In the News

To teach the basics of commercial banking — and to instill some idealism in the next generation of lenders — one U.S. university is making Central American microfinance a part of its curriculum.

Marquette University’s commercial banking program is partnering with a microfinance organization that works with banking cooperatives in Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Newly minted Eskala has an ambitious mission: to reimagine microfinance. A recent spin-off from nonprofit Global Brigades, the startup is focusing on what Steve Atamian, Eskala’s president and Global Brigades’ chief strategy officer, calls “micro- equity,” which, as the term suggests, is all about taking equity positions in, rather than making loans to, ventures in low-income communities.

Global Brigades, the largest student-funded humanitarian organization that was started by Marquette University students in 2003, has launched a spinoff, Eskala, a microfinance company focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through banking.

Global Brigades has over 600 university chapters in the U.S., Canada and Europe. There is no official headquarters for either Global Brigades or Eskala as team members work remotely though there are offices in countries that the nonprofit serves.

Students at Dana Hills High School Health and Medical Occupational Academy were virtually transported to rural communities in Honduras, Ghana and Greece as they participated in a virtual, experiential-learning program and provided assistance to areas in need.

Global Brigades is an international student-funded organization that is dedicated to empowering under-resourced communities through the deployment of volunteers who work to establish equal access to health care, capital and clean water. Traditionally, the humanitarian nonprofit would send groups of volunteers abroad, but as international travel came to a halt due to the COVID-19 health crisis, Global Brigades shifted its program to a virtual format.

UF Global Brigades chapter participated in Global Brigades’ new, virtual, experiential-learning program to continue helping under-resourced communities around the world during the pandemic.

As international travel came to a halt with COVID-19, the humanitarian nonprofit organization, Global Brigades created TeleBrigades to allow students to still work virtually with these communities in need through a multi-week program.

Graduate students in WIU’s Health Sciences program have been working alongside a Honduran community as public health consultants. The program, known as Public Health Telebrigades, a part of Global Brigades, utilizes programs like Zoom to allow students at Western the ability to impact others internationally. Through an entirely virtual environment, students offer their expertise on a wide variety of subjects having to do with public

Graduate students in WIU’s Health Sciences program have been working alongside a Honduran community as public health consultants. The program, known as Public Health Telebrigades, a part of Global Brigades, utilizes programs like Zoom to allow students at Western the ability to impact others internationally. Through an entirely virtual environment, students offer their expertise on a wide variety of subjects having to do with public health and sanitation in the age of an international pandemic.

Members of the Public Health Telebrigade program, who worked alongside WIU’s students, had many positive things to say about those who participated.

“This particular brigade, and the final presentation that the group made, is helping me to visualize the solutions to the problems of the communities from a cognitive, formative, attitudinal point of view, and not from the structural point of view as usually seen by BSC volunteers (Basic Sanitation Committee) in the communities,” said Luis Bonilla, one of the team members working with the students at Western. “In other words, this telebrigade group broadened our perspective of how to face situations and difficulties in the communities. I hope that groups of students and professionals of this scope will continue to join our telebrigades … To continue expanding our knowledge and experiences.”

In summer 2020, before his senior year, Matthews finally landed his dream internship at Bank of America in the investment banking division. It was a perfect fit and ultimately led to a job offer awaiting him after graduation.

Matthews with a group of children he worked with during a UMBC Global Brigades medical and public health service trip to Panama. Photo courtesy of the UMBC Global Brigades, with participant permission.

To further sharpen his skills before graduating, Matthews took a final internship senior year at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore as a fixed income research intern. The position had him speaking directly with portfolio managers about how to allocate money for investment opportunities. The experience offered an opportunity to “become more persuasive and a better speaker, and really hone my rhetorical abilities,” Matthews says.

How are young people empowering communities to lead their own way to permanently rise out of poverty? Join us on this week’s show to learn how educators and students are taking action through Global Brigades – an international nonprofit that is working systematically in communities across the world to empower volunteers and under-resources communities to resolve global health and economic disparities and inspire all involved to work together towards an equal world.

Kristina Andrade, a graduate of the Biomedical Science and Enterprise bachelor’s degree program in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Honors College student and an aspiring doctor, pursued practical experience in the medical field in the United States and Honduras during her years at Georgia State, while leading several health and science student organizations.