General Information-
Clarita Shiripua
Business Idea: With the collaboration of Global
Business Brigades, Clarita would like to share her
heritage through marketing and selling her artisan crafts
outside of her community.
Communtiy Name: Puerto Lara
Community Members Involved: Clarita Shiripua
Business Description
Clarita Shiripua is a Wounaan artisan from the community of Puerto Lara. She started making baskets at the young age of 12, as part of a tradition that she inherited from her mother. She uses different techniques to elaborate the baskets and is inspired by the nature that surrounds her.
Current Status:
Business Information:
• Her market is focused around the tourist-friendly areas of Panama, including Gamboa and Casco Viejo,
among others.
• The price of each basket depends on the size, and can range anywhere from $20-$40.
• It takes Clarita about 15 days to make one basket, although the time varies depending on the size of the
basket. Each time that she travels to the city, she brings about 20 baskets to sell.
• She does not own a storefront; she is mainly a street vendor.
• Clarita lives between Panama City and Puerto Lara, as she currently has family members living in the
city. When she travels to Panama City, she typically stays for a month and spends this time selling her
baskets.
• She also sells Tagua carved items, which is a type of nut from palm trees. The price depends on the
complexity of the figure, but they typically range from $7-$10.
• Clarity currently owns one hectare of land where she grows avocados and plantains, although she does
not sell them. She has approximately 40-50 avocado trees.
Business Opportunity:
• She is currently a member of the Caja Rural and is receiving trainings from Global Brigades technicians.
• Her market is focused on the tourist-friendly areas of Panama City, giving her an advantage over other
artisans in her community. This also provides her an opportunity to adjust the prices.
• She owns a portion of land where she cultivates plantains and avocados that could potentially be sold.
Business Obstacles:
• Because of her age and vision, she is not able to make handcrafts with more intricate designs.
• There is a log of competition within the community, East Panama and Darien, so she needs to travel
further in order to sell her products.
• Literacy levels are low.
• She does not keep a record of her expenses, sales and revenues.
Your Task
• Provide support to this business with regards to expenses, sales and inventory tracking.
• Take some time to analyze and provide recommendations with regards to marketing techniques.
• Based on your recommendations, update/supplement this business profile.
• Consider visual and interactive aids in providing consultations, taking literacy levels into account.
Brigade Log
| Business Brigades Chapter |
Date | Volunteers |
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Visit Other Programs in Puerto Lara
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 Puerto Lara:
Dental 
Environmental 
Human Rights 
Medical 
Microfinance
Public Health