coop administration

Investment Suggestions

Paperwork

Feasibility Plan of the Group

Bank Account

Capital Seed

RICE FIELDS

CURRENT SITUATION WHERE COULD YOU HELP?


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Many farms across Panama are dedi-

cated to produce as many products

as their families need to be fed.Most common products are Yucca,

Yam, Coffee, Rice, Citrics, Corn, and

in some occasions chicks, pigs or

tilapias. However, food to grow

chicken has increased to an extend it

is no longer that profitable to have

chickens for sale. Remember this

farms where created to feed families

with huge hunger problems, so they

are their food source. But with the

time, farmers have managed togrow crops really well, and over pro-

duce so that they could get some

income to buy other things they

might need. As they get more ex-

perienced and better on the growing

techniques, they are able to makesome profit out of it, but still not at a

level to make a big impact on their

economy. Since they dont have any

access to credit, loans or economic

resources, they are stuck in this vi-

cious circle, leading them to leave

their farms to go get a job in the city

or for bigger companies, and not

letting their communities to grow

and improve their quality of life.

Due to these factors many organiza-tions, such as Patronato de Nu-

tricin, have been helping out farm-

ers to get portions of land on their

own communities, and helping them

out to form up farm associations,that will receive from the Patronato

all the know-how on what is the best

product to grow, depending on their

soil, what are the best techniques to

grow their products, how to better

treat their land, and even donations

of fertilizers, chicks or equipment.

Of course, farmers must show first

the will to fight the communitys

hunger problems, show work ethic,

maintenance of the farm, planting,harvesting, processing, and prepar-

ing the land for replanting.

P.O.P.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Tilapia Fish Pool

Beans crop

Sacs of recently harvested rice

Chicks


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http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=15234101&id=554940346


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Patronato de Nutricin is non-profit

organization that supports farmers

with the tools and capacity building

they need in order to work their

land. Patronatos main objective is

to fight against poverty and in result

against malnutrition in our mostsensitive population. This organiza-

tion is formed by civic guilds. This

they do by investing big amounts of

money in hardware supplies and

manpower so that farmers can "built

up" all the infrastructure they need

for a prosperous farm (ponds, the

land where they plant the crops,

proper irrigation systems, etc.) The

land is bought by Patronato to the

farmers at the very beginning. Then

they invest on it and the farmers

work it and basically gain a living by

selling the crops. Little by little, the

farmers are able to pay back to Pa-

tronato for the land (usually after 5-10 years). Farmers eventually regis-

ter it under the name of an Associa-

tion (acquiring legal status and ow-

nership of the land) and by this time

they have already grown a prospe-

rous sustainable farm on their own.

This status also allows farms to apply

for grants, micro-credit and get

sponsorships. Patronato now has

over 320 farms.

The farms are an extension from five to 20 hectares, inten-

ded for the cultivation of food, that provide macro and micro

nutrients necessary to keep a good nutritional condition of

the participating population. For its integral and diversifica-

tion feature of the population, it is considered the production

of cereals, leguminous, vegetables, tubers, among others;

breeding of penned animals, using the natural resources in a

rational manner, protecting the environment and practicing a

good administration (management control) of the financial

resources with the purpose of obtaining self-supply and sus-

tainability of the project, generating surplus of the produc-

tion for its commercialization.

The exploitation of the farm is made in a collective and orga-

nized manner; in average, about 9 families per farm partici-

pate.

SELF-SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION FARMS

P.O.P.

PATRONATO DE NUTRICIN

To consolidate farm associations with technical-management

capacity, owning the means of production and that it be a

legal entity, that help them venture into the trading of their

production with less disadvantages, in a market, every day

more competitive, and with an efficient production, intended

to the consumption of participating families, and making

emphasis on the 9 sensitive items, in a period of 7 years.

GOAL


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GB Panama Staff

Gabriela Valencia, GB Operations Manager [email protected]

507.60438396 / 507.2144804

Roberto Del Busto, GB Transportation Manager [email protected]

507.66752675

Carlos Saldaa, Law Brigades Panama Lead [email protected]

507.60708876

GB Home Team (For Emergency Use Only)

Michelle Menclewicz, GB Director of Student Affairs [email protected]

949.290.0986

Danielle Starry, GB Travel Director [email protected]

330.605.3576

Catherine Berman, GB Co-founder/CEO [email protected]

310.806.0204

Global Brigades (GB) is the worlds largest student-led international devel-opment organization. As a secular, 501c3 nonprofit organization, we em-

power university students and young professionals nation-wide to provide

communities in developing countries with sustainable solutions that im-

prove quality of life while respecting local culture and improving the envi-

ronment.

Global Brigades, Inc.

PO Box: 712219

Los Angeles, CA 90071

www.globalbrigades.org

UCI GLB POP

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