Kiva Lender: The Kolb Family Fund

Location: Belmont, MA, www.kivafriends.org United States
Occupation: Sr. Product Manager at Nuance Communications
I loan because: We have a close relationship to Latin America. Our general experience with traditional forms of development aid is, that -although necessary for building infrastructure, education, and health care- they often don't have the grassroots effect that allows an economy to be built from the bottom up. We believe that someone that has the skills and determination to get ahead should be encouraged to do so in a way that allows this person to thrive. Helping micro-finance small Latin American entrepreneurs is our contribution to exporting the "American Dream" of getting ahead by working hard. Is micro-financing the fix-all solution for poverty in developing countries? Should it replace traditional forms of development aid and other economic stimuli like providing titles for property? Definitely not. However, it does provide those that see an opportunity the wherewithal to exploit the opportunity.

Following the example of some other Kiva lenders, we are trying to build up a Latin America focused microfinance family investment fund by investing $25 twice a month into a new business. After a year, we will have $600 invested in micro-businesses that will create a continuous, self-sustaining investment stream as loans get paid off. At that point, we will re-evaluate to see if this investment system works, and if we want to increase our investment base or "retire" from it.

- Proud member of Pondering Pig's Kiva Investment Group. (See tinyurl.com/2fhzqj )
- See also our Kiva related blog at kivaramon.blogspot.com
- See a map of all our loans at Google's My Map - here: tinyurl.com/2z2f2q
- Please visit KivaFriends for a community of Kiva lenders - www.kivafriends.org
- The Kolb Family is Verónica, Alexandra, Lucas, and Ramón.


América Latina está cerca a nuestro corazón. Nuestra experiencia con las formas tradicionales de ayuda de desarrollo es, -aunque necesario para el desarrollo de la infraestructura, la educación, y la salud pública, que muchas veces no contribuyen al crecimiento económico de negocios pequeños.
Si alguien tiene las habilidades y la determinación para seguir adelante, tenemos el deber moral de crear las condiciones que le permite prosperar. El apoyo a micro-financiar empresarios individuales en América Latina es nuestra manera de contribuir al “sueño americano” de seguir adelante en la vida por trabajo y inversión en su mismo. ¿Será micro-financiamiento la única solución para eliminar pobreza en países de desarrollo? ¿Debería que remplazar los métodos tradicionales de apoyo al desarrollo, y otros estimuladores como extender títulos de propiedad? ¡Definitivamente no! Pero micro-financiamiento da a los fondos para elaborar una oportunidad económica a los que más necesitan.

Siguiendo el ejemplo de otros prestamistas de Kiva, estamos tratando de establecer un fondo familiar de micro-inversión enfocado en América Latina. Invertiremos US$25 dos veces por mes en un negocio nuevo. Después de un año, el fondo habrá invertido US$600 en micro-empresas y creará una fuente continua de inversiones mientras los préstamos serán repagados. En ese momento re-evaluamos nuestra estrategia de inversiones para determinar si expanderemos o retiramos nuestra cartera.

- Con orgullo somos parte del Grupo de Inversiones en Kiva del blog del Pondering Pig (Vea tinyurl.com/2fhzqj )
- Visita tambien nuestro Blog KivaRamon -- kivaramon.blogspot.com
- Vea tambien un mapa de todos nuestros préstamos en Google "My Map" -- tinyurl.com/2z2f2q
- Por favor visita KivaFriends, nuestra comunidad de prestatadores de Kiva -- www.kivafriends.org
- La Familia Kolb, somos: Verónica, Alexandra, Lucas, y Ramón.
About me: We are a middle-class Peruvian-Dutch family that lives near Boston, MA.
Somos una familia Peruana-Holandesa que vive cerca a Boston, MA (EE.UU.).

For professional references, see my resume at www.linkedin.com/in/ramon.

Please follow @ramonk at Twitter.
Check out: kivaramon.blogspot.com
Member Since: Nov 24, 2006


The Kolb Family Fund's Loans

List View | Map View

121-144 of 253 loans
Jorge Fleitas
Retail, Paraguay
Paid Back
100% repaid
Ileana Lanuza Alemán
Cosmetics Sales, Nicaragua
Paid Back
100% repaid
Teofila Xiomara Arteaga
Cosmetics Sales, Nicaragua
Paying Back
92% repaid
Paid Back
100% repaid
Tekojoja Group
Retail, Paraguay
Paid Back
100% repaid
Arnaldo Campuzano
Retail, Paraguay
Paid Back
100% repaid
Beatriz
General Store, Peru
Paid Back
100% repaid
Miguel Angel Bernardino Tomas
General Store, Guatemala
Paid Back
100% repaid
Anner Ruiz Pinedo
Fish Selling, Peru
Paid Back
100% repaid
Emanuel Group
Taxi, Honduras
Paid Back
100% repaid
Aurelia
General Store, Peru
Paid Back
100% repaid
Centrobank Group
Embroidery, Peru
Paid Back
100% repaid
Hilda Luisa
Clothing Sales, Peru
Paid Back
100% repaid
Suyapa Espinoza Medina
General Store, Honduras
Paid Back
100% repaid
Tomasa Argentina Baltodano
Soft Drinks, Nicaragua
Paid Back
100% repaid
Petronila Alvarado
General Store, Nicaragua
Paid Back
100% repaid
Matilde Jacqueline Aguilar
General Store, Nicaragua
Paid Back
100% repaid
Nuevo Corazon Group
Clothing Sales, Bolivia
Paid Back
100% repaid
Progreso Group
Butcher Shop, Bolivia
Paid Back
100% repaid
Ollita De Barro Group
Fruits & Vegetables, Bolivia
Paid Back
100% repaid
Wari Wawas Group
Retail, Bolivia
Paid Back
100% repaid
Erika López De Luna
Cosmetics Sales, Mexico
Paid Back
100% repaid
Telmith Ysuiza Ramirez
Farming, Peru
Paid Back
100% repaid
Irma Ramos Miranda
Barber Shop, Bolivia
Paid Back
100% repaid

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The Kolb Family Fund's Teams


Boston University
Colleges/Universities
33 Members

Kiva Spanish Translators
Common Interest
92 Members

KivaFriends.org
Common Interest
958 Members

Team Massachusetts
Local Area
40 Members

Team New England
Local Area
88 Members

Twitter Friends
Common Interest
45 Members



Portfolio Distribution

Gender
female81.0%
male19.0%
Country
Peru33.2%
Bolivia11.1%
Honduras10.3%
Paraguay9.1%
Dominican Republic9.1%
Nicaragua7.1%
Guatemala5.1%
Ecuador4.7%
Mexico4.3%
El Salvador3.6%
Haiti1.2%
Costa Rica0.8%
United States0.4%
Sector
Retail41.1%
Food17.8%
Clothing15.4%
Services9.1%
Agriculture7.1%
Arts3.6%
Transportation1.6%
Housing1.6%
Manufacturing1.6%
Wholesale0.4%
Health0.4%
Construction0.4%