Global Brigades United Kingdom

Business Brigades at Cardiff

Microfinance Brigades at Cardiff University is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The Cardiff 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, Panamanian, and Ghanaian community members annually.

4 Members of this chapter

July 2012 Birmingham Microfinance Brigade, Ghana

Microfinance Brigades at Birmingham is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The Birmingham 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, Panamanian, and Ghanaian community members annually.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at St. Andrews 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.

7 Members of this chapter

MicroFinance Brigades at London Business School (LBS)

Microfinance Brigades volunteers work with a local network of community banks to empower rural communities by establishing community banks and teaching community members basic financial literacy. Volunteers provide rural communities with the educational, financial, and organizational resources necessary to sustainably drive their own economic development. By partnering with the in-country Global Brigades team, Microfinance Brigades provides the financial backing and technical support to create and strengthen independent Community Development Funds. As mechanisms for social and economic change, these funds are then empowered to perpetuate other community projects facilitated by Global Brigades. A 10 Day Microfinance Brigade provides volunteers with the opportunity to gain first-hand micro lending experience and perpetuate the movement to alleviate poverty world-wide. Volunteers participate in real micro-lending transactions and also engage in the daily lives of the actual borrowers. Volunteers learn about microfinance by participating in seminars from local professionals, and by shadowing loan officers as they visit micro-entrepreneurs in their communities. Volunteers empower community members to reach their potential with basic educational workshops and a capital investment that the volunteer personally delivers. Each volunteer is allotted $150 (£100) from their program contribution to work with community microentrepreneurs and banks to determine how to allocate their loan. In this way, volunteers are able to directly empower local community members to achieve their financial goals.

29 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Oxford University

Microfinance Brigades at Oxford University is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The Oxford 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, Panamanian, and Ghanaian community members annually. Microfinance Brigades provides rural community members in Honduras and Ghana a community banking system, with access to loans, financial literacy programs, and education to increase production and foster a culture of savings and growth.

23 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at University College London (UCL)

Microfinance Brigades at University College London is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The UCL 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, Panamanian, and Ghanaian community members annually. Microfinance Brigades provides rural community members in Honduras and Ghana a community banking system, with access to loans, financial literacy programs, and education to increase production and foster a culture of savings and growth.

36 Members of this chapter