Programs / Microfinance / Communities / Embera Puru / Caja Rural «

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.

Last Updated: November 12, 2015

Visit Other Programs in Embera Puru

Global Brigades strives to implement a model of Holistic Development in communities through a system of health, economic, and education initiatives in order 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