Global Brigades is an international non-profit that empowers communities to meet their health and economic goals through university volunteers and local teams.

honduras2

Business Brigade –
7 Day Sample Schedule

To develop an understanding of community needs and access to financial resources, volunteers will have the opportunity to first meet with the community-owned bank that was established with Global Brigades’ assistance. Next, volunteers with then work with a family to provide financial literacy training and microfinance workshop. For the remainder of the Brigade, volunteers will business consulting to a rural small business or family.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
7:00am Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast
8:00am Transport to Community Transport to Community Transport to Community Transport to Community Transport to Community Transport to Airport & Airline Check in
9:00am Community Bank Introduction Market Research Community Research Children’s Education Workshop Business Plan Presentation
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
1:00pm Microenterprise Introduction Market Research Community Research Microenterprise & Microfinance Workshop Community Bank Meeting & Farewell
2:00pm
3:00pm Settle In
4:00pm
5:00pm Transport to Lodging Facility Transport to Lodging Facility Transport to Lodging Facility Transport to Lodging Facility Transport to Lodging Facility
6:00pm Networking Networking Networking Networking Networking
7:00pm Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner
8:00pm Introduction to Microfinance & Business Program Reflection & Preparation for Primary Market Research Research Compilation & Preparation for Family Visits Research Compilation & Workshop Preparation Reflection & Preparation for Business Plan Presentation Final Reflection
9:00pm

9:00pm

Day 1
7:00am Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility
8:00am
9:00am
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm
1:00pm
2:00pm
3:00pm Settle In
4:00pm
5:00pm
6:00pm
7:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Introduction to Microfinance & Business Program
Day 2
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Transport to Community
9:00am Community Bank Introduction
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Microenterprise Introduction
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:00pm
5:00pm Transport to Lodging Facility
6:00pm Networking
7:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Relection & Preparation for Primary Market Research
9:00pm
Day 3
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Transport to Community
9:00am Market Research
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Market Research
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:00pm
5:00pm Transport to Lodging Facility
6:00pm Networking
7:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Research Compilation & Preparation for Family Visits
Day 4
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Transport to Community
9:00am Community Research
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Community Research
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:00pm
5:00pm Transport to Lodging Facility
6:00pm Networking
7:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Research Compilation & Workshop Preparation
9:00pm
Day 5
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Transport to Community
9:00am Children’s Education Workshop
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Microenterprise/Microfinance Workshop
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:00pm
5:00pm Transport to Lodging Facility
6:00pm Networking
7:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Reflection & Preparation for Business Plan Presentation
9:00pm
Day 6
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Transport to Community
9:00am Business Plan Presentation
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Community Bank Meeting & Farewell
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:00pm
5:00pm Transport to Lodging Facility
6:00pm Networking
7:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Final Reflection
9:00pm
Day 7
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Transport to Airport & Airline Check In
9:00am
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm
1:00pm
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:00pm
5:00pm
6:00pm
7:00pm
8:00pm
9:00pm

Volunteer Donation Goal

Volunteers do not pay to participate in a Business Brigade. Instead, volunteers fundraise to support Global Brigades’ Holistic Model. Once a volunteer meets a set Donation Goal, they are eligible to join us on-the-ground to see their fundraising efforts put into action by participating in a Business Brigade.

When a volunteer participates in a Business Brigade, the volunteer’s ground transportation, food, lodging, and emergency insurance are all covered. The funding that the volunteer raised also supports all the necessary costs for program implementation, such as community bank capitalization, supplies, coordinators, translators, and support staff.

Airfare is not included in the standard Donation Goal. However, Global Brigades’ travel team can work with volunteers to book airfare and incorporate the airfare expense into the volunteer’s Donation Goal.

Honduras Business 7 Day Donation Goal: $1,190 CAD

*The donation goals listed above are based on our Brigade recruiting at least 3 volunteers.

Community Investment Fund

A portion of each Donation Goal supports our Community Investment Fund which enables year-round funding for small business loans and capacity building within community banks. Specifically, the fund supports (1) community bank capitalization for small business loans (2) on-going project monitoring and impact evaluation (3) community bank committee training and follow-up (4) caja Rural Board of Directors Training Summit and (5) program management, planning and follow up.

Safety

Volunteer safety will always be our absolute top priority. Global Brigades recently engaged Askari International Security, an industry leader in international risk assessment, to complete a comprehensive risk/safety assessment of all brigade operations. A full explanation of safety precautions and procedures can be found on our “Safety & Insurance” page.

A Quote from Askari International Security

“I was asked to review Global Brigades safety and security procedures for their operations in Central America. I always use a “litmus test” by assessing whether I’d be happy to send my own daughters (late teens early 20’s) on one of their events. The answer was a resounding yes. I hope I was able to help them improve their processes and procedures, but what was already in place was good, but better still was the culture of safety and security. All the staff were concerned with safety and security and keen to improve. Nothing can ever be 100% secure or safe, but with Global Brigades I can genuinely say they care and take things very seriously.”
– Bryan Hemmings, Managing Director, Askari International Security

Safety Highlights in Honduras

  • Global Brigades is an active member of OSAC (the Overseas Security Advisory Committee) and receives up-to-date security and safety briefings from the U.S. State Department;
  • Established relationships with local military and police to provide dedicated security personnel to accompany each group at all times;
  • Full-time local Global Brigades medical personnel on-call at all times;
  • Adherence to the IVPA standards of international volunteering.

Lodging Facilities

Global Brigades does an annual safety review of all lodging facility partners each year. Lodging facilities provide pillows, bedsheets and towels. Facilities have showers, toilets and sinks with running water (no hot water) as well as filtered clean drinking water dispensers onsite. 24-hour security is provided at all facilities. Conditions are most similar to a comfortable summer camp, with dormitory-style sleeping and shared bathrooms.

Business Brigades are assigned to lodging facilities based on proximity to the partner community they will be working with.

El Censo

The El Censo lodging facility is located in a valley approximately 1 hour and 30 mintues east of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green pastures, sugar cane fields and distant mountains. Global Brigades Honduras has used the El Censo facility for more than 2 years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders.

Posada Azul

The Posada Azul facility is located in a valley approximately 1 hour and 30 mintues east of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green pastures, sugar cane fields and distant mountains. Global Brigades Honduras has used the Posada Azul facility for more than 5 years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders.

Villas de Valle

The Villas del Valle lodging facility is located in the mountains approximately 1 hour northwest of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a cool climate high up in the mountains near the town of Valle de los Angeles. Global Brigades Honduras has used the Villas del Valle facility for more than 3 years, housing hundreds of brigaders.

Maranata

The Maranata lodging facility is located in the mountains approximately 1 hour northwest of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy a cool climate high up in the mountains near the town of Valle de los Angeles. Global Brigades Honduras has used the Maranata facility for more than 3 years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders.

Hotel y Club Morazan

Hotel y Club Morazan sits along the Pan-American highway in the south of Honduras. It is located in the town of San Lorenzo – a fairly large town in Honduras – in the department of Valle. Although this facility does function as a hotel when students are not present, all compound rules that apply at our other compounds apply here as well, including that all students must stay on hotel premises at all times unless accompanied by staff members. Here, brigaders can enjoy the hotel pool and several indoor and outdoor lounge areas. Global Brigades has used this hotel for approximately 4 years, since the beginning of Medical and Dental brigades began working in the south of Honduras.

Casa del Sol

The Casa del Sol facility is located approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes south of Tegucigalpa. Here, brigaders enjoy use of the hotel’s spacious seating areas and views of distant mountains.

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