Business Brigades
On a Business Brigade, students work alongside staff and translators to consult businesses of rural entrepreneurs as well as community banks, and to run educational and interactive workshops within the community. This creates opportunities for economic growth in under-resourced communities by increasing financial literacy and offering savings and loans programs.
Economic Development Programming
Global Business Brigades support the holistic model through the establishment of community banks, diversifying incomes, providing access to capital, and by introducing investment processes in order to stimulate economic growth within under-resourced communities. This contributes directly to steps five and six of the holistic model.
Example Community Bank Member:
Delmi Galvez, Suyapa, Honduras
Delmi Galvez, at 22 years old, is the youngest member of the community bank in Suyapa, Honduras. UVic’s February 2019 Business Brigade had the opportunity to work with her family and hear her story.
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Global Brigades partners with communities like Suyapa to highlight and train local members to be able to provide critical financial services to the community. Local governments recognize these banks as legitimate financial institutions, allowing them to provide access to savings and loans programs.
Delmi is married with a 3-year-old son. She joined the community bank because she wanted to learn how to save money for her son’s future. Delmi studied commercial education in post-secondary, but could not find work due to a lack of opportunities within rural communities like Suyapa. She currently lives on her parents land where she hopes to build a house and start a business. Delmi always aims to uplift and inspire her community no matter how tired she may be. When a brigade is present, she volunteers with Global Brigades because she believes in all the good work they do for communities like her own. She says with much passion and hope that “little by little, God will get her and her community there.”
BRIGADE BREAKDOWN
Brigaders have the opportunity to gain hands-on consulting experience and apply their business skills in a real-world context. See the brigade activities outlined below:
