BUSINESS BRIGADES INFORMATION SESSION MONTH DAY, YEAR
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION - ABOUT GLOBAL BRIGADES GLOBAL
BRIGADES MISSION To empower volunteers to facilitate sustainable
solutions in under resourced communities GLOBAL BRIGADES VISION To
improve equality of life, by igniting the largest student-led
social responsibility movement on the planet.
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION - PROGRAMS To empower
volunteers, Global Brigades offers 10 skill-based programs
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION WHERE WE WORK COUNTRIES SELECTED
BASED ON: Large need in rural areas Strong community partnerships
Logistically feasible Safe for volunteers NEEDS THAT GLOBAL
BRIGADES ADDRESSES: Basic services Healthcare Economic Programs are
offered in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, and Ghana
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION PROGRAMS AND COUNTRIES Ghan a
Panama Dental Medical Microfinance Water Business Dental
Environmental Human Rights Medical Microfinance Medical Public
Health Nicaragua Honduras Business Architecture Dental Engineering
Medical Microfinance Public Health Water Programs offered in each
country
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION PROGRAMS AND COUNTRIES Ghan a
Panama Dental Medical Microfinance Water Business Dental
Environmental Human Rights Medical Microfinance Medical Public
Health Nicaragua Honduras Business Architecture Dental Engineering
Medical Microfinance Public Health Water Programs offered in each
country
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WHY PANAMA?
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION RURAL PANAMA STATISTICS Typical
family lives on less than $3 a day Average level of education is
approximately 6 th grade Community members are often excluded from
access to financial institutions due to costs, distance,
requirements, and discrimination Community members are unable to
tap into financial markets PANAM A NICARAG UA COSTA RICA GUATEMA LA
BELIZ E EL SALVADOR HONDURA S
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION RURAL HONDURAS STATISTICS 15 in
20 people in Torti, Panama do not have access to credit and savings
opportunities
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WITHOUT ACCESS TO FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND EDUCATION, ON AVERAGE
WOMEN WOULD MAKE LESS THAN $1 PER DAY
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION BUSINESS FOR EVERY 1 BUSINESS
VOLUNTEE R $100 HELPS SUPPORT A COMMUNITY BANK = Bank
Capitalization Loans and Loan Screening Infrastructure Development
Organizational and Administrative Support USED FOR:
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION HOW BUSINESS HELPS BUSINESS IS
CONNECTED TO Education Sanitation and hygiene Economic potential
ACCESS TO CAPITAL & CONSULTING Increases financial literacy to
strategic business development Encourages family financial planning
Decreases risk of loan sharks WHAT ARE THE BUSINESS ISSUES?
Communities lack access to banking system with fair interest rates
and loan acceptance Families lack basic financial
understanding
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HOW DOES BUSINESS BRIGADES HELP?
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION WHAT A BUSINESS BRIGADE IS
BUSINESS BRIGADES Financial education and micro-enterprise
counseling are provided to community members during 7-day trips to
Panama Volunteers break up into small groups to meet with business
owners or family members and work out a business, administrative,
or investment plan proposal Volunteers work in close contact with
community members to implement thorough and precise family or
business assessments Each student provides a $100 donation to
support the community bank, which in turn is used to support many
aspects of economic development within the community, including
bank capitalization, projects within the community, and supporting
the community bank
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNITY
SELECTION Based on - Need - Access to loans and banks - Community
commitment SUSTAINABILITY ASPECTS Community banks - Community led -
Self-perpetuating and autonomous - Provide continuing loans
In-country staff - Train community banks - Work with community
banks to hold financial literacy workshops between brigades
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION BUSINESS TEAM BUSINESS BRIGADES
TEAM Leads your brigade Performs community follow-up Train
community to perpetuate microfinance system Build community
relations - Works with community in preparation for brigade arrival
Advises chapters with brigade preparation
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HOW CAN YOU HELP?
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION WHY WE WANT YOU YOUR BENEFITS
Contribute to sustainable change - Provide a community access to
capital, savings, and economic potential Education application -
Consulting & business application - Spanish language immersion
- Business plan needs & solutions - International development
experience COMMUNITY BENEFITS Empowerment - Students empower
communities - Reinforces communities commitment to their economic
development Investment for loans
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WHAT DOES A BRIGADE LOOK LIKE?
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION ITINERARY
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DAY 1: ARRIVAL & BUSINESS INTRODUCTION Transportation to
compound - Electricity, showers, and bathrooms - Beds, bed linens,
and pillows - Limited internet Panama and Business Brigades
introduction - The Global Brigades model - Microfinance and
economic development - Community banks, Community Development Fund,
and cooperative development - Cultural Sensitivity
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION ITINERARY DAY 2: COMMUNITY
INTRODUCTION, ASSESSMENT COMMUNITY BANK Community leaders meeting -
Question & answer session - Leaders perspective Plan for the
weeks workshops Build trust Get to know the people and community
that you will be working with
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION ITINERARY DAY 3, 4, & 5:
FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND BUSINESS CONSULTING FINANCIAL EDUCATION
Develop and present educational workshops on various financial
education topics: savings, wants vs. needs, making a budget,
financial goals, etc. BUSINESS CONSULTING Assess financial literacy
Assess family business Identify revenue generating activities
(family or microenterprise) ROI calculations Creation of an
operational and administrative recommendation plan
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION ITINERARY DAY 6: PROJECT
IMPLEMENTATION & CULTURAL CELEBRATION FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Presentation of the recommendation plans Providing marketing and
operational recommendations Update business profiles MEASUREMENT
& FOLLOW UP Briefing about the following steps to follow
In-country team commitment to continuous maintenance of
projects
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION ITINERARY DURING THE WEEK:
CAPITAL INVESTMENT Volunteers allocate $100 investment Investment
goes to the Business Program, where the donation can be dispersed
as: - Seed capital - Match savings accounts - Business investment -
Investments can be disbursed as loans, which are paid back to
community banks for future loan disbursement
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION ITINERARY DAY 7: DEPARTURE Start
planning for next brigade - Set goals - Leadership positions Share
experiences with donors, friends, & family Get connected
through Global Brigades networks - Updates on your community and
projects
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HOW DO I SIGN UP?
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION TOTAL CONTRIBUTION HOW IS YOUR
BUSINESS BRIGADE FUNDED? Volunteers Program Contribution: - $890
(Panama) - Brigade expenses - Program sustainability - Airfare:
Variable PROGRAM CONTRIBUTION DETAILS 7 day program (Panama)
Accommodations & meals (vegetarian options available) Clean
drinking water Airport pick-up and drop-off In-country
transportation Spanish translators and coordinators, and security
Program sustainability and follow-up between brigades Project Fund:
$100
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION RESOURCES FOR YOU FUNDRAISING
TOOL www.empowered.orgwww.empowered.org Send links of brigade
project information to donors Create personalized profile to share
with your donors Track donation progress on individual and group
level STUDENT RESOURCE SITE
https://www.globalbrigades.org/volunteer-tools-home Brigade
planning materials Collection of reports from past brigades
Community profiles Frequently asked questions IN-COUNTRY ADVISING
TEAM Team of trained staff in Panama Share best practices for all
aspects of brigade preparation Answer questions about brigade and
community
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION CONTACT INFORMATION Contact your
advisor for information about Business Brigades in Panama Dont know
who your advisor is? [email protected] g
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BUSINESS BRIGADES INFO SESSION JOIN THE NEXT BRIGADE NAME LAST
NAME President Email Phone Number NAME LAST NAME President Email
Phone Number