Honduras
Kambia's Real-World Impact
Patient Care Access
Our medical clinics and preventative health workshops are implemented within communities through the support of our local doctors working alongside the students, they will acquire advanced understanding of issues impacting individual and community health in urban and rural Honduras and will understand one NGO's strategies to provide access to healthcare professionals and prescribed medications. Community members are provided with pro-bono general medical consultations, pap-smears, vision and other specialized care based on the scope of the health professionals.Community Health Entrepreneurs and Experience
Students are immersed in the details of region-specific diseases and health issues: engage in person with doctors, Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs), explore pharmacology and the application of traditional medicines. Students will also train selected volunteers living in the community along side our community Staff, to become Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs). CHEs provide basic medical care, monitor chronic conditions and serve as point person for urgent care cases year-round.Scheduled
Over the duration of the brigade, students will be able to growth their abilities and acknowledgment with real cases and patients, some of these activities made during the brigade are: -Clinic Day attention for the community. -Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) training. -Public Health survey on the Community. -And much more!Community Banks and Income Growth.
Our staff identify business opportunities and facilitate consulting projects between the volunteers and entrepreneurs to help small businesses grow. Staff and volunteers help entrepreneurs determine the financial return on potential investments and whether loans are a prudent tool for growth. The local leaders are identified and trained by our staff and volunteers to organize Community-Owned Banks to provide critical financial services to the community. The process is made also with relations with local governments, since they recognize these banks as legitimate institutions allowing them to provide access to savings and loans.Access to Capital
Community banks provide access to savings, loans, and financial literacy. Through regular training, our staff and volunteers work to create a culture of savings in the community alongside the creation of the banks. Saving demonstrates the value of longer-term horizons, goal setting, provides for a safety net, and capitalizes local banks with funds available for entrepreneurs to take loans or create micro-enterprises. In addition, access to loans and education on responsible loan usage allows communities to further grow their businesses. Volunteers and donors contribute the essential funds for community-owned banks to lend to local businesses for their investments. The funds are repaid and recirculated back into the local economy, exponentially growing the accounts. Commonly, our banks start with just a few hundred dollars but will grow within 2-3 years of having more than $10,000 USD. For communities averaging about 100 homes and making less than $2 it can be life-changing.Our Impact
The Community Development has many benefits, here is our Impact we have made: -Community Banks Established or Trained: 201 -Loans Disbursed: 13,443 -Business Consultation: 1,611 -Invested in Community-Owned Banks & Businesses: $852.673Scheduled
Over the duration of the brigade, students will be able to growth their abilities and acknowledgment with real entrepreneurships, some of these activities made during the brigade are: -Household Surveying -Learn the Community Development Program and Apply it -Data Analysis of Household Surveys. -Work at compound -Finalize Community Development Action Plan & Presentation. -Cultural Activities. -Basic Sanitation and Public Health Infrastructure project. -Action plan and trainings delivered.Clean Water System Design & WASH Leadership
Water systems are designed, planned, and budgeted with partner communities, international volunteers and the support of our local staff of engineers. Designs take into account accessible water sources and community needs with the goal to provide clean water piped directly to families’ homes. Local leaders are identified by the community to serve as the community’s Water Council, which collects monthly water fees from households to operate and maintain the constructed water system. This locally empowered team ensures the future sustainability of the project once construction is complete and receives regular follow-up from our local staff. A Basic Sanitation Committee is also trained to carry out in-home assessments of Public Health projects, such as latrines, clean burning stoves, and water storage units.Healthy Households and Clean Water System Construction
Volunteers, masons and families work together to implement projects to improve health, hygiene and sanitation. Eco-stoves to target respiratory diseases, latrines and water filters to decrease the spread of infectious diseases and parasites, and water storage units and showers to improve hand washing and hygiene. Through collaboration with Community Banks, families save in order to contribute financially to their WASH infrastructure, thus investing in their own health. Once designed, clean water systems are constructed with local community members working alongside volunteers and local engineers. Systems include the collaboration between community members, government, and Global Brigades. Construction may take several months to complete and can include several large-scale components, such as dams and storage tanks.Our impact
The Community Development has many benefits, here is our Impact we have made: -Water Systems Constructed: 58 -People with Access to Clean Water: 32,052 -Families Benefited with Public Health Projects: 3,620Scheduled
Over the duration of the brigade, students will be able to growth their abilities and acknowledgment with real activities that will benefit the communities and see them working at real-time, Some of these activities made during the brigade are: -Construction-Ecostove -Community Leader's Meeting -Project Mapping, Measurement, Planning and Construction. -Caja Rural analysis and Business Visit. -Cultural Day -Water Project Follow-upSample Schedule
9:00pm
| 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 | Settle In |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Introduction to Microfinance & Business Program |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Community Bank Introduction |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Microenterprise Introduction |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Networking |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Relection & Preparation for Primary Market Research |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Market Research |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Market Research |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Networking |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Research Compilation & Preparation for Family Visits |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Community Research |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Community Research |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Networking |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Research Compilation & Workshop Preparation |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 5 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Children’s Education Workshop |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Microenterprise/Microfinance Workshop |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Networking |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Reflection & Preparation for Business Plan Presentation |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 6 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Business Plan Presentation |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Community Bank Meeting & Farewell |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Networking |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Final Reflection |
| 9:00pm | |
| Day 7 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Airport & Airline Check In |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | |
| 8:00pm | |
| 9:00pm | |
Lodging Facilities
Kambia 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.
Groups are assigned to lodging facilities based on proximity to the partner community they will be working with.
El Censo
The El Censo lodging facility is located in a valley approximately 1 hour and 30 mintues east of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green pastures, sugar cane fields and distant mountains. Global Brigades Honduras has used the El Censo facility for more than 2 years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders.
Posada Azul
The Posada Azul facility is located in a valley approximately 1 hour and 30 mintues east of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green pastures, sugar cane fields and distant mountains. Global Brigades Honduras has used the Posada Azul facility for more than 5 years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders.
Villas de Valle
The Villas del Valle lodging facility is located in the mountains approximately 1 hour northwest of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a cool climate high up in the mountains near the town of Valle de los Angeles. Global Brigades Honduras has used the Villas del Valle facility for more than 3 years, housing hundreds of brigaders.
Maranata
The Maranata lodging facility is located in the mountains approximately 1 hour northwest of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a cool climate high up in the mountains near the town of Valle de los Angeles. Global Brigades Honduras has used the Maranata facility for more than 3 years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders.
Hotel y Club Morazan
Hotel y Club Morazan sits along the Pan-American highway in the south of Honduras. It is located in the town of San Lorenzo – a fairly large town in Honduras – in the department of Valle. Although this facility does function as a hotel when students are not present, all compound rules that apply at our other compounds apply here as well, including that all students must stay on hotel premises at all times unless accompanied by staff members. Here, brigaders can enjoy the hotel pool and several indoor and outdoor lounge areas. Global Brigades has used this hotel for approximately 4 years, since the beginning of Medical and Dental brigades began working in the south of Honduras.
Casa del Sol
The Casa del Sol facility is located approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes south of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy use of the hotel’s spacious seating areas and views of distant mountains.
Safety
Volunteer safety will always be our absolute top priority. Kambia 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 Honduras
- Kambia 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 medical personnel on-call at all times;
- Adherence to the IVPA standards of international volunteering.
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