Success Stories
An Empowered Community is one that has reached their goals in healthcare, WASH and economic development. They now have the infrastructure, knowledge, leadership and economic capacity to continue growing.
Goals for Empowered Communities
Goal 1
2 of 100 communities
Goal 2
77 of 100 communities
280 CHWs trained
Goal 3
73 of 100 communities
42 clean water systems constructed
Goal 4
25 of 100 communities
2,562 families benefited with Public Health projects
Goal 5
81 of 100 communities
81 Community Banks established and 7,874 small loans issued
Goal 6
0 of 100 communities
Empowered Communities
El Zurzular, Honduras
Inaugurated in 2012
El Zurzular, Global Brigades’ first Empowered Community established strong leadership to continue both health and development initiatives in their community. The community is home to one of GB’s strongest Community Banks and a growing coffee business which continues to work and invest in order to improve their coffee’s quality. Community Health Workers are active in the community and the Water Council operates, maintains and administers their water system built in 2009.
El Cantón, Honduras
Inaugurated in 2014
GB volunteers, staff and community members all worked tirelessly in El Cantón starting with the construction of an improved water system in 2011 and wrapping up by inaugurating the Community Bank’s new building in 2014. The Water Council and Basic Sanitation Committee maintain, operate and administer the Water System, and oversee in-home public health infrastructure. El Cantón has a flourishing Bakery micro-enterprise run by the women of the community, which sells baked goods in the surrounding region.
El Ojochal, Honduras
Inaugurated in 2014
El Ojochal was GB’s first Empowered Community in South Honduras. In the dry, coastal region, the challenge of sufficient water was the first addressed with a new well-based water system which was accompanied soon after by in-home public health infrastructure. The Community Bank continues working to meet the financial needs of the community and there is an operational Agriculture Store business allowing farmers to obtain more affordable agricultural products without having to leave their community. Community Health Workers attend patients in El Ojochal and form part of a larger group of CHWs representing surrounding communities.
Palo Verde, Honduras
Inaugurated in 2015
Palo Verde is a small, isolated mountain community near El Zurzular and had a dire water and public health situation upon GB’s arrival in 2012. Volunteers and community members constructed a new water system and in-home public health infrastructure, which are now overseen by the Water Council and Basic Sanitation Committee respectively. As part of the El Zurzular region training, Palo Verde has Community Health Workers, attending patients in the area. Coffee producers have access to basic financial services at the Community Bank of El Zurzular and some participate in the nearby community’s coffee business.
La Concepción, Honduras
Inaugurated in 2017
La Concepción is a farming community in eastern Honduras. When Global Brigades partnered with La Concepción in 2011, a chronic water shortage was quickly identified. Construction of a water system was complete by May 2012. In early 2014, GB began consulting La Concepción‘s existing Community Bank, which managed a large portfolio, but lacked training and technical assistance. Shortly after, families began investing in Public Health projects including hygiene stations to help further address household sanitation. In September 2017, 18 Community Health Workers were trained in the surrounding communities including 5 CHWs living in the community of La Concepción.
Piriati Embera, Panama
Inaugurated in 2016
In 2013, Global Brigades established and trained a Community Bank in Piriati Embera that now offers loans and savings services to the community members. The pilot of the Community Health Workers program in Panama was done in the community of Piriati Embera where one community volunteer was trained to facilitate community health. A model farm was developed in the community to provide alternative sources of income and encourage better farming practices. The Human Rights program began working in the community in 2014 providing legal consultations to community members and completing 5 family cases.
For more information about specific communities or goals, visit our parent organization Global Brigades’ website.
