Gain first-hand experience as an integral part of the Microfinance movement fighting poverty world-wide. Microfinance offers the world’s poor an opportunity to build their own businesses, insure against emergencies, fund community development projects, and once-and-for-all escape the poverty trap. Global Business Brigades (GBB) is offering a unique opportunity to experience microfinance in action and get to know the very people it helps during a week-long trip in Honduras*.
GBB is part of the world’s largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization, Global Brigades. GBB empowers university students with the material, know-how, and support to assess and deliver sustainable micro-enterprise solutions to impoverished villages.
In Honduras, we partner with the strongest local and international microfinance players, in efforts to support and strengthen "Cajas Rurales" (rural community banks). As a trip participant, you will help to provide their members the resources, administrative and leadership training to organically drive their own community's sustainable development.
We are currently accepting applications for the November 22-29 and December 13-20, 2009 trips to Honduras. Be a member of the team of passionate students to pioneer this program and support grassroots microfinance solutions for communities in rural Honduras. During the week you will:
• Visit and receive microfinance training from leading MFI executives.
• Work right along-side their loan officers and technicians in the field.
• Meet micro-entrepreneurs face to face and learn how they utilize microcredit to grow their enterprises.
• Combine any level of Spanish or business skills with your new ideas and passion to empower the community banks and its members to reach their potential and lift themselves out of severe poverty.
• Network with other student leaders from across the US.
• Support and influence the direction of microfinance in Honduras.
• Experience true Honduras culture in a unique way few tourists do.
Be prepared for living among basic conditions, be flexible, hard working and ready for challenges.
The program fee is $850, which includes all meals, lodging, local transportation, chauffeurs, interpreters, coordinators, an impressive speaking faculty, workshops, cultural activities, and a $100 Capital Investment Fund (CIF) donation going directly to the community banks. Note: This price does not include airfare to and from Tegucigalpa Toncontin International Airport.
TO APPLY for the Microfinance Service Learning Experience in Honduras, please send your resume and a brief cover letter to
Merrilee@globalbrigades.org. Your cover letter should state your level or examples of any of the following:
1. Spanish language
2. Previous leadership or volunteer experience
3. Experience, studies or interest in any of the below:
a. Microfinance
b. Honduras or Latin American culture/politics
c. Agriculture
d. Finance or Accounting
e. Entrepreneurship/micro-enterprises
f. Sustainable development in international rural communities
g. Economic indexing/impact studies research
The program is open for people 18 years and older. We are looking for a diverse team of student leaders interested in microfinance and sustainable development in rural Honduras.
*Recent political events in Honduras have created a slowdown in Honduran community-work. As peaceful negotiations continue, Global Brigades stands firm in refusing to abandon the villages that it supports – especially during this time of need. The safety of our volunteers is our chief priority and should events change in Honduras, Global Brigades will postpone the trip to a later date. We will not engage in any programming that would put our volunteers at-risk.
Questions? For more info go to www.globalbrigades.org or Contact:
Merrilee Chapin
Country Director - Honduras
Global Business Brigades
merrilee@globalbrigades.org
Global Brigades, Inc., a secular 501c3 non-profit.
