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Home Countries Panama

Colonial Renaissance

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
May 18, 2009
in Panama, Retirement/Living
0
You have to look beyond any prejudices to find the real beauty of this place. One that is always reinventing itself for better. Expat Life In Casco Viejo Panama can be a really candid experience.
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Opportunities In Casco Viejo, Panama

“First came the Spanish, then the French, then the Americans,” explained friend Hildegard Vasquez, addressing the group at our conference last week, trying to give them an idea of the history of Panama City’s old quarter known as Casco Viejo.

“Each group left its mark. The neighborhoods in this enclave boast typical Spanish-, French-, and what I call ‘American’-colonial architecture…plus very European-style plazas and squares, with trees for shade and small bandstands for celebrations. The charming (and, yes, in many cases, crumbling) colonial structures feature balconies, iron work, and interior courtyards.

“On the surface, Casco Viejo is ruined gentility. At its heart, this is a Panamanian barrio.

“Sometime in the middle of the last century, Panama forgot Casco Viejo and turned its attention to building the Panama City we know today. Over the decades, the buildings, the parks, and the plazas of the old town fell to ruin.

“Then, in 1998, UNESCO declared Casco Viejo a World Heritage Site, and foreign investors with an interest in historic architecture noticed an opportunity. The process of re-gentrification has continued ever since.

“And shows no sign of slowing down. The global crisis hasn’t hit Casco Viejo, and I don’t believe it will. Not in any significant way. The world has recognized what this place has to offer. These 100-, 200-, and 300-year-old buildings have an intrinsic value. And there are only so many of them. About 900, to be precise, about 200 of which have been restored. We’re talking about very limited supply.

“I’m an architect,” Hildegard continued, “and my focus is restoration. I returned to Panama after studying in the States when the Casco Viejo revival was just beginning. It has been exciting for me to be part of what is really an extraordinary renaissance.

“However, the more I’ve gotten involved with the architectural regeneration of this special place, the more I’ve recognized the bigger opportunity.

“It is a great thing to restore these old buildings and neighborhoods. But I see a chance to restore the community, as well.

“When Panama forgot about Casco Viejo, it wasn’t only the buildings that were neglected. It was the people living in this part of the city, too. Much of the population here lives in near-poverty.

“Mostly it’s women and children.

“About nine years ago, I became involved with a non-profit, grass-roots organization that is trying to help these people. The group is called CAPTA, which stands for Capacitación Para el Trabajo. We focus on the women. We know that, if we can help to educate and train the woman, the children have a better chance at being educated and trained.

“Our goal is to help as many women as possible to learn the skills they need to get and to keep jobs. We train them as housekeepers, for example, then help them to find jobs in Panama City hotels.

“So far, we’ve helped 60 women.

“I live in Casco Viejo with my family. This is a part of Panama City where you can walk from place to place, sit in the park with an ice cream, have coffee or a meal al fresco at a café. My children and my husband and I do all these things every day. We’re very connected here.

“So, really, I’m just trying to help my neighbors.

“But, as I said, I see a bigger potential.

“Our biggest limitation is funding…”

By this point, Hildegard had my full attention. I, too, am enamored of this small, historic enclave. I, too, have been delighted by the renaissance it’s been enjoying. And I, too, believe in the idea of Capacitación Para el Trabajo (Training for Work).

I’ve asked Hildegard how I can become involved.

If you’d like more information, too, you can get in touch here: CAPTA@LiveandInvestOverseas.com.

Kathleen Peddicord

Tags: 'living in panama'
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Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

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