Coclé, Panama

Project Specific Activities:

• Partner with local youth to run camps for 5-12 year old children focusing on environmental health

• Work with youth leaders to organize a presentation for the project-wide Youth Festival

• Collaborate with community members on the planning and implementation of a community based initiative (CBI).

Project Area:

Panama is diverse country with natural beauty and a strong indigenous culture. The province of Coclé is about two hours west of the nation’s capital, Panama City. Its name is believed to be derived from the two rivers named Coclé del Norte and Coclé del Sur, but it could also be based on an Indian Cacique named Coclé who dominated the central plains in the region's early history.

The majority of the people in the Coclé region are dedicated to sustenance farming. This year’s project headquarters is located in Penonomé and most of the host communities are within a two hour drive from the city.  The community landscape is very lush and green and, for the most part, most are located in the mountains.

Project History:

AMIGOS first worked in Panama in 1981. When U.S. Marines invaded Panama in 1989, AMIGOS suspended its project and did not return until 2004. That year, AMIGOS opened two new programs in the Veraguas and Coclé regions with the support of the Ministry of Health.  In 2010, AMIGOS will return to the Coclé region to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and with the local environmental NGO, Panamá Verde.

Partner Agencies:

Ministerio de Salud de Panamá
Panamá Verde

Further Actions:

• Apply to Volunteer
• Photos from the 2008 Coclé Project
• Read an Article About a Coclé Participant