Drexel University Public Health Brigade to Panama September 2014

Start Date: Sep 14, 2014 12:00 AM
End Date: Sep 20, 2014 12:00 AM

PHB volunteers spend 7 days in Panama, improving basic home infrastructure and providing health education to help reduce the incidences of life-threatening, but preventable, diseases in a rural community. With an understanding of the holistic model that focuses on education, community health sustainability and infrastructural development, volunteers first receive a comprehensive introduction to the country\\\'s public health challenges and the Public Health program\\\'s ground-up solution. They will take a tour of the community Public Health is currently working in, introduce themselves to the beneficiary families, and meet with the Basic Sanitation Committee (CSB). Then, working side-by-side with community members and local masons, volunteers construct five infrastructure projects meant to improve the health of the home and surrounding environment: eco-stoves, latrines, showers, pilas (water storage units), and concrete floors. Additionally, as a key component of the program, Philadelphia student volunteers collaborate with the Basic Sanitation Committee and local teachers to help provide community-wide education workshops and training, proliferating sanitation and hygiene practices and empowering families with both the knowledge and tools to live healthier lives.