Global Brigades USA

Medical/Public Health Brigades at University of Maryland Baltimore County

UMBC Chapter Currently 76 Members!! The UMBC Medical/Public Health hybrid chapter was founded on our campus in Fall 2012. We completed our first ever brigade through this program when we travelled to eastern Panamá in March 2014 for a week-long brigade. We completed construction of a residential compost latrine for a public health project, and we were also able to provide volunteers for a mobile medical clinic that provide free primary care, medications, and health education lessons to the Alto del Cristo community in the Provence of Darién. This upcoming Spring, we are planning to travel to Panama again accompanied by our Dental program for a combined brigade that will have the capacity to serve two communities this time around. To read more about we do, read below and also click the side link for Public Health brigades to learn about our work. To support a specific volunteer or donate generally to help us fund our medical supplies for the trip, click the donate button! 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, Ghana, or Nicaragua. 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.

6 Members of this chapter

Miami Professional Water Brigades

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.

1 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Brown University

: Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural Central America or Ghana providing financial literacy workshops and consultation to rural community banks. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, volunteers discuss their recommendations to the Caja on how they can improve their operations based on the information that was collected during the house visits. Additionally, students hold educational workshops with community members about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja.

1 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Chapman University

Microfinance Brigades at Chapman University is a chapter of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The Chapman chapter systematically works with more than 300 other university groups around the world to deliver and implement one of nine skill-based programs that benefit more than 130,000 Honduran and Panamanian community members annually. During the course of this trip we will empower communities and help low income villagers in Honduras with opportunities to obtain low interest loans to invest in their farms or alternative income generating opportunities. Additionally, we will facilitate real micro lending transactions through community banks and microfinance institutions.

4 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Duke University

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Duke University

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.

1 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Emory University

Global Brigades is the world’s largest student-led health and sustainable development organization with varied membership that spans North American and European universities. Through Global Brigades, student and professional volunteers empower communities in developing countries with sustainable solutions that improve quality of life and environment, while respecting local culture. Since 2004, more than 30,000 volunteers from over 800 university clubs have traveled to provide health and economic development solutions to more than 600,000 beneficiaries in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, and Ghana. Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural Central America or Ghana providing financial literacy workshops and consultation to rural community banks. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, volunteers discuss their recommendations to the Caja on how they can improve their operations based on the information that was collected during the house visits. Additionally, students hold educational workshops with community members about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their project fund, whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Marquette University

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.

1 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Middle Tennessee State University

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.

1 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at New York University

Microfinance Brigades at New York University is a chapter of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The NYU chapter systematically works with more than 300 other university groups around the world to deliver and implement one of nine skill-based programs that benefit more than 130,000 Honduran and Panamanian community members annually. Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients (in our case those in poverty), including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services. During the course of this trip we will empower communities and help low income villagers in Honduras with opportunities to obtain low interest loans to invest in their businesses.

15 Members of this chapter