Brigading for Better Health

Over Spring Break this year, our groups spent eleven days on the edge of the Darién Gap within the Darién Province of Panama. We assisted Panamanian medical and dental professionals in clinics in three different communities; we were all together in Yaviza but were split up between the indigenous communities of Arretí and La Cantera. We also spent two days in an indigenous community, Lajas Blancas where we worked with UNICEF on their WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) project. We worked together to dig over 400 meters of ditch line in thick clay where the professionals then were able to lay piping that will be connected throughout the community. We were able to visit another indigenous community, La Peñita to understand how the water filtration system was working for them having already had the project finished in 2022. Finally, we visited a seventh local community where we had a cultural exchange of music and dance.