Panama
Build Clean Water Systems
Volunteers work alongside community members and local technicians to build custom-designed water systems for rural under-resourced communities. Volunteers assist in connecting pipes, installing in-home water faucets, digging trenches, and conducting educational workshops to improve health outcomes. Volunteer participation empowers a year-round staff of engineers to build the capacity of a community-led Water Committee to ensure that there is funding and technical capacity to maintain the system long into the future.
Water Brigade –
7 Day Sample Schedule
To develop an understanding of community needs, volunteers first visit the community to get introduced to the project and community members. They then examine the water challenges, meet with community leaders, and visit families in their homes. Volunteers learn to look holistically to identify the community’s assets and challenges, before working collaboratively to construct the new water system. Volunteers may work to build the dam, tank, cistern, and/or the piping system. Near the end of the brigade, volunteers present an education workshop to primary school children in collaboration with members of the community-led Water Committee. These topics include themes such as basic sanitation practices, safe water storage, water conservation, and watershed protection.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | ||
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | |
| 9:00am | Water Project Introduction and Training Volunteers / Community Introduction and Tour | Water Project Implementation | Water Project Implementation | Water Project Implementation | Children Education Workshop | Breakfast | |
| 10:00am | Depart for Airport | ||||||
| 11:00am | |||||||
| 12:00pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | ||
| 1:00pm | Water Project Implementation | Water Project Implementation | Water Project Implementation | Cultural Activities | Despedida (Goodbye) with Community | ||
| 2:00pm | |||||||
| 3:00pm | Settle In | ||||||
| 4:00pm | Introduction to Global Brigades | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | |
| 5:00pm | Free Time | Free Time | Free Time | Free Time | Free Time | ||
| 6:00pm | Free Time | ||||||
| 7:00pm | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | |
| 8:00pm | Water Introduction | Reflection | Reflection | Reflection | Reflection | Reflection |
| Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | |
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | Settle In |
| 4:00pm | Introduction to Global Brigades |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | Free Time |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Water Introduction |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Water Project Introduction and Training Volunteers / Community Introduction and Tour |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Water Project Implementation |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Reflection |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Water Project Implementation |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Water Project Implementation |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Reflection |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Water Project Implementation |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Water Project Implementation |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Reflection |
| Day 5 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Water Project Implementation |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Cultural Activities |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Reflection |
| Day 6 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Children Education Workshop |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Despedida (Goodbye) with Community |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Reflection |
| Day 7 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | |
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | Breakfast |
| 10:00am | Depart for Airport |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | |
| 8:00pm | |
Costs and Fundraising
In order to participate in a Water Brigade, all volunteers must meet a Donation Goal by fundraising as part of their commitment to a Brigades Chapter. This is not considered a payment for a specific trip, but support towards Global Brigades’ Holistic Model.
Donation Goals for Panama Brigades start at $2,440 USD*.
Once you meet a set Donation Goal, you’re eligible to join us on the ground to see your fundraising efforts put into action by participating in a Water Brigade.
When you participate in a Water Brigade, your airfare, ground transportation, food, lodging, and emergency insurance are all covered. The funding you raised also supports all the necessary costs for program implementation, such as brigade equipment, construction supplies, local professionals, coordinators, masons, translators, and support staff.
Global Brigades’ travel team will work with your Brigade to book airfare**.
Once a volunteer meets their Donation Goal, they have up to 1 year to participate in a Water Brigade.
*coming from outside the US, Canada, or the UK? Talk to our team about donation goals.
** for UK Chapters, airfare is not included in your Donation Goal
Donation Goals for 2025 Panama 7-Day Water Brigades
| Volunteers | Donation Goal (USD) | Donation Goal (CAD) | Donation Goal (GBP) |
| 10+ | $2,440 USD | $2,850 CAD | £960 GBP |
*Chapters with less than 10 volunteers must be paired with another chapter.
Clean Water Fund
A portion of each Donation Goal supports our Clean Water Fund which enables year-round clean water solutions in partner communities carried out by our local teams. Specifically, the Fund supports water system planning and design, water council training on system operation, maintenance and administration, water system project management and follow-up visits, and on-going project monitoring and impact evaluation.
Safety
Volunteer safety will always be our absolute top priority. Global Brigades recently engaged Askari International Security, an industry leader in international risk assessment, to complete a comprehensive risk/safety assessment of all brigade operations. A full explanation of safety precautions and procedures can be found on our “Safety & Insurance” page.
In Panama
- Global Brigades is an active member of OSAC (the Overseas Security Advisory Committee) and receives up-to-date security and safety briefings from the U.S. State Department;
- Established relationship with Senafront to provide security escorts to those groups working in the Darien region;
- Full-time local Global Brigades medical personnel on-call at all times;
- Adherence to the IVPA standards of international volunteering.
Lodging Facilities
Global Brigades does an annual safety review of all lodging facility partners each year. Lodging facilities provide pillows, bedsheets and towels. Facilities have showers, toilets and sinks with running water (no hot water) as well as filtered clean drinking water dispensers onsite. 24-hour security is provided at all facilities. Conditions are most similar to a comfortable summer camp, with dormitory-style sleeping and shared bathrooms.
Water Brigades are assigned to lodging facilities based on proximity to the partner community they will be working with.
El Palmar
The El Palmar hostel sits along the Pan-American highway, approximately 30 minutes after passing Lago Bayano and approximately 10 minutes before reaching the town of Torti. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green mountains and farms’ pastures. Global Brigades Panama has used El Palmar for several years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders. Emergency medical care is easily accessible in Torti.
Hotel Avicar
Hotel Avicar sits along the Pan-American highway, approximately 40 minutes after passing Lago Bayano and is in the center of the town of Torti. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green mountains and farms’ pastures. Also, brigaders staying at Hotel Avicar get see how life plays out in a rural town in East Panama. Emergency medical care is available in Torti.
Pro Niños
The Pro Niños facility sits along the Pan-American
highway, approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes after passing into the Darién province. The facility is also located about 10 minutes from the town of Meteti. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green pastures and distant mountains. Global Brigades Panama has used the Pro Niños facility for several years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders. Emergency medical care is available in Meteti and in the town of Santa Fe, about 30 minutes away.
San Carlos
The San Carlos facility sits about 10 minutes off of the Pan-American highway, approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes after leaving Panama City in the direction of the Coclé province. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Global Brigades Panama will be using the San Carlos facility for the first time in March 2015. Emergency medical care is available at the Health Center in the town of San Carlos, approximately 2 minutes from this facility.
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This DONATION is non-refundable
This DONATION is non-refundable Global Brigades, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your donation will be used to further Global Brigades' mission and will be allocated toward the program you selected. This donation will not be utilized to fulfill a chapter or a volunteer's fundraising goal. Read Global Brigades, Inc's full Donation Refund Policy here.
Looking to donate to support a volunteer's fundraising goal? Find their Global Brigades Chapter by searching our Chapters map and then selecting their upcoming brigade. If you need help finding their chapter, you can ask the volunteer to send you their brigade's specific website link or you can contact us.
By making this donation, I agree to the no-refund policy
I am cancelling my donation to support Global Brigades