BRIGADING FOR ECONOMIC EQUALITY

Global Business Brigades at WVU is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Panama. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts, and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. In conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring.