Save the Date: Global Business Brigades Information Session!
Save the Date:
Global Business Brigades Information Session!
Thursday, January 12, 2009
3:30 PM, Commons Lecture Hall
Are you passionate about global awareness and building a broader picture of the world around us? Looking for an abroad experience in economic development?
Please come to Commons Lecture Hall on the 12th to learn about Calvin’s new GBB Chapter and about how you can join us on a 7-day Business Brigade to Panama this May! This is a unique opportunity for anyone who is interested in business, international development, finance, or just experiencing Central America first-hand. We especially need Spanish-speaking students on the brigade; however, everyone (even with no Spanish or business experience) is encouraged to apply.
If you are interested but cannot make the information session, please contact Ashley Luse at ael7@students.calvin.edu, and keep checking the website to stay informed about upcoming events.
What is GBB?
Global Business Brigades (GBB) is a chapter of an international network of university clubs that travel to developing countries to provide business solutions and micro-finance capital to small, struggling businesses with limited access to resources. Our current emphasis is in the country of Panama, where GBB pairs student groups up with local nonprofits and NGOs to identify in-need enterprises and deliver sustainable solutions.
Although Panama is one of Central America’s fastest growing economies, poverty rates have been slow to fall because of unequal access to market opportunities. Those cut off from the market economy—unskilled laborers, subsistence farmers and members of the informal sector—have not benefited from economic growth due to lack of secure market connections. Panamanian villagers have created very small businesses, or micro-enterprises, in hopes of escaping the current cycle of poverty in Panama. Unfortunately, without seed capital and technical assistance, many of these micro-enterprises barely produce enough money to make a difference or even to feed one family. This is where Calvin College Global Business Brigades comes in!
Welcome to the Calvin GBB Blog!
Welcome to the new blog for Calvin Global Business Brigades. Look through some of the photos from our recent trip to Panama, and if you’re interested in going with us in May, be sure to stop by the Commons Annex on February 12 at 3:30 for a quick informational meeting about the program. Enjoy the site, and hopefully we’ll see you at the meeting!
Ashley, Brendan & Trevor
