Programs / Microfinance / Communities / Embera Puru «

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Embera Puru

Embera Puru is an indigenous community of 44 homes with a population of

approximately 266. Located in the Darien Province in Eastern Panama,

Embera Puru is an Embera community, one of the largest indigenous groups

in Panama and Colombia. Embera Puru is a primarily agricultural community,

relying on the production of rice, yucca, yams, and otoe, a local root vegetable.

The women also work on the farms, make traditional crafts, or take care of the

home. Working in collaboration with Business and Microfinance Brigades,
Embera Puru was able to establish their own community bank in December

of 2013. Embera Puru is one of Global Brigades' Holistic Communities, with

ongoing projects and collaboration with Medical, Dental, Public Health,

and Environmental Brigades.

 

Embera Puru's Economic Challenge

While many of the community members in Embera Puru work in agriculture

privately owned small farms, there are many local businesses within the

community. Local businesses in the area consist in three small stores that sell

staple foods and snacks. Yet, the community has no access to credit, and up

until the time of the interview, no one had ever taken out a loan. Larger financial institutions, which are inaccessible due to distance and cost, also do not approve loans to community members without a fixed income, making it very difficult for local microenterprises to grow and thrive. Embera Puru has been trying to open a cooperative in the community through the governmental  organization IPACOOP, though its unreliability and underresourced staff has led to Embera Puru waiting for almost a year.

 

Microfinance in Embera Puru

Through Global Brigades Microfinance initiatives, Embera Puru has established their first community bank in November 2013. With the opening of the community bank, community members have access to credit for the first time, and access to a savings account for the first time. Further, with access to savings, families for the first time can have preparation for the future, rather than hiding extra money in their beds, or not saving at all.

 

One of the cornerstones for the success of future projects is the sustainable nature of a community bank: investments are approved through loans granted to community projects; interest is then paid back on the loans—both large and small—and 100% of profits stay in the community, enabling the funding of more loans for more projects in the community. Capitalization of the community bank is directly linked to the development of Embera Puru; the growth and success of their community bank means growth and success for the community.

 

Caja Rural in Embera Puru

• Caja Rural or Caja refers to a community bank!
• The Caja is composed of community members from Embera Puru
• Women represent about 43% of the members of the Caja, and are typically at least 50 years old. Many earn their oncome by raising animals as livestock along with their husbands who work in agriculture, or work and live as housewives.
• The men in the community hold the leadership positions.  The majority earn their living by working in agriculture
• The Caja Rural of Embera Puru is the only Caja that currently offers "Agricultural Loans," giving members of the Environmental Committee the opportunity to apply for loans to invest in their harvests and agricultural projects.
• During the Board of Directors Microfinance Workshop in November 2014, where the board of directors from all Cajas gathered in Panama City for a weekend of training, Embera Puru won the prize for the "Caja with the best bookkeeping management," demonstarting the amazing performance of the Caja over the year and the great management of the board of directors.

 

Board of Directors

President: Wilfrido Garipia

This distinguished individual served as his community's leader, or chief.  Like Nokos before him, he was and is primarily concerned with the economic and educational development of his community.  Wilfrido works in agriculture and is an active member in his community's Environmental Committee, which works with Global Brigades Environmental Brigades.

 

Secretary: Benicio Pacheco

Mr. Pacheco is the community's current Noko, and has recently become the Caja Rural's secretary as well.  Due to extenuating circumstances arising from conflicts with work, the former secretary Anel Membache, had to step down from his position. In this situation, Pacheco decided to take the position.  "I am always nervous but I always think about my community, and I know that I should always lern, and in that matter I am; little by little, I am learning to do things that people who have attended university can do."

 

Treasurer: Marcelino Berrugate

Marcelino is a teacher who is dedicated to his community.  He is a very active participant in Global Brigades' projects, having taken leadership positions in both the community bank, and the Environmental Committee, of which is is the president.  After each weekley Caja Rural meeting, Marcelino stays afterwards to give classes to the community's women to help them learn to read and write.

 

 

Microfinance Brigades Chapters that Worked in Embera Puru
Microfinance Brigades Chapter	Month	Volunteers
UIUC	January 2015	15

 

 

Visit Other Programs in Embera Puru

Global Brigades strives to implement a model of Holistic Development in communities through a system of collectively implementing health, economic, and education initiatives to strategically meet a community's development goals. Learn more about the other programs being implemented in Embera Puru:

Business Dental  Environmental  Human Rights Medical  Public Health