Wow, this Kiva world is small. The other day, while I was attending a United States Presidential election-day event with a good portion of the other expats in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I noticed a woman just as teary-eyed as me as the results rolled in for President Elect Barak Obama. Both overwhelmed with emotion, we [...]
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The odds are 1 in 14 million
November 19th, 2008 — , Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, Kiva lender, Teresa Dunbar, Uncategorized from wholologist @ Kiva Stories from the Field
HKL promotion
November 15th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Hattha Kaksekar Limited, KF6 (Kiva Fellows 6th Class) from kanaeochiai @ Kiva Stories from the Field
It has passed 1 month since I started work with Hattha Kaksekar Limited(HKL) in Cambodia.
I’d like to post how HKL works, how the staffs are etc because I hope many people know more and feel something familiar with the MFI.
Firstly let me describe one day in HKL. The office hour is 7:30 a.m. To [...]
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November 14th, 2008 — , Cambodia, KF5, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, Uncategorized, credit from wholologist @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I’ve been working with CREDIT-MFI as a Kiva Fellow for about a month and a half, and I still feel like I’m getting my feet wet. CREDIT is fairly large with about 360 employees working throughout Cambodia in their 7 branches. I work closely with CREDIT’s two Kiva Coordinators, Sopheap and Vichet, at the head [...]
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November 6th, 2008 — , Cambodia, John Briggs, KF6 (Kiva Fellows 6th Class), MAXIMA Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. from John Briggs @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I’m a new Kiva Fellow volunteering with Maxima, a microfinance institution (MFI) headquartered in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. I arrived in Phnom Penh about three weeks ago, and had the luxury of a week to acclimate before starting at Maxima.
My arrival coincided with a visit to Cambodia by Kiva co-founder Matt Flannery [...]
Asking Kiva Entrepreneurs Questions From Lenders
October 20th, 2008 — , Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Asia & the Pacific, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class) from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Last Wednesday Phanith, the AMK Kiva coordiantor, and I were very eager to head out into the field the next day to ask two Kiva entrepreneurs, the Siphat Yang Village Bank and the Chon Erm Village Bank Group, questions that I had gathered from lenders. Unfortunately, when we called the loan officer she told us [...]
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Continue reading → Asking Kiva Entrepreneurs Questions From Lenders
Interview with Paul Luchtenburg, CEO of Angkor Mikroheranhvatho Kampuchea
October 6th, 2008 — , Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Asia & the Pacific, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class) from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Stories from the Field
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Continue reading → Interview with Paul Luchtenburg, CEO of Angkor Mikroheranhvatho Kampuchea
Back to Cambodia
October 5th, 2008 — , Add new tag, Cambodia, KF6 (Kiva Fellows 6th Class), kanae from kanaeochiai @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Thank you for reading my blog, I’m Kanae, Japanese and Kiva Fellow. Finally I came to Phnon Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 3rd. The road to here was very long, but I’m very excited to be here again. Yes, I came to Cambodia 9 years ago. At that time, the city looked very dusty and unpaved. [...]
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September 24th, 2008 — , Cambodia, China, KF6 (Kiva Fellows 6th Class), Uncategorized, kieran, microfinance, tricycle from kieranball @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Hello! My name is Kieran and I am a Kiva Fellow, sixth iteration. I am currently sitting on a turbulent flight back home to London after an intense week of training at Kiva’s San Francisco offices. I am sad to be leaving, slightly worried about the ancient aircraft I’m on (hoping that the technology is [...]
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September 24th, 2008 — , Cambodia, KF6 (Kiva Fellows 6th Class), whitneytravel from whitneytravel @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Hi friends. I’m Whitney, newly-minted Kiva Fellow, class 6, headed to Managua, Nicaragua.
I am so ready to go.
The extensive 5-day training at the Kiva offices in San Francisco stimulated every facet of my mind. Having a background more in exploration than finance, the prospect of living abroad is absolutely thrilling and rather accessible, while gaining [...]
Phnom Penh Notes: Sweaty Jeans, Magic, and Black Smoke
September 4th, 2008 — , Cambodia, KF5, Teresa Dunbar, Uncategorized, credit from wholologist @ Kiva Stories from the Field
After 7 movies, 4 made-for-TV dramas, 1 documentary, 2 Sudoku games, 1 confiscated Swiss army knife, 1 - $70 extra baggage weight charge, 5 airplane meals of chicken, chicken, and more sai mouan (chicken in Khmer), and 3 different planes, I am finally in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I believe I am the last of the [...]
Related StoresContinue reading → Phnom Penh Notes: Sweaty Jeans, Magic, and Black Smoke
Phnom Pehn Notes: Sweaty Jeans, Magic, and Black Smoke
September 3rd, 2008 — , Cambodia, KF5, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), KivaFellows, Teresa Dunbar, credit from wholologist @ Kiva Stories from the Field
After 7 movies, 4 made-for-TV dramas, 1 documentary, 2 Sudoku games, 1 confiscated Swiss army knife, 1 - $70 extra baggage weight charge, 5 airplane meals of chicken, chicken, and more sai mouan (chicken in Khmer), and 3 different planes, I am finally in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. I believe I am the last of [...]
Related StoresContinue reading → Phnom Pehn Notes: Sweaty Jeans, Magic, and Black Smoke
Targeting the Poorest of the Poor
August 26th, 2008 — , Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Asia & the Pacific, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Sanjaya Punyasena from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Stories from the Field
AMK has the lowest average loan balance per borrower. According to MIXMarket, AMK’s average balance at the end of 2007 was $86 per borrower. To put that in perspective the second lowest was AMRET at $164, which is nearly 90% higher. HKL, Credit MFI, and Maxima (the other three Cambodian MFIs working with Kiva) have [...]
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August 14th, 2008 — , Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Mark Disston from cmdiss @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Hello all! My name is Mark Disston and I am the newest Kiva Fellow to head to the field. I am writing this on my flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia where I will be joining Maxima Mikroheranhvatho. Maxima is one of the smallest MFIs in Cambodia but has ambitious plans to expand their services. I [...]
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August 12th, 2008 — , Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Sanjaya Punyasena from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Stories from the Field
For the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of data entry. Panith, the AMK Kiva coordinator, and I have been going through all the Kiva business descriptions so that we could enter their account numbers into an excel worksheet. This will allow us to easily track payments of all the Kiva loans. [...]
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July 28th, 2008 — , Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Asia & the Pacific, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Sanjaya Punyasena from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Part of the reason I signed up for the Kiva Fellowship was to see how microfinance actually works on the ground. You can read all the books on microfinance, but that couldn’t make up for never seeing it in action with your own eyes. After getting an understanding of AMK’s operations from their nice air-conditioned [...]
Related StoresFrom the city, into the field: views from a motorbike
July 27th, 2008 — , Amy Killian, Cambodia, Maxima, Uncategorized from amkillian @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
To see a complete list of MAXIMA’s clients who live in rural areas such as this one, please click here.
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Continue reading → From the city, into the field: views from a motorbike
Beautiful Cambodia
July 24th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Hattha Kaksekar Limited, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Omeed Selbe from Omeed @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
I’m regularly taken aback by the beauty that I witness all over Cambodia. However, I am hesitant to write this blog for one reason: I could never fully recount the beauty of the landscape, people, and culture, neither through words nor photographs. Life in Cambodia has been surprisingly humbling and incredibly rewarding, so I hope [...]
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July 21st, 2008 — , Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Asia & the Pacific, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Sanjaya Punyasena from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
On Friday, Sophanith, Elena and I went to visit the Thea Chhin group, to do a journal on the group leader, Thea Chhin. The journey to Sala Khom Village was quite long. We left AMK’s central office in Phnom Penh early in the morning and the drive to the branch office in Kampong Chhnang [...]
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July 16th, 2008 — , Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Sanjaya Punyasena from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
After a wonderful 25-hour journey from New York, I finally made it to Cambodia! My first order of business was to get my visa at the airport, but that turned out to be a breeze. I filled out a visa application and it was passed along a line of 8 Cambodian officials who were [...]
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July 10th, 2008 — , Amy Killian, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Maxima from amkillian @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
I was surprised to discover earlier this week that I have approached the halfway point of my Kiva fellowship. Upon this realization I was frustrated because of how little I still know about microfinance, development, and rural Cambodia and how little time I have left in my fellowship to advance my understandings on these [...]
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July 9th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Hattha Kaksekar Limited, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Omeed Selbe from Omeed @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t experience it myself, but Cambodia is a great place to celebrate American Independence Day. If you don’t believe me, I have the pictures to prove it!
This weekend was jam packed with, among other things, a fireworks show on the evening of the 4th and a large celebration at [...]
Straws and sandpaper
June 29th, 2008 — , Amy Killian, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Maxima from amkillian @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
It was kind of an inside joke between my father and I when I was younger that I would make fun of him for never using straws when he drank beverages. “Dad, it makes your life so much easier! You don’t have to bother picking up the glass. You just lean forward a little and [...]
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June 17th, 2008 — , Asia & the Pacific, Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Omeed Selbe from Omeed @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
I packed light for my trip, because I heard what a breeze it is to buy everyday items at the local markets in Cambodia. After settling in at my guest house in Phnom Penh, I headed down to do just that at the nearby Phsar Toul Tom Poung Market, aka “Russian Market.” Why do they [...]
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June 9th, 2008 — , Amy Killian, Cambodia, Maxima from amkillian @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
So I had this crazy experience in Phnom Penh yesterday. I saw a sign for a $7 massage. Seven dollars!!! No way! Turns out the experience was a crazy experience in which this tiny Khmer woman twisted and contorted my—
Oh, blast. Gary already told this story. I guess I’ll have to come up with [...]
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June 1st, 2008 — , CREDIT clients, Cambodia, Isadora Tang from izzytang @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
“Blackouts without notice
And “internet down”
Spreadsheets that prod me
To cry and frown
Riding on motos
And closing my eyes
Clients are always my humanity ties…”
Okay, fine, that was really corny. Consider yourself lucky, though, because it was either that or “In da Field” to the tune of “In da Club” by Fiddie Cent.
This wonderful woman read my palm. [...]
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May 31st, 2008 — , Cambodia, Isadora Tang, impact from izzytang @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Probably one of the biggest issues facing microfinance today is that of impact. To what extent has microfinance actually affected global poverty? In what ways can its impact be measured, and how sustainable is it? Will it continue to grow? Though I agree that understanding impact is crucial and developing social impact studies and matrices [...]
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May 25th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Jessica Young, Maxima from Jessica Young @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Higher education opportunities aren’t a reality for most females in Cambodia. Making it to university is a feat for the average male, let alone female. With limited household income, rural families have difficulties supporting their children through school, especially beyond a primary education. The odds for children to make it through secondary school will inevitably [...]
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May 17th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Dominican Republic, kiva.org, loan, loans, microfinance from Jeff @ P2P Lenders
Thy Phlang Village Bank Group
Popeal Khaer Village, Cambodia
Mrs. Thy Phlang is the Village Bank President in Popeal Khaer Village, Kandal Province. There are 33 members in her group.
She is 34-years-old and has two children, both of whom are too young to work or study. Mrs. Thy Phlang’s second child has malaria and takes frequent trips [...]
Cambodian “Gambling”
April 30th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Jessica Young, Maxima from Jessica Young @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Most of the clients I visit make just enough money from their businesses to get by day to day. When you ask what their future plans or hopes are, some have none in sight- just repeating the same monotonous labor, day in and day out, to continue to put food on the table… challenging enough [...]
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April 21st, 2008 — , Cambodia, Eric Brandt, Hattha Kaksekar Limited from Eric @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Last month I had the chance to shadow a couple HKL credit officers at the Kampong Cham branch, an hour and a half northeast of Phnom Penh. Since my responsibilities here in Cambodia are mainly training and implementing the Kiva process rather than write journals, I was excited to get out and meet the people [...]
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April 16th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Elena Micossi, Eric Brandt, Isadora Tang, Mark Janko from Jessica Young @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Inspired by the TZ fellows, I’ve come up with a top 10 for a taste of Cambodia:
1) The first questions people ask you are not “where are you from” or “what do you do” but “how old are you” and “are you married.”
2) Your clients bring you pictures of their sons and try to arrange [...]
Goodnight Serenades
April 7th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Jessica Young, Maxima from youngjl @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
This is why I love my office…
The other day at work, my colleagues found out I have a cell phone. They immediately took turns getting my digits- wanting my phone # ‘just because.’ Some who are hesitant to use English will call and hang up as a “just wanted to say ‘hi’” gesture. Better yet, [...]
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April 7th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Jessica Young, Maxima from youngjl @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Just one epic of a post to depict a day in the field:
Only after experiencing the lows can you fully appreciate the highs. While everyday in the field is an incredible experience, some days are absolutely exhausting- mentally. The 8 hours in 90 degree sun dressed like I’m observing purdah is fine… off-roading on a [...]
Kiva Loves Maxima
April 6th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Jessica Young, Maxima from youngjl @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Only a few weeks into my fellowship in Cambodia, some things are already unmistakably clear. The Maxima staff, who I feel very fortunate to be working with, are an extremely dedicated, close knit family with an excellent client rapport and a visible love for their work. Because they love their work, they love Kiva; as [...]
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March 26th, 2008 — , Cambodia, Eric Brandt, Hattha Kaksekar Limited from Eric @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Hattha Kaksekar’s annual General Assembly, held at Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s resort town. When general manager Mr. Tong invited me I initially thought it was going to just a board meeting with a day at the beach thrown in for fun. Turns out I was very wrong. HKL is [...]
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March 3rd, 2008 — Cambodia, Eric Brandt, Hattha Kaksekar Limited, hkl from Eric @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I told Mr. Sokmetrey I played soccer. Sokmetrey is the Marketing Director for Hattha Kaksekar Ltd. (HKL), one of Kiva’s newest microfinance partners in Cambodia, and my main contact in the organization. After picking me up at Phnom Penh International Airport on Thursday after [...]
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December 6th, 2007 — Cambodia, Darin Greyerbiehl, Maxima from kivadarin @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
So…with our MFI (Maxima), we visit a lot of people who make a living by weaving cloth. With extant samples of hand-woven cloth dating from 5000 BC, weaving must be one of the world’s oldest ways to make money.
More than two hundred years ago, the Industrial Revolution introduced processes that, to this day, have passed by the villages and the people [...]
More from Cambodia
December 3rd, 2007 — Cambodia, Maxima, Tami Rowan, Tami Rowarn, microfinance from trowan @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
It seems like every day in the field is a learning experience, specifically, about how the other half lives. Being out and about, visiting people in thatched, stilt homes as we sit barefoot on the floor and smile at each other just seems too good to be true sometimes. I love my work!
Being [...]
Dusty Face and Sore Cheeks
November 19th, 2007 — Cambodia, Maxima, Tami Rowarn from trowan @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
A typical day at work -
Darin and I arrive at Maxima’s office and collect our print-outs for the microloan clients we’ll be visiting today, hop on the back of a moto with our loan officer/driver/translator and away we go! After having spent almost a year traveling in Southeast Asia, weaving our way through traffic like one [...]
Do What You Know
November 16th, 2007 — Cambodia, Darin Greyerbiehl, Maxima from kivadarin @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
Phnom Penh
(Had a little trouble getting my account activated. This post is from Oct. 18th.) We now have two days of field visits under our belts. The long-awaited quest to gather information has yielded notepad pages full of facts. There is no question we’re dealing with people holding onto the lower rungs of the economic [...]
First day in the field!
September 26th, 2007 — Cambodia from charlottebailey @ Kiva Blogs from the Field
First day in the field
On the morning of the 5th September, a credit officer, a man who works in the office and speaks both English and Khmer, and I headed out to the field. The credit officer had his own motorbike, and I sat on the back. Despite being early morning the thick heat hung [...]
