From New York to Panama
In April 2023, Baruch College traveled from New York to Panama to provide consulting services to rural clients in the community of Membrillo Centro de Pajonal. As part of the Kambia Business program, students met with the local community bank (“Caja Rural” in Spanish) to discuss the challenges and the needs of local entrepreneurs and to design systems to help grow local businesses.
Supporting Entrepreneurs Abroad
Membrillo Centro de Pajonal has limited access to financial institutions or other forms of credit making it difficult for locals to grow their micro-enterprises. With the help of the Kambia Business program, student volunteers and faculty provide business skills and management systems to support entrepreneurs to grow their local business. Additionally, these clients are connected to Eskala, Kambia’s partner microfinance organization, to secure financial investments and services.
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Presenting the Consulting Deliverables
Baruch College business students, alongside local Kambia business professionals and mentors, provided training in customer service, accounting, and marketing to support the microenterprises. Students also worked with the clients to create the "Mission and Vision" of the new micro-enterprises as well as a SWOT analysis for the business and an action plan for the future. In addition to the deliverables, this program cultivated a stronger relationship with the communities and empowered the members of the Caja Rural to expand their work.
If you would like to offer this experience to your students, either through an international trip abroad or a virtual project-based learning program live-streamed into your classroom, please fill out an interest form or schedule a call with us to get started.
