Rio Pavo

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

Overview

Rio Pavo is located in the Darien, in the eastern part of Panama. The typical house is made of wood. There is a primary school in the community, but to attend secondary school, children must travel outside the community. Most of the community members work in agriculture or tending to livestock. The closest health facility is 30 minutes away at the Centro de Salud in Platanilla. When Global Brigades first started their partnership with Rio Pavo, community members expressed that their top needs were: an improved water system, improved education and improved healthcare

Corregimiento: Rio Congo Arriba
Province: Darien

Homes : 69
Population : 350
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Latrines : 95%
Education : Up to 6th grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 1 hr

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

Even though Panama is a country with a lot of economic growth, this growth does not apply equally to all Panamanians, especially those in rural areas. This results in stark inequality when it comes to healthcare access. The Panamanian Ministry of Health (MINSA) provides two different types of health facilities throughout rural Panama: Centros de Salud and Puestos de Salud. Centros are the larger of the two, often found in municipalities, and typically have at least one physician on staff at all times with nurses and potentially a dentist. Puestos are found sporadically in rural communities and generally have a single nurse available. 

Even with this coverage, the Centros frequently lack a full pharmacy and the staff capacity to see every patient each day. After walking long distances or paying for a bus, rural visitors to the Centros can expect long wait times given the limited staff and resources to meet the demand from all neighboring communities. The physician density in Panama remains around 630 people for every one doctor. According to the World Health Organization, there should be a maximum of 435 people per physician to qualify a country as having adequate access to medical attention.

The closest Centro de Salud to Rio Pavo is in the community of Platanilla. The top illnesses reported by community members in Rio Pavo are: the common cold, diabetes, and vomiting.

29

Volunteers

109

Patient Consultations

N/A

Vision Screenings

N/A

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

A group of CHWs from East Panama, trained in 2017

Rio Pavo has 1 Community Health Worker that received training from Global Brigades. 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.

Brigaders give a charla at Rio Pavo’s school

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Rio Pavo’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Each day of the brigade, an average of 7 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 168

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN RIO PAVO:

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
Michigan State University Medical March 2019 29

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS

A dental charla in Ipeti Emberá, Panama

Working closely with the Medical Program, the Dental Program provides fillings, extractions, and fluoride treatments as a standard part of medical brigades. Most community members do not have regular access to dental care due to the lack of a dentist within a reasonable distance.

81

Dental Patients

51

Fluoride Treatments

N/A

Fillings

23

Extractions

Brigaders give a charla at Rio Pavo’s school

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Rio Pavo’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Each day of the brigade, an average of 7 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 168

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN RIO PAVO

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
Michigan State University Medical March 2019 29

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Rio Pavo but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the Water Program will begin implementing a new water system or any necessary repairs to existing infrastructure following the Engineering Program’s evaluation and recommendations.

 

Water System : Yes
System Type : Gravity Aqueduct
Homes Connected to Water : 100%
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

RIO PAVO’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

Community members in Puerto Lara lack access to financial resources within the community. The majority of community members do not have bank accounts and there are only limited informal forms of credit available.  For example, a person could obtain ‘credit’ at a local store by buying something now and paying later, simply adding it to their ‘tab,’ but there would be no formalized credit transaction.  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 cite the distance to the nearest bank as the main discouragement to having a personal savings account. Even if individuals wish to travel the distance, not all community members can become members of these financial institutions–cooperatives require monthly membership fees, savings accounts often require a fixed income, and the cost of travel provides an additional barrier.

23

Volunteers

31

Savings Accounts Opened

42

Loans Disbursed

$3,720

Capital Invested

RIO PAVO’S MICROFINANCE SOLUTION

Business brigaders give a charla to members of Rio Pavo’s community bank

The Global Brigades Business and Microfinance Team trained a new Community Bank in November 2018 in Rio Pavo.They also brought Microfinance and Business brigades in order to strengthen both the knowledge and trust in the Community Bank. This encouraged the opening of more savings accounts, growth of seed capital, and upon the completion of six months of executive board training, the Community Bank began giving out loans to bank members to spur economic growth and home improvement projects.

RIO PAVO’S BUSINESS SOLUTION

A chicken farmer in Rio Pavo receives a business consultation from brigaders, 2019

In addition to the Community Bank, Global Brigades supports established and start-up micro-enterprises. Agro-businesses are prominent forms of commerce within this community and adequate book-keeping and maintaining relationships with customers, as well as proper agriculture cultivation can lead to increased revenues for business owners and employees.

As members of the Community Bank these micro-enterprises, led almost entirely by women or families, contribute to savings accounts and budget for loans to expand their businesses in the future. Through the help of Business Brigades, clients will receive advice on their most concerning business challenges and can also receive assistance in developing sustainable agriculture practices.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS IN RIO PAVO

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
Boston University, Arizona State University, & Ball State University Business May 2019 23

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

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

Homes with flushing toilets : 95%
Homes with latrines : 100%
Homes with baths/showers : N/A
Common house material : wood

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature