Panama
Building Healthier Homes
Access to a reliable, affordable, and adequate water and sanitation services are an essential part of life, but are lacking in rural Panama where 10% of the population do not have any access to sanitation services, and among those who do, 31% use non-hygienic latrines. Public Health Brigades fill this gap in Panama by working together with community members and our local technicians to construct “sanitation stations” (bathroom, shower and water-storage tanks). Volunteers not only directly fund and build these projects themselves they support our long-term sustainability through the follow up of previously constructed projects and facilitate workshops about hygiene and sanitation practices.
Stronger public health infrastructure contributes to higher quality of life, expand local economies, and promote social inclusion while laying the foundation for environmental conservation practices; this is a tremendous impact in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world.
Public Health Brigade –
7 Day Sample Schedule
The first day after arriving in Panama, volunteers will travel to their partner community, meet the Basic Sanitation Committee leaders, and support a water project implementation. The following day volunteers will learn about the community’s health challenges and previous projects, then they will prepare plans and materials for a public health construction project. For the remainder of the Brigade, volunteers will work with masons and families to construct a variety of in-home public health infrastructure for families, such as showers, latrines, and water storage tanks. On the final day of Brigade, volunteers will present educational workshops to the community about public health topics such as hygiene, waste and water management, latrine maintenance, or caring for the environment. The Brigade will close with a fun cultural exchange activity for the volunteers.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Transport to Airport & Airline Check in | |
| 8:00am | Intro to Panama and Holistic Model | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | |||
| 9:00am | Transport to Community | Public Health Project Construction | Public Health Project Construction | Public Health Project Construction | Education Workhops & Farewell from the Community | |||
| 10:00am | Meet Your PH Community & Intro to Partners | |||||||
| 11:00am | ||||||||
| 12:00pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |||
| 1:00pm | Allocation of Families & Work Groups, Transport of Materials & Distribution of Tools | Public Health Project Construction | Public Health Project Construction | Public Health Project Construction | Pack-up | |||
| 2:00pm | Transport to Community | |||||||
| 3:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility | Community Development and Cultural Exchange | ||||||
| 4:00pm | Dinner | Free Time | ||||||
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | ||||
| 6:00pm | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | |||
| 7:00pm | Cultural Sensitivity & Lodging Rules Discussion | Public Health Project Explanation | Reflection (Rural Panama Sanitation Situation) | Reflection | Measuring Your PH Impact (Project Progress Report) | Final Reflection & Packing | ||
| 8:00pm | Preparation of PH Workshops & Free Time | Preparation of PH Workshops & Free Time | Free Time |
| Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Dinner |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Cultural Sensitivity & Lodging Rules Discussion |
| 8:00pm | |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Intro to Panama and Holistic Model |
| 9:00am | Transport to Community |
| 10:00am | Meet Your PH Community & Intro to Partners |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Allocation of Families & Work Groups, Transport of Materials & Distribution of Tools |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 4:00pm | Free Time |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Public Health Project Explanation |
| 8:00pm | |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Public Health Project Construction |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Public Health Project Construction |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Reflection (Rural Panama Sanitation Situation) |
| 8:00pm | Preparation of PH Workshop & Free Time |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Public Health Project Construction |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Public Health Project Construction |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Reflection |
| 8:00pm | Preparation of PH Workshop & Free Time |
| Day 5 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Public Health Project Construction |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Public Health Project Construction |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Measuring Your PH Impact (Project Progress Report) |
| 8:00pm | Free Time |
| Day 6 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Education Workshops & Farewell from the Community |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Pack-up |
| 2:00pm | Transport to Community |
| 3:00pm | Community Development and Cultural Exchange |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Final Reflection & Packing |
| 8:00pm | |
| Day 7 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Transport to Airport & Airline Check In |
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | |
| 8:00pm | |
Volunteer Donation Goal
Volunteers do not pay to participate in a Public Health Brigade. Instead, volunteers fundraise to support Global Brigades’ Holistic Model. Once a volunteer meets a set Donation Goal, they are eligible to join us on-the-ground to see their fundraising efforts put into action by participating in a Public Health Brigade.
When a volunteer participates in a Public Health Brigade, the volunteer’s ground transportation, food, lodging, and emergency insurance are all covered. The funding that the volunteer raised also supports all the necessary costs for program implementation, such as construction supplies, coordinators, masons, translators, and support staff.
Airfare is not included in the standard Donation Goal. However, Global Brigades’ travel team can work with volunteers to book airfare and incorporate the airfare expense into the volunteer’s Donation Goal.
2022-2023 Panama 7-day Public Health Brigade USD –
2022-2023 Panama 7-day Public Health Brigade CAD –
2022-2023 Panama 7-day Public Health Brigade GBP –
*The donation goals listed above are for volunteers joining an existing Global Public Health Brigades (PHB) Chapter on a university campus. Scholarship opportunities are available for volunteers to meet their Donation Goal by starting or referring a new chapter. Once a volunteer meets their Donation Goal, they have up to 1 year to participate in a Public Health Brigade.
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.
In Panama
- 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 relationship with Senafront to provide security escorts to those groups working in the Darien region;
- 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.
Asamblea de Dios
Campamento Asambleas De Dios, San Carlos, Panama is a large facility that sits only about 800 meters from the main road(Via Panamericana) approximately 2 hours from Panama City. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Global Brigades Panama has been using the San Carlos facility since March 2015. Emergency medical care is available at the Health Center in the town of San Carlos, approximately 2 minutes from this facility.
El Palmar
The El Palmar hostel sits along the Pan-American highway, approximately 30 minutes after passing Lago Bayano and approximately 10 minutes before reaching the town of Torti. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green mountains and farms’ pastures. Global Brigades Panama has used El Palmar for several years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders. Emergency medical care is easily accessible in Torti.
Hotel Avicar
Hotel Avicar sits along the Pan-American highway, approximately 40 minutes after passing Lago Bayano and is in the center of the town of Torti. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green mountains and farms’ pastures. Also, brigaders staying at Hotel Avicar get see how life plays out in a rural town in East Panama. Emergency medical care is available
in Torti.
Hotel Tonosi
It is located on the Pan-American Highway in the Meteti sector, it has cozy rooms, of four and five people, with color television and air conditioning. It has a covered terrace and countryside landscapes. He is known for his good food and great hospitality.
Pro Niños
Pro Ninos was one of the first lodges used by GB in its trajectory in the Darien area. It is a beautiful camp in which you can enjoy its variable flora and fauna. It has wooded areas and open spaces to recreate in contact with nature.
Iguana Eco Resort
It is a wide place that offers the experience to the volunteers of being in contact with nature. It offers various activities such as hiking. It has cozy rooms with air conditioning, 2 swimming pools and a meeting area. It is located near the city of Penonomé. It is the ideal place to rest after a long day of work in the brigade
Oasis de Bendición
As the name implies, it is the ideal place to relax after a hard day. It has beautiful landscapes, spacious bedrooms with cabins to encourage coexistence among volunteers. It has a terrace for meetings, multiple areas for indoor recreational activities. It is located a few meters from the main road which provides good access to it.
Hotel Ojos del Rio
Hotel Ojos del Rio sits in the center of Panama City, about 40 minutes from Panama’s international airport. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of Panama City’s skyline. Global Brigades Panama began using this hotel in 2018 to accommodate any brigades that needed to stay in Panama City. Brigades do not typically stay in Panama City; Global Brigades Panama only uses this facility during emergencies and cases involving extenuating circumstances. Emergency medical care is available in several hospitals in the city.
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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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