Hola! My name is Hannah Sweatman, and I am writing from La Iguana Eco Resort in Coclé, Panama, on the 7th day of the Global Business Brigades Spring break abroad trip. The purpose of this brigade is to reach out to rural entrepreneurs in Panama as act as consultants, providing them with lessons on topics such as basic bookkeeping and budgeting, financial responsibility and literacy, leadership, or any concept that relates to their situation in order to grow their business and become more self-sustainable. The communities we have worked in are unlike anywhere I have ever been in the United States, and it has been an eye-opening experience. They are extremely rural, with maybe twenty or so community members give or take, and the residences lack resources they many people in the U.S. would label as essential, such as electricity, phone service, air conditioning, and indoor plumbing. The past few days have been a drastic difference to the first few days of our trip in which we stayed at a hotel in Panama City in order to explore some of the local tourist areas and culture. It’s a hard concept to grasp that there is such a drastic difference of terrain and quality of living within just a three-hour drive, the same drive that would get me to my small hometown of Cuero, Texas from my dorm in College Station. This just goes to show how strong the contrasts are in Panama between so many aspects of life. Even Panama City, full of tall towers, lighted sidewalks, corporate offices, industrialized hotels, and fast-food chains, had its fair share of poor housing communities and run-down buildings. The most shocking thing was the close proximity of the two, as it became evidently normal to pass a highly developed piece of land located directly beside or across from a building in absolute ruins. This just goes to show that Panama itself is a country of contrasts, whether it be from the city to the rural areas or simply within the city itself. There are some concepts you cannot fully comprehend without immersing yourself in them, and this trip has proved that the best way to learn is to step directly into the vast culture which is rich with opportunities of new knowledge and experience.
