Success Stories
An Empowered Community is one that has reached their goals in healthcare, WASH and economic development. They now have the infrastructure, knowledge, leadership and economic capacity to continue growing.
Empowered Communities
13 Communities have met all goals of an Empowered Community
Goal 1
*Regular, equal, and affordable access to a Healthcare Professional and medication
51 of 100 communities
Goal 2
Daily access to a trained Community Health Worker
85 of 100 communities
718 CHWs trained
Goal 3
Continuous access to a clean water system with a Water Council in place
84 of 100 communities
67 clean water systems constructed
Goal 4
Comprehensive adoption of public health infrastructure projects within a community
51 of 100 communities
3,016 families benefited from Public Health projects
Goal 5
Equal access to sufficient, affordable credit with a trained Community Bank in place
100 of 100 communities
102 Community Banks established and 26,895 small loans issued
Goal 6
*Increase and diversify income
0 of 100 communities
*Goals 1 and 6 were established after 13 communities were already inaugurated as an Empowered Community. We are proactively working to accomplish and effectively measure Goals 1 and 6 in these communities.
Honduras - Goal to Empower 50 communities
El Zurzular
Inaugurated in 2012
El Zurzular, Global Brigades’ first Empowered Community established strong leadership to continue both health and development initiatives in their community. The community is home to one of GB’s strongest Community Banks and a growing coffee business which continues to work and invest in order to improve their coffee’s quality. Community Health Workers are active in the community and the Water Council operates, maintains and administrates their water system built in 2009.
Learn MoreEl Junco y Joyas
Inaugurated in 2013
Global Brigades worked with the community of El Junco y Joyas to construct their own water system and install in-home public health infrastructure, which continue to be overseen respectively by the volunteer Water Council and Basic Sanitation Committee. A Community Bank was established and continues to provide financial services to community members and there is an operational Staple Grain Purchase & Sales business providing better prices for farmers. CHWs were trained in the community in 2013 and continue to work tending to the health of the community.
Learn MoreEl Encinal
Inaugurated in 2013
Global Brigades worked with the community of El Encinal to improve their water system and install in-home public health infrastructure which continue to be overseen respectively by the volunteer Water Council and Basic Sanitation Committee. A Community Bank was established and CHWs were trained in the community in 2013 and continue to work tending to the health of the community.
Learn MoreEl Cantón
Inaugurated in 2014
GB volunteers, staff and community members all worked tirelessly in El Cantón starting with the construction of an improved water system in 2011 and wrapping up by inaugurating the Community Bank’s new building in 2014. The Water Council and Basic Sanitation Committee maintain, operate and administrate the Water System, and oversee in-home public health infrastructure. El Cantón has a flourishing Bakery micro-enterprise run by the women of the community, which sells baked goods in the surrounding region.
Learn MoreEl Ojochal
Inaugurated in 2014
El Ojochal was GB’s first Empowered Community in South Honduras. In the dry, coastal region, the challenge of sufficient water was the first addressed with a new well-based water system which was accompanied soon after by in-home public health infrastructure. The Community Bank continues working to meet the financial needs of the community and there is an operational Agriculture Store business allowing farmers to obtain more affordable agricultural products without having to leave their community. Community Health Workers attend patients in El Ojochal and form part of a larger group of CHWs representing surrounding communities.
Learn MorePalo Verde
Inaugurated in 2015
Palo Verde is a small, isolated mountain community near El Zurzular and had a dire water and public health situation upon GB’s arrival in 2012. Volunteers and community members constructed a new water system and in-home public health infrastructure, which are now overseen by the Water Council and Basic Sanitation Committee respectively. As part of the El Zurzular region training, Palo Verde has Community Health Workers, attending patients in the area. Coffee producers have access to basic financial services at the Community Bank of El Zurzular and some participate in the nearby community’s coffee business.
Learn MoreGuaricayán
Inaugurated in 2015
Guaricayán, a small, low-lying community suffered from poor water infrastructure and lack of local economic options. Global Brigades constructed a new water system in 2011, and established a Water Council to operate, maintain, and administrate it. Public health infrastructure was installed in each home and the Basic Sanitation Committee was trained to oversee it’s proper use and maintenance. The Community Bank was trained and capitalized and continues providing loans to community members and the chicken farm, “Guaripollo,” brings in an alternative source of income and provides the opportunity for community members to purchase the meat at a fair price. Lastly, Community Health Workers are working to protect the health of their fellow community members.
Learn MoreEl Jute
Inaugurated in 2015
The community of El Jute has been a model for GB’s economic development programming in rural Honduras, with a large, strong community bank, and an up and coming tilapia farming business, which is now producing fish for sale and consumption in the community. In conjunction with the El Cantón water project, some infrastructural improvements were made to El Jute’s water system and the Water Council was trained on how to properly maintain, operate, and administrate it. Families invested in public infrastructure for their homes and volunteers make up the Basic Sanitation Committee in charge of overseeing their proper use and maintenance in the community.
Learn MoreFray Lazaro
Inaugurated in 2015
Fray Lazaro is Global Brigades second Empowered Community in South Honduras, with a Community Bank providing financial services to community members, and an up an coming Bakery micro-enterprise. The neighborhood of Los Zimarros now has their own water system completing total water coverage in the community. Public health infrastructure has been installed in the homes of Fray Lazaro and is overseen by the Basic Sanitation Committee. Community Health Workers were trained in 2015 to tend to the health of the families in the community.
Learn MoreTomatin
Inaugurated in 2016
GB’s first Community Bank was established in Tomatin in 2009 and has since provided financial services to community members, constructed its own bank building, and supported the growth of the community’s Staple Grain Purchase and Sale business, the latter providing fair prices to local farmers. Families invested in public health infrastructure for their homes and the Basic Sanitation Committee oversees its proper maintenance and use. In conjunction with the community of El Ocote, Community Health Workers were trained in Tomatin in 2016 and work to tend health needs of fellow community members.
Learn MoreLa Concepción
Inaugurated in 2017
La Concepción is a farming community in eastern Honduras. When Global Brigades partnered with La Concepción in 2011, a chronic water shortage was quickly identified. Construction of a water system was complete by May 2012. In early 2014, GB began consulting La Concepción‘s existing Community Bank, which managed a large portfolio, but lacked training and technical assistance. Shortly after, families began investing in Public Health projects including hygiene stations to help further address household sanitation. In September 2017, 18 Community Health Workers were trained in the surrounding communities including 5 CHWs living in the community of La Concepción.
Learn MoreEl Espinito
Inaugurated in 2017
El Espinito, a small community in eastern Honduras, faced a lack of health care access. After being suggested by World Vision, Engineering and Water Brigades began shortly thereafter addressing the two contaminated public wells present in the community. Global Brigades began consulting with the existing Community Bank, to strengthen their administration, business consultation, and management of Public Health project loans. In June of 2016, 11 Community Health Workers were training in El Espinito with 16 in the surrounding communities. Additional training to the Basic Sanitation Committee helped maintain Public Health Projects which finished in August 2017.
Learn MorePanama - Goal to Empower 25 communities
Piriati Embera
Inaugurated in 2016
In 2013, Global Brigades established and trained a Community Bank in Piriati Embera that now offers loans and savings services to the community members. The pilot of the Community Health Workers program in Panama was done in the community of Piriati Embera where one community volunteer was trained to facilitate community health. A model farm was developed in the community to provide alternative sources of income and encourage better farming practices. The Human Rights program began working in the community in 2014 providing legal consultations to community members and completing 5 family cases.
Learn More