FAQs
Your chapter is leaving in December...will I be home before Christmas?
Yes; we leave after finals, and we return before Christmas.
What will we do during the week?
The first day we arrive, we attend a brief orientation given by the Global Brigades staff, and begin to prepare for the brigade. The second day, we spend organizing the medications we brought with us, learning about the OpenMRS system we'll use to record patient history and information, and visiting a local orphanage. The third, forth, and fifth day is when we launch our mobile medical and dental unit at a rural community. The last day is a Pilot Day and fiesta.
What exactly is a Pilot Day?
A Pilot Day is voted on by the brigaders attending the brigade. They have the option of voting to work on a Water Brigade (assist in providing a water system to a rural community), Architecture Brigade (help build a community health building, or school), Microfinance Brigade (provide a community with a community banking system), etc.
What can I do as a student on a Medical and Dental Brigade?
There are various roles a student can fulfill during the brigade. In the Triage station, students take blood pressure, other vitals, and patient history. In the Doctor Consultation station, students shadow doctors, and learn about the common illness found in rural areas of Honduras. In the Dental station, students assist the dentist, and watch fillings and extractions. In the Pharmacy station, students bag the patients' medications, and listen as the pharmacist explains to the patient how to use the medication. It's a great way to see all your hard work being given to a patient! In the education charla, students play with the kids, and teach them how to brush their teeth and wash their hands; the charla is meant to be fun and entertaining. Last year, the students did a skit with a puppet. The kids loved it!
How expensive is the trip?
The overall expense depends on the airfare amount. Last year, we only spent $640.10 on airfare.
In-country contribution (donation, accommodations, food (3 meals a day): $750.00
Airfare: $600.00
Deposit (non-refundable): $250.00
Total: (price may decrease depending on donations) $1,600.00
Do I have to pay all at once?
No, absolutely not. There is a payment period, which allows students to budget their trip.
6 months before the trip, students put their non-refundable $250.00 deposit on the chapter's designated Empowered site, which goes toward their airfare. This allows Global Brigades' travel team to begin booking our flights.
3 months before the trip, the $200.00 medication payment is due. Again, this dollar amount depends on the amount of donations received (medication and medical supplies). Last year, we gathered over $7,000.00 worth in medication and supplies.
40 days before the trip, $550.00 is due, typically the remainder of the airfare. If airfare is cheaper than $800, this payment goes toward your $750.00 in-country contribution.
14 days before the trip, students pay the remainder of the amount, typically the $750.00 in-country contribution.
Are there opportunities for scholarships, or discounts?
Yes! The Collier scholarship is available to a hard working brigader; this brigader went above and beyond during the preparation period, and was a team player. More details will be available soon.
Every year, Global Brigades hosts a Video Competition, which gives a chapter $1,500.
We also encourage you to ask family members and friends to help donate towards our cause. Once accepted, you will sign-up on Empowered, and be given a website where potential donors can donate to you, or the overall group. Most brigaders were able to get their trip completely covered because family and friends donated on their empowered site.
Typically, the trip is cheaper than $1,600. However, we want to prepare students for the highest amount. Last year, each brigader spent $1,506!
Is it safe?
Most definitely! Safety is Global Brigades top priority during your stay. We stay in a secured Global Brigades residence. Brigaders are always in the presence of armed military provided by the Honduran government. Since Global Brigades began their movement, no Brigader has been in danger, or been harmed.
Where do we stay?
Honduras: All Global Brigades volunteers stay an hour outside of Tegucigalpa in a very safe, rural area near Nuevo Paraiso. The majority of groups will be staying in one of the two compounds:
Yes; we leave after finals, and we return before Christmas.
What will we do during the week?
The first day we arrive, we attend a brief orientation given by the Global Brigades staff, and begin to prepare for the brigade. The second day, we spend organizing the medications we brought with us, learning about the OpenMRS system we'll use to record patient history and information, and visiting a local orphanage. The third, forth, and fifth day is when we launch our mobile medical and dental unit at a rural community. The last day is a Pilot Day and fiesta.
What exactly is a Pilot Day?
A Pilot Day is voted on by the brigaders attending the brigade. They have the option of voting to work on a Water Brigade (assist in providing a water system to a rural community), Architecture Brigade (help build a community health building, or school), Microfinance Brigade (provide a community with a community banking system), etc.
What can I do as a student on a Medical and Dental Brigade?
There are various roles a student can fulfill during the brigade. In the Triage station, students take blood pressure, other vitals, and patient history. In the Doctor Consultation station, students shadow doctors, and learn about the common illness found in rural areas of Honduras. In the Dental station, students assist the dentist, and watch fillings and extractions. In the Pharmacy station, students bag the patients' medications, and listen as the pharmacist explains to the patient how to use the medication. It's a great way to see all your hard work being given to a patient! In the education charla, students play with the kids, and teach them how to brush their teeth and wash their hands; the charla is meant to be fun and entertaining. Last year, the students did a skit with a puppet. The kids loved it!
How expensive is the trip?
The overall expense depends on the airfare amount. Last year, we only spent $640.10 on airfare.
In-country contribution (donation, accommodations, food (3 meals a day): $750.00
Airfare: $600.00
Deposit (non-refundable): $250.00
Total: (price may decrease depending on donations) $1,600.00
Do I have to pay all at once?
No, absolutely not. There is a payment period, which allows students to budget their trip.
6 months before the trip, students put their non-refundable $250.00 deposit on the chapter's designated Empowered site, which goes toward their airfare. This allows Global Brigades' travel team to begin booking our flights.
3 months before the trip, the $200.00 medication payment is due. Again, this dollar amount depends on the amount of donations received (medication and medical supplies). Last year, we gathered over $7,000.00 worth in medication and supplies.
40 days before the trip, $550.00 is due, typically the remainder of the airfare. If airfare is cheaper than $800, this payment goes toward your $750.00 in-country contribution.
14 days before the trip, students pay the remainder of the amount, typically the $750.00 in-country contribution.
Are there opportunities for scholarships, or discounts?
Yes! The Collier scholarship is available to a hard working brigader; this brigader went above and beyond during the preparation period, and was a team player. More details will be available soon.
Every year, Global Brigades hosts a Video Competition, which gives a chapter $1,500.
We also encourage you to ask family members and friends to help donate towards our cause. Once accepted, you will sign-up on Empowered, and be given a website where potential donors can donate to you, or the overall group. Most brigaders were able to get their trip completely covered because family and friends donated on their empowered site.
Typically, the trip is cheaper than $1,600. However, we want to prepare students for the highest amount. Last year, each brigader spent $1,506!
Is it safe?
Most definitely! Safety is Global Brigades top priority during your stay. We stay in a secured Global Brigades residence. Brigaders are always in the presence of armed military provided by the Honduran government. Since Global Brigades began their movement, no Brigader has been in danger, or been harmed.
Where do we stay?
Honduras: All Global Brigades volunteers stay an hour outside of Tegucigalpa in a very safe, rural area near Nuevo Paraiso. The majority of groups will be staying in one of the two compounds:
- Rapaco: a beautiful classic hacienda style compound. It has traditionalsummer camp-like amenities such as bunk beds, sheets, towels, a washer and dryer for laundry, an abundance of bathrooms and showers, and filtered water for drinking. The compound has security present 24 hours a day. In addition,Rapaco has a small area in which to play soccer and countless hammocks which provide some of the best naps in Honduras.
- Posada Azul: the more rustic of our two main compounds, Posada Azul offers an incredible few of the valley below. It has the normal GB amenities such as beds, sheets, towels, a washer and dryer for laundry, an abundance of bathrooms and showers, and bottled water for drinking. It is a secure compound with security staff working around the clock. Posada Azul is also located just up the hill from the Flor Azul Boys School & Farm, whose students are always ready for a game on their full size soccer field.