The Ngobe People

We are going to provide medical, dental and community health service to the Ngobe people. They are one of seven indigenous tribes and share a comarca or reservation with the other ethnic group that make up the Ngobe-Bugle Indians. 

They are Panama's most numerous indigenous people with a population of about 180,000 Ngobes and 10,000 Bugles.The Methodist Community Center is just across the river from the border of the comarca where they live in villages. Most of their homes are very primitive, open-sided huts with palm thatched roofs are grouped together. One hut is a place for sleeping, another for cooking and so on. Meals are sparse and prepared over open fires. Sanitation is limited also. We have been sponsoring a latrine building project that Rhett organized and we hope to be able to travel to one of these villages next week to see the results. 



Here is a link to an online journal that gives a good description of life among the Ngobes. It was created by a young Canadian woman, Jess Jerler, who was there in 2004. Just click here Jess Journal and read about her experiences.