Creation of a community center for the Embera tribe

The Emberá tribe is one of the biggest indigenous groups in Panama. In the province of Colon, Panama, we work with a village called El Progreso, which consists of approximately 80 families of the Emberá tribe and is located on Panama’s Caribbean coast. For the last year, we have been working hand in hand with the community in order to help them improve their living conditions, while working to preserve their cultural identity, all while respecting the environment.

The village is remote and hard to reach, therefore it makes it hard for supplies, food, and even work to reach the village. The community is looking to create a communal place in order to facilitate their activities, such as celebrations, meetings, and traditional teachings. This project aims to help them to create a community center, where people can share their knowledge, learn, and create, in a communal atmosphere.

THE CENTER WILL HAVE THREE MAIN ROLES:

organizat的地方ion of workshops, talks, and teachings of different topics and traditions
To be a place for a community kitchen to for the villagers to share meals and re-learn traditional cooking and basic food conservation techniques
To be a place for celebration of rituals and ceremonies of traditional dance and music
For the first month or so, volunteers will help to launch the project by taking part in the center’s birth. The daily program consists of, complementary basic Spanish lessons from our volunteer coordinators, assisting in the building construction, collective cooking, and involvement in workshops and childcare. A big part of the project is learning about and immersing yourself in the daily life of an indigenous tribe.

No skills or experience is required for this project, only open-mindedness and the willingness to discover and learn. If you have a particular knowledge or skillset, a passion to pass on, or a talent to share, you will be able to share it with the community’s children and adults. Creativity and ideas are welcome, as long as they respect the community, its values, and its lifestyle.

PROGRAM
At your arrival in Panama City, you will be welcomed by our local team. They will lead you to the community which is 4 hours’ drive away.
The first night will be spent on the Ceiba Leaf campus. There will be a thorough briefing on the Emera’s way of life, on your work on the project, on the nature surrounding us and on the safety measures to respect during your stay.
The next day we will leave for the village, where you will get to know the members of the tribe and the host family with whom you will stay throughout the program.
The next 5 days, the program comprise 40 hours of necessary basic wilderness/jungle survival training
The rest of the program comprises of 25 hours of work per week for the community center, your weekends will be free.
The program offers optional 10 hours of complementary basic Spanish lessons from our volunteer coordinators per week
In the middle of the program, after two weeks, we will meet for one night in Ceiba Leaf so that everyone can share their impressions and talk about their needs.
The last night, from the 13th to the 14th of August, we will stay at Ceiba Leaf so that everyone can share their experience with others and be ready to leave. The 14th of August, our team will drive you back to Panama City/Airport.