Kiva Fellows Program
The Kiva Fellows Blog allows Kiva Fellows the opportunity to share their experiences living and working abroad. You can view the full-length version here
Zooming in and out on microfinance
Nov 20, 2009
By Thomas Gold, KF9 Dominican Republic For English version, click on “(more…)”, then scroll down. Après un mois passé dans la succursale de Samanà de mon institution de microfinance Esperanza, me voici, de retour à la capitale Santo Domingo, après une journée entière de voyage. Samanà ne se trouve qu’à un peu moins de 250km de [...]
-- posted by Thomas Gold at Nov 20, 2009
The Passing of a Kiva Borrower
Nov 19, 2009
By Dennis A. Espinoza, KF9, Grounded and Holistic Approach for People’s Empowerment (GHAPE) in Bamenda, Cameroon I was working at my desk when Kenneth, my roommate and GHAPE loan officer, answered his phone and heard that ten year GHAPE member and Kiva borrower, Saahkem Dorothy Muyang, had passed away after a bout with diabetes. Just glancing at [...]
-- posted by espinoza8 at Nov 19, 2009
‘Tis Someone’s Season To Be Jolly
Nov 19, 2009
By Victoria Kabak, KF9, Nicaragua As the holiday season fast approaches, I imagine many of you back at home are starting to make lists (checking them twice?) of presents or of people you’re going to buy presents for or even of presents you hope someone else gets you. It’s no secret that businesses in the United [...]
-- posted by Victoria at Nov 19, 2009
Coffee: A Love Affair
Nov 18, 2009
By Karl Baumgarten, KF9, Costa Rica 4,000,0000 cups per year. 10,958,904 cups per day. 42 beans per cup. 460,273,968 beans per day. And they all have to be picked one by one by one. My fingers hurt just thinking about it. Every cup we make is the culmination of an incredibly involved process that we all [...]
-- posted by karlbaumgarten at Nov 18, 2009
Connecting through prayers
Nov 18, 2009
By Jeremy Lapedis, KF9, Guatemala I’m Jewish, but, before every meal at Manuel’s hous,e we say a prayer thanking Jesus Christ. Manuel is the director of FAPE, the MFI where I work in Guatemala, and I have been staying with him since arriving. He is also a pastor at a Baptist church. So I was surprised [...]
-- posted by Jeremy Lapedis at Nov 18, 2009
Kiva Update from PBS Frontline World
Nov 18, 2009
Suzy Marinkovich, KF8 Peru & KF9 Bolivia One of the most exciting things about being a Kiva Fellow is the opportunity to tell the untold stories of those so remote, so rural, and so ignored by the media. When there are six billion humans sprinkled across the world, the media has the unenviable task of picking and [...]
-- posted by Suzy Marinkovich at Nov 18, 2009
“Ok. Next question…”
Nov 17, 2009
Mary Riedel, KF9, Philippines “…What do you think your biggest challenge will be if you become a Kiva Fellow?” I heard this question twice during my interview process with Kiva. On both occasions I was sitting at my kitchen table in San Francisco, working from home (experiencing some cabin fever), and planing to meet up with friends [...]
-- posted by marydear at Nov 17, 2009
Using Microfinance to Combat Human Trafficking: Spotlight on Katie Davis (KF7)
Nov 17, 2009
by James Han, KF9 Cambodia (AMK) We typically measure the impact of microfinance through financial measures. What interest rates are the microfinance institutions (MFIs) charging? Has the client’s business experienced increased profits? Has a population increased its household income? These are all valid questions and are at the center of measuring the effectiveness of microfinance. But, I [...]
-- posted by James at Nov 17, 2009
El Mercado Central: A Day Visiting Kiva Clients
Nov 17, 2009
By Meg Gray, KF9 Nicaragua How to describe one of the markets in Nicaragua? It’s hard and there really isn’t anything like them in the States to compare to. When I visited the Mercado Central in Chinandega, a small city that serves as a supply hub for the farms surrounding it, the heat was stifling. A [...]
-- posted by Meg at Nov 17, 2009
Kiva and Empowerment
Nov 16, 2009
Gavin Sword KF9 I read with great interest the very thoughtful blog by David Roodman: as well as the more sensational New York Times article about Kiva’s loan disbursement disclosure issues. I agree that Kiva could have done a better job of explaining the nuanced realities of fund disbursement on its website. And I think that [...]
-- posted by Gavin at Nov 16, 2009
| 
