This was my second time traveling to Panama with Global Brigades and I had an amazing experience once again. First, our trip began with three days in Panama City. Our first company visit was with the PANAMCHAM (The American Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Panama) where we learned about the exchange of goods through airplanes to countries all over the world. Our second company visit was to the Panamanian FOundation for Sustainable Tourism (APTSO) where we learned about the organization’s initiatives and the process they go through to fund these projects. My favorite part about this visit was doing an activity with our teammates to think of ways we could come up with ideas to carry the organization’s mission and present this to them. My favorite part about being in Panama City was touring old Panama and visiting the ruins. We learned a lot about the history of Panama and the impact it has on the world’s economy.
After our three days were over, we headed to the Penonome region. Both of the communities that we visited were in that area. The first day of our brigade we went to El Escobal to visit our clients Don Jose and Celided. We gave a charla, which is like a small financial literacy presentation, where we talked about leadership, marketing, and accounting skills. Our client Don Jose was dedicated to delivering the best organic fruits to his clients. It was interesting to learn that he had graduated with a Bachelors in Philosophy and studied agriculture to learn about the effects of pesticides and how to take care of soil. My favorite part was getting to talk to him about all of his experiences throughout his life.
The third day, we visited La Candelaria where we saw the next two clients. My group’s main client Raul was a community veterinarian. He explained to us what type of work he did and the animals he saw. He learned by shadowing a licensed vet in Panama City. He explained how he needed help with his record keeping of clients and profits. We made him a binder with a waiver, logo, business cards, a savings tracker, and all types of accounting inventory/revenue/expenses tables. Our goal was for him to reach more people to increase his clientele and keep track of his business revenues and expenses to increase his profits and have more control over his prices. We also wanted him to keep track of his personal expenses to increase his savings balance in the community bank. The community of La Candelaria was very welcoming to us and grateful for the charlas we gave them as well. They were all very engaged throughout our presentations and it was amazing to see how united they are. On our last day, the community cooked Panamanian dishes for us to try.
Overall, I had an amazing experience and I will never forget the people of those communities. I hope to see this program flourish in the future and continue to change lives in Panama!
