Guatemala
During the Public Health Brigades, groups work on the creation of a Community Health Action Plan which addresses large challenges of a community’s public health, and important infrastructure projects like eco-stoves, hygiene stations, and water filters. Ensuring that families have a clean environment to cook, safe drinking water, and proper, private sanitation. This all plays a role in the community’s health and well-being.
Public Health Brigade –
7-Day Sample Schedule
To develop an understanding of families’ health challenges, volunteers meet with the community’s Basic Sanitation Committee, which is the committee responsible for maintaining the community’s public health projects. For the remainder of the Brigade, volunteers will work with local technicians and members of the BSC to conduct household surveying, data analysis and presentation of their Community Health Action Plan to community members.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | ||
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up & Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Data Analysis & Draft Community Action Plan | Transport to Community | |
| 9:00am | Basic Sanitation Committee Meeting | Household Surveying | Household Surveying | Practice + Finalize details to present Community Action Plan | Breakfast | ||
| 10:00am | Depart for Airport | ||||||
| 11:00am | Community Sketch | ||||||
| 12:00pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | ||
| 1:00pm | Household Survey Training & Practice | Household Surveying | Data Analysis (Problem Tree Methodology) | Work in Community Action Plan & Presentation | Present Community Action Plan – receive feedback + edit | ||
| 2:00pm | |||||||
| 3:00pm | Settle In | ||||||
| 4:00pm | Introduction to Global Brigades | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | ||
| 5:00pm | Free Time | Free Time | Free Time | Free Time | Free Time | ||
| 6:00pm | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | |
| 7:00pm | Public Health Introduction | Reflection and Feedback | Data Analysis | Data Analysis & Draft Community Action Plan | Finalize Community Action Plan and Presentation | Public Health Final Reflection | |
| 8:00pm | |||||||
| 9:00pm |
| Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | |
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up & Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | Settle In |
| 4:00pm | Introduction to Global Brigades |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Public Health Introduction |
| 8:00pm | |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Basic Sanitation Committee Meeting |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | Community Sketch |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Household Survey Training & Practice |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Reflection and Feedback |
| 8:00pm | |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Household Surveying |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Household Surveying |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Data Analysis |
| 8:00pm | |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Household Surveying |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Data Analysis (Problem Tree Methodology) |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Data Analysis & Draft Community Action Plan |
| 8:00pm | |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 5 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Data Analysis & Draft Community Action Plan |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Work in Community Action Plan & Presentation |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Finalize Community Action Plan and Presentation |
| 8:00pm | |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 6 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Practice + Finalize details to present Community Action Plan |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Present Community Action Plan – receive feedback + edit |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Public Health Final Reflection |
| 8:00pm | |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 7 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | |
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | Breakfast |
| 10:00am | Depart for Airport |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | |
| 8:00pm | |
Costs and Fundraising
In order to participate in a Public Health Brigade, all volunteers must meet a Donation Goal by fundraising as part of their commitment to a Brigades Chapter. This is not considered a payment for a specific trip, but support towards Global Brigades’ Holistic Model.
Donation Goals for Guatemala Brigades start at $2,290 USD*.
Once you meet a set Donation Goal, you’re eligible to join us on the ground to see your fundraising efforts put into action by participating in a Public Health Brigade.
When you participate in a Public Health Brigade, your airfare, ground transportation, food, lodging, and emergency insurance are all covered. The funding you raised also supports all the necessary costs for program implementation, such as brigade equipment, local professionals, coordinators, translators, and support staff.
Global Brigades’ travel team will work with your Brigade to book airfare**.
Once a volunteer meets their Donation Goal, they have up to 1 year to participate in a Public Health Brigade.
*coming from outside the US, Canada, or the UK? Talk to our team about donation goals.
** for UK Chapters, airfare is not included in your Donation Goal
Donation Goals for 2025 Guatemala 7-Day Public Health Brigades
| Volunteers | Donation Goal (USD) | Donation Goal (CAD) | Donation Goal (GBP) |
| 10+ | $2,290 USD | $2,655 CAD | Talk to our team about GBP donation goals |
*Chapters with less than 10 volunteers must be paired with another chapter.
Healthy Household Fund
A portion of each Donation Goal supports our Healthy Household Fund which enables year-round public health initiatives in partner communities carried out by our local teams. Specifically, the fund supports families to (1) be able to purchase healthy household products (e.g. latrines, eco-stoves, water filters) by subsidizing the savings that the families invest, (2) planning and follow-up of healthy household project distribution and installation, and (3) on-going project monitoring and impact evaluation.
Safety
Volunteer safety will always be our absolute top priority. Global Brigades recently engaged Askari International Security, an industry leader in international risk assessment, to complete a comprehensive risk/safety assessment of all brigade operations. A full explanation of safety precautions and procedures can be found on our “Safety & Insurance” page.
A Quote from Askari International Security
“I was asked to review Global Brigades safety and security procedures for their operations in Central America. I always use a “litmus test” by assessing whether I’d be happy to send my own daughters (late teens early 20’s) on one of their events. The answer was a resounding yes. I hope I was able to help them improve their processes and procedures, but what was already in place was good, but better still was the culture of safety and security. All the staff were concerned with safety and security and keen to improve. Nothing can ever be 100% secure or safe, but with Global Brigades I can genuinely say they care and take things very seriously.”
– Bryan Hemmings, Managing Director, Askari International Security
Safety Highlights in Guatemala
- Global Brigades is an active member of OSAC (the Overseas Security Advisory Committee) and receives up-to-date security and safety briefings from the U.S. State Department;
- Established relationships with local military and police to provide dedicated security personnel to accompany each group at all times;
- Full-time local Global Brigades medical personnel on-call at all times;
- Adherence to the IVPA standards of international volunteering.
Lodging Facilities
Global Brigades does an annual safety review of all lodging facility partners each year. Lodging facilities provide pillows, bedsheets and towels. Facilities have showers, toilets and sinks with running water (no hot water) as well as filtered clean drinking water dispensers onsite. 24-hour security is provided at all facilities. Conditions are most similar to a comfortable summer camp, with dormitory-style sleeping and shared bathrooms.
Public Health Brigades are assigned to lodging facilities based on proximity to the partner community they will be working with.
Centro de Capacitación Maya Uleu
The Centro de Capacitación Maya Uleu lodging facility is located approximately 2 hours northwest of Guatemala City. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of lush greenery and distant mountains.
Centro de Retiros Jireh
The Centro de Retiros Jireh lodging facility is located in the city of Chimaltenango, approximately 2 hours northwest of Guatemala City. The facility includes a dining area, outdoor patio, and swimming pool.
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This DONATION is non-refundable
This DONATION is non-refundable Global Brigades, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your donation will be used to further Global Brigades' mission and will be allocated toward the program you selected. This donation will not be utilized to fulfill a chapter or a volunteer's fundraising goal. Read Global Brigades, Inc's full Donation Refund Policy here.
Looking to donate to support a volunteer's fundraising goal? Find their Global Brigades Chapter by searching our Chapters map and then selecting their upcoming brigade. If you need help finding their chapter, you can ask the volunteer to send you their brigade's specific website link or you can contact us.
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