Join Our Brigade!
University of Victoria Business Brigade
February 15-23, 2020 in Honduras
By joining our Brigade, you will provide consulting to small businesses and families in under resourced, rural communities with previously limited to no access to loan capital. You will also have the opportunity to learn about business challenges, provide financial literacy workshops and develop recommendations to present to key stakeholders.
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.
