Job Description
Panama is commonly referred to as “puente del mundo, corazón del universo” (bridge of the world, heart of the universe), and is a land of mixed realities. Its strategic geographic location influenced the construction of the Panama Canal, which accelerated immigration and contributed to Panama’s multicultural population. With one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, Panama is an international logistics, banking, and tourism hub. However, Panama also has the second-worst income distribution among Latin American countries, with approximately 22% of the population with income below the national poverty line.
Many communities in rural Panama are mainly comprised of subsistence-based farming families, particularly in indigenous areas. Land degradation, limited access to resources, high production costs, and low yields affect the production of high quality, nutritious food as well as a sustainable income. To mitigate these agricultural challenges, Volunteers in the Sustainable Agriculture Systems (SAS) program collaborate with small-holder rural farmers—men, women, youth, and children—to improve their food security and the resiliency and sustainability of their livelihoods.
Volunteers collaborate with community members to identify and prioritize local needs, as well as co-plan strategies to address them. Part of this process involves identifying work partners, who may include model farmers, local artisans, local host country ministry technicians, and/or community leaders. Interaction might be one-on-one, as when working alongside a farmer in her kitchen garden, or in a group setting, as when co-teaching with a model farmer about better fertilization practices to the local coffee producers’ association.
Volunteers support their work partners in addressing agriculture production issues such as soil conservation, integrated pest management, or post-harvest management. For farmers exploring new income-generating activities, Volunteers may support them in growing cash crops such as vegetables or coffee or producing artisanal goods from local materials. Volunteers, in collaboration with work partners, address business topics such as budgeting or marketing to support these endeavors. Volunteers also support community-based groups to assess their own organizational capacity and co-create plans for improvement, coaching members on topics including strategic planning, communication, and leadership. Volunteers work alongside key household members to improve understanding of the importance of a diverse diet. This is done by introducing recipes from a nutritional standpoint and promoting healthy foods, particularly lesser-known agricultural or traditional crops.
A typical day might involve hiking several hours through the jungle to visit a farm and observe a new bicho (bug) that is eating the crops, mixing up a compost pile at the local school out of chopped banana plants and cow manure, trying out a new recipe with a woman’s group over a three-stone fire, or adding up farm costs with a family in a notebook as everyone tells stories at the end of the day.
During Pre-Service Training and throughout service, Peace Corps Panama provides learning experiences to strengthen Volunteers’ competencies, in areas such as sustainable agriculture techniques, basic business skills, nutritional information, and organizational management. The most important skill Volunteers need to be successful is the ability to communicate ideas clearly and to develop strong interpersonal relationships. Creativity in using locally available resources is also important. Volunteers must be prepared to be proactive, self-driven, and to motivate others.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in agriculture and one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Science degree or Associate degree in Agronomy, Horticulture, or other related fields
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any business discipline
• At least 3 years full-time farm experience
• 5 years professional experience in business management
• Familiarity/experience with agriculture, gardens, and/or farm work
• Experience in leading through collaboration
• Experience teaching adults and children formally and informally
• Experience with public speaking or facilitating classes/workshops/presentations
Living Conditions
Community Locations
The SAS program works primarily with Ngäbe communities, an indigenous group from western Panama, although some Volunteers may be placed in non-indigenous (Latino) communities. Traveling to and from a community may require a 30–45-minute walk from the nearest bus stop. Many communities are spread out and might require long walks to coordinate and collaborate with work partners.
Housing
Houses in Panama vary and may include simple concrete block or plank walls with cement floors; stilted wood houses; or adobe or zinc structures with mud floors. Communities have basic utilities and infrastructure, including cell phone signal, treatable water within a short walk, and occasionally electricity. The reliability of these services may vary; and may be impacted by seasonal changes. All Volunteers receive training on how to treat their drinking water should they need to. Solar panels and other means to charge or run electronics can be acquired in Panama. Most homes have a simple pit latrine. Peace Corps Panama assesses each community and house to ensure that basic health and safety criteria are met.
Volunteers are required to live with a host family during their first three months of service. After three months, Volunteers may opt to live in pre-approved independent housing that meets Peace Corps Panama’s housing criteria.
Working Conditions
Volunteers work in a variety of locations, including farms that might be a mountainous 1-to-2-hour hike away, in local schools and gardens, under a tin-roofed “communal house” and in family homes and yards. During PST and throughout service, they will often do manual labor on farms to help integrate with the families that they serve and demonstrate new techniques.
Food and Diet
The Panamanian diet varies according to the region and the ethnic makeup of the population. Most often the diet consists of rice, beans, bananas or plantains, yuca, and corn. Rice and beans are a staple dish. Corn is commonly served in a variety of ways, including ground, boiled, or fried. Sancocho is a traditional soup prepared with root vegetables and chicken. Most rural areas have fruits and vegetable available only in certain seasons or regions, including mangos, papayas, pineapples, avocados, and citrus, tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers or greens. The most common meats are chicken, pork, and beef, which are often deep-fried or stewed. Fish is available sporadically waterside communities. It is common to eat canned meats and fish.
Panamanians frequently follow diets based on their region, culture, and seasonally available produce. Depending on the Volunteer’s diet, they may be inclined to start a garden, plan for trips to larger cities to acquire products at supermarkets or adjust to locally available options. Larger towns and cities have at least one familiar, US restaurant.
Computer, Phone, and Internet
Volunteers generally have reliable network coverage, though it might be up to a 30-minute walk to reach. Internet speed and reliability will vary depending on the location of the community. Some Volunteers may access Wi-Fi through the local public school, a community hot spot, or visit a private internet cafe in a larger town. In Panama City, Volunteers may access Wi-Fi, desktop computers and printers at the Peace Corps Panama office.
Peace Corps Panama provides all Volunteers with a local SIM card. Many cheap data plans are available for purchase in Panama. Many Volunteers bring an unlocked cell phone from the United States or buy one in country. Should Volunteers choose to bring electronics, it is their responsibility to maintain and insure them. Be aware that service providers in Panama do not fully support phones with eSIMs or will charge extra, which will be at the Volunteers' expense. Also, currently serving Volunteers have reported that newer iPhone models have difficulties connecting to local phone and data signals, causing them to purchase another phone model.
