Swords to Plowshares: Is Micro-finance the proper tool for post-conflict zones? "To the western eye, this oversized hybrid shovel/axe may seem peculiar, but in the context of subsistence agriculture in the Highlands of Guatemala, the “azadon” or farming hoe is exactly the proper tool. Is micro-finance the proper tool to cultivate social and financial capital a post-conflict context?" The fol ...

Looking to begin a career in international development or social enterprise? Join the Kiva team as an intern and gain access to an influential personal and professional network of technology, non-profit, and microfinance professionals! 

Interns are essential to Kiva’s operations and its mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. There are a wide range of positions i ...

We’re excited to announce our new partnership with Kopernik in Indonesia! When we talk about the best ways to alleviate poverty in developing countries, we often bring up issues around education, clean energy, healthcare, savings and more. But poverty can also be tackled by establishing large-scale distribution networks to connect technology suppliers with users in remote areas. This is exactl ...

This spring, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative announced its goal to eradicate polio by 2018. National governments and global foundations immediately pledged millions of dollars to fund the program’s community health initiatives in the few countries (Nigeria, Pakistan, India) where endemic polio remains. Initially, the disease was supposed to have been eradicated by 1990, but despite a ...

A borrower in Iraq. We obscure the identities of many of our borrowers in conflict zones for their protection.   Few people question the morality of micro-lending. But when it comes to making loans to borrowers in conflict zones, my first question is, "Is it moral?" More on this later. First, I think it's important for people to understand the realities of conflict zones.  What i ...