Cerro Cama, Panama
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General Information
| Population* | 1000 |
| Number of homes | 400 |
| Avg # of people per home | 6 |
| Electricity | Yes |
| Corregimiento | West Panama |
| District | Chorrera |
| Corresponding Health Center | Puesto de Salud – Cerro Cama |
| Distance from compounds | 1 hour |
| Road conditions | Paved road |
* Population does not necessarily eflect how many patients will be seen on medical
brigades.
Expressed Needs and Capacities
The community has identified three areas with opportunity for improvement. They hope to improve the economic standing of the community as a whole, and ensure that students continue their studies through graduation. Another priority is to obtain the permanent presence of a doctor in the community.
The community of Cerro Cama has a primary school with 16 classrooms that serves students from kindergarten through grade 9. The school has 35 teachers that teach approximately 520 students. Students wishing to study beyond ninth grade need to travel out of the communty to Chorrera (about 45 minutes away).
The water system in Cerro Cama uses a gravity and turbine system. The system is maintained by a water committee, which has 7 members; the committee chlorinates the water system once a month. All of the community members are connected to the water system and pay $6.00 per month. Community members in general do not report problems with the water, but it is typical for houses to only have water three times a week, especially in the dry season.
Cerro Cama has a Puesto de Salud or clinic in the community, but the center is generally staffed by a health promoter, nurse or healthcare technician. Rarely is there a doctor in the community. The closest health centers are in Chorrera or Capira, both forty-five minutes to one hour away by car. The most common ailments are common colds, flus, fevers, and scabies.
The majority of Cerro Cama community members, over eighty percent, work in agriculture. Most work on farms dedicated to growing pineapple, or in other day labor positions. About 75% of the houses also grow crops on their own land for personal consumption (root vegetables ñame and otoe, pigeon peas, oranges). In terms of small businesses, the community also has three small corner stores and one restaurant. Currently, there is no access to credit in the community.
Cerro Cama has a community environmental committee comprised of ten members. The committee implements environmental education in the school with students grades four through 9. This weekly program maintains a school garden and teaches concepts of planting and harvest. There is no recycling initiative in the community, but there is trash collection.
There is no source of legal assistance in Cerro Cama, but community members can go to the local police station for support. Further assistance must be sought in Chorrera. Most legal issues in the community have to do with child recognition and support, receipt of government food assistance, and divorce.
Peace Corps works in Cerro Cama, and the community generally has one Peace Corps member residing there. Additionally, several government entities have projects in the community, including ANAM (National Environmental Authority) and MIDA (Ministry of Agricultural Development).
