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About Zapallal

Zapallal is a community of about 214 homes and 813 inhabitants.

Located in the district of Chepigana along the Pan American highway in the

Darién province, Zapallal is a Latino community. Zapallal partakes in

various economic activities. As a farming community, residents typically plant rice and corn for their own consumption as well as to sell to intermediaries. Others also raise pigs and chickens to support themselves and their families.

Microenterprises within the comminity include kiosks and small restaurants, or fondas, as well as individuals who sell food on the side of the road. Though Zapallal has worked with Global Brigades in the past, Business Brigades

brought it's first volunteers in March 2016. Working in collaboration with the

GB Business and Microfinance team, Zapallal was able to establish their own

community bank in January of 2015.

Zapallal's Economic Challenge

Community members in Zapallal lack access to financial resources within the community. The majority of community members do not have bank accounts and there is only limited informal forms of credit available.  For example, a person could obtain ‘credit’ at a local store by buying something now and paying later, simply adding it to their ‘tab,’ but there would be no formalized credit transaction.  Larger financial institutions do not approve loans to community members without a fixed income, making it difficult for local microenterprises to grow and thrive. Most community members cite the distance to the nearest bank as the main discouragement to having a personal savings account. Even if individuals wish to travel the distance, not all community members can become members of these financial institutions--cooperatives require monthly membership fees, savings accounts often require a fixed income, and the cost of travel provides an additional barrier. 

Business Consulting in Zapallal

Through Global Brigades Business and Microfinance initiatives, Zapallal established their first community bank in January of 2015. With the opening of the community bank, community members have access to credit and savings accounts for the first time. Further, with access to savings, families can start to adequately prepare for the future, rather than hiding extra money in their beds, or not saving at all.

With the strong relationship developed in partnership with Global Brigades as a Holistic Community, Zapallal looks to receive financial training and business consulting to expand and improve its local microenterprises.

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 cooperative is directly linked to the development of Arimae; the growth and success of their community bank means growth and success for the community.

Last Updated: February 12, 2016

Visit Other Programs in Zapallal

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 Zapallal:

 Dental  Environmental  Human Rights Medical  Microfinance Public Health