Perecabe

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Engineering
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Perecabe is located in the Province of Penonome and Global Brigades began working with community members in October 2020. Community members have access to credit through an established and thriving community bank which will support continued investment in local businesses and home improvement projects for families within the community. People in Perecabe are primarily dedicated to agriculture, animal raising, and trading and when Global Brigades visited the community, their members expressed that the top three needs were: improving the road condition, improving the water system, and medical aid. Global Brigades is currently working with Business brigades in Perecabe and the community is on the wait list for eventual Holistic Model implementation as part of Global Brigades’ strategic plan in Panama.

Corregimiento: Cocle
District: Penonome

Homes : 150
Population : 750
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Active Implementation
Electricity : No
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : Active Implementation
% of Homes with Latrines : 39%
Education in the Community : Up to primary school
Distance from Lodging Facility (km) : 150 KM

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Perecabe but has not yet begun with the Medical Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, mobile clinics will start as soon as feasible.

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS:

A group of CHWs from East Panama, trained in 2019

Perecabe is currently training 1 Community Health Worker in the community to provide medical aid to community members. Community Health Workers, or Agentes Comunitarios en Salud (ACeS), work on a volunteer basis as advocates for healthcare within their communities.

Their primary responsibilities include: educating community members to prevent common illnesses, providing emergency first aid, supporting pregnant mothers and newborns, and following up with chronic patients. The presence of these volunteers and their advocacy for health within their community contributes to the sustainability of healthcare supported by Global Brigades’ Medical Program and is one of the most impactful disease prevention strategies in rural communities.

Community Health Workers : Active Implementation
Distance from Nearest Health Center : 25 KM
Common Illnesses in Children : Common colds, diarrhea, fever
Common Illnesses in Adults : Diabetes, common cold, diarrhea, high blood pressure

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Perecabe but has not yet begun with the Dental Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, mobile clinics will start as soon as feasible.

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Perecabe but has not yet begun with the Engineering Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, the surveying, improvement or construction of a water system will start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
Type of Water System : Gravity Aqueduct
% of Homes with Access to water : 80%
Water Council : Yes

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Perecabe but has not yet begun with the Water Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, the surveying, improvement or construction of a water system will start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
Type of Water System : Gravity Aqueduct
% of Homes with Access to Water : 80%

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

PERECABE’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

Community members in Perecabe typically lack access to financial resources locally. The majority of them don’t have bank accounts and there are only limited informal forms of credit available. Larger financial institutions do not approve loans to community members without a fixed income, making it difficult for local micro-enterprises to grow and thrive. Most community members have to travel to the nearest city to be able to open a bank account. Even if individuals wish to travel the distance, not all community members can become members of these financial institutions since the bank requires a fixed income to do so.

N/A

Volunteers

38

Loans Disbursed

PERECABE’S MICROFINANCE SOLUTION

The Business Program works to stimulate the local economy by organizing community volunteers around a community bank, or Caja rural, which is entirely owned and operated by its members. The Business Program provides training and support to help strengthen these community banks. In order to pool their limited funds together, increase the capital available to the community bank, and expand the impact of its financial services, each member contributes a capitalization fee for which they receive a proportional amount of the bank’s dividends at the end of its fiscal year.

Upon the completion of six months of executive board training, the community bank begins giving out loans to bank members to spur economic growth and home improvement projects. Perecabe‘s community bank was established in October 2020 with the support of Global Brigades. 

PERECABE’S BUSINESS SOLUTION

Building off of a strong relationship developed in partnership with Global Brigades as a Holistic Community, Perecabe looks to receive financial training and business consulting to expand and improve its local microenterprise. As members of the Community Bank, Perecabe’s micro-enterprises, contribute to savings accounts and budget for loans to expand their businesses in the future.

Currently, Perecabe has not received Business Brigades, but when feasible, clients will get advice on their most concerning business challenges and will also receive assistance in developing sustainable agriculture practices since many local businesses are based on cultivating produce and raising animals.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS IN PERECABE:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Perecabe but has not yet begun with the Public Health Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, the delivery and installation of household health products will start as soon as feasible.

% of homes with latrines : 39%
% of homes with eco stoves : 0%
% of homes with water filters : 0%
Common house materials : Cement blocks and wood

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

  • Feature