As many of you Kiva lenders have noticed, Kiva recently upgraded the administration system that Field Partners use to post businesses and report repayments. The partner administration system, aka PA2, is where Field Partners post businesses onto Kiva and report on the status of each loan. This was a major redesign of the site and [...]
Related StoresKF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class)
The Benefits of PA2
December 4th, 2008 — , AMK, Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea (AMK), Asia & the Pacific, CREDIT, a partner of World Relief, Cambodia, Hattha Kaksekar Limited, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, MAXIMA Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd., Maxima, PA2, Sanjaya Punyasena, credit, hkl, microfinance, transparency from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Thankful.
November 26th, 2008 — , Finca Peru, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), LAC (Latin America & the Caribbean), peru from cmcmurry @ Kiva Stories from the Field
When FINCA staff interview clients to write their Kiva profiles, the last question each client is asked is “What are your dreams for the future?” As I looked at the profile of FINCA client after FINCA client, I was struck that almost everyone had some variation of the same three dreams:
1) “For my children to [...]
Using GPS to Map Out Borrowers
November 24th, 2008 — , AMK, Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea (AMK), Asia & the Pacific, Cambodia, GPS, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, Sanjaya Punyasena, Technology, microfinance from Sanjaya P @ Kiva Stories from the Field
In my last post, I talked about visiting a client with Phanith, the AMK Kiva coordinator. The client officer (a.k.a. loan officer) was not available to take us, so we relied on a hand written map that got us lost many, many times. We had to ask almost every villager we saw, before we finally [...]
Related StoresThe odds are 1 in 14 million
November 19th, 2008 — , Cambodia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, Kiva lender, Teresa Dunbar from wholologist @ Kiva Stories from the Field
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 Barack Obama. Both overwhelmed with emotion, we [...]
Related StoresPortrait of a Client
November 19th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
The noon-day heat of equatorial sun beat down on tin roofs and dirt roads. It was quiet, the sounds a little muffled outside the paint shop of Rwandese Kiva client Marie Chantal Mukasafali.
“The business is good here,” she says, “thank goodness our inventory doesn’t spoil.”
Marie Chantal, operator of this small enterprise for well [...]
Related StoresA long overdue staff introduction
November 19th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Yes, as I am leaving. Julie Ross, the next Kiva Fellow to be placed in Rwanda, will take over with better and I’m sure more consistent postings here. But in the meantime, a quick note on some of the staff here at VFC, whom you will soon meet in more detail:
The Managing Director, Shem, [...]
Related StoresNavigating Monsoon Season by Moto
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 [...]
Related StoresReady for my close-up Mr. DeMille
November 4th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), SEDA (Binh Minh), Vietnam, Xanthi Kouvatas from xanthisodyssey @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I am a little nervous. Not for myself, but on behalf of some of our Kiva clients. The reason? We are heading out to Bac Ninh ( the small town where Kiva’s Vietnamese micro-finance partner has a regional office ) to film some clients. Kivab2b is making a short film about Kiva and the engaging [...]
Related StoresNews Flash
October 29th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Earlier this month, the Rwandan government announced that French was no longer to be the official language of communication and teaching. Currently, French is used as the language of instruction in over 95% of schools; all of them must now switch to English. In addition to schools, government workers must be fluent in English. The [...]
Related StoresA Match Made in Heaven
October 27th, 2008 — , Jara Small, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Tanzania, Tujijenge Tanzania Ltd, africa from smallj @ Kiva Stories from the Field
After working at FINCA for six years and then earning a Masters degree in the United States, Winnie Terry was well prepared to start a new microfinance organization (MFI). Together with some former colleagues, she opened an MFI in Dar es Salaam known as Tujijenge Tanzania (meaning “build together” in KiSwahili). With Winnie as the [...]
Related StoresAsking 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 [...]
Related StoresBank of Canada Canada North, Central America Paper Money World Coins Paper Money
Cats Meow Village Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles
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
Related Stores
Paul Sebastian Men Discount Fragrances Store
Simon, Paul S Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
Continue reading → Interview with Paul Luchtenburg, CEO of Angkor Mikroheranhvatho Kampuchea
“Hi. I’m in Jail, Please Get Me Out of Here…” (Part 2)
October 5th, 2008 — , Al Majmoua- Lebanese Association for Development, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Lebanon, MENA (Middle East & North Africa) from jemru @ Kiva Stories from the Field
<!– @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>
Jail in Beirut wasn’t really a high-security sort of place. Most of the “prisoners” were being led around without handcuffs, and no one was carrying a weapon. People were actually fairly friendly. My holding cell had only a few people [...]
Continue reading → “Hi. I’m in Jail, Please Get Me Out of Here…” (Part 2)
“Hi. I’m in Jail, Please Get Me Out of Here…” (Part 1)
October 5th, 2008 — , Al Majmoua- Lebanese Association for Development, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Lebanon, MENA (Middle East & North Africa) from jemru @ Kiva Stories from the Field
<!– @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>
(So the following actually took place a few weeks ago, but by request, I’ve written an exceedingly long account of everything that happened. Certainly not a typical Lebanese experience, but an unfortunate twist of living in a strange land…)
I think [...]
Continue reading → “Hi. I’m in Jail, Please Get Me Out of Here…” (Part 1)
Honey I’m Home ( aka A Typical Kiva Day in the Office )
September 30th, 2008 — , Add new tag, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, SEDA, Uncategorized, Vietnam, Xanthi Kouvatas, microfinance from xanthisodyssey @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I am not a morning person. I know this about myself, but am starkly reminded of this fact when my alarm goes off at 6am. In a zombie trance I get out of bed, put the kettle on and have a shower. I put on the clothes I chose the night before, as I know [...]
Related StoresShower Tub Faucets Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures Home Improvement
Shower Panels Massagers Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures Home Improvement
Continue reading → Honey I’m Home ( aka A Typical Kiva Day in the Office )
Comedy White Man
September 24th, 2008 — , Cameroon, Ghape, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), africa from Yuan @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Anyone who has spent time in some of the more remote parts of Africa will probably shrug their shoulders at my observations. But as a first time visitor it’s hard not to feel like a bit of a celebrity, at least with the children. Wherever you go, kids stop and look. Sometimes they laugh or [...]
Related StoresWhen Primates Attack (And Other Tales of Fellows’ Mayhem and Adventure)
September 23rd, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kenya, Tanzania, africa from Julie Ross @ Kiva Stories from the Field
As the next round of Kiva Fellows finished their training, Nabomita, Zack, and Julie (KF5) met for a weekend getaway in Mombasa, Kenya. During our reunion, we came up with some words to live by both for successfully completing your fellowship and for happily taking a respite from the rigors of life at an [...]
Related StoresOdd Fellows Fraternal Groups Historical Memorabilia Collectibles
II Attack of the Clones Star Wars Science Fiction Collectibles
Continue reading → When Primates Attack (And Other Tales of Fellows’ Mayhem and Adventure)
Making the most of Medex
September 19th, 2008 — , AgroCapital, Bolivia, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class) from cmcmurry @ Kiva Stories from the Field
As I wrote in my last blog entry, my weekend’s planned excursions included a climb up the tallest statue of Jesus in the world (disappointing—turns out he’s closed on Sundays) and a hike in nearby Tunari national park. It also included an unplanned visit to the Clinica Belga Boliviana, the fanciest-sounding hospital in my Lonely [...]
Related StoresFlying and Hot Buns
September 18th, 2008 — , Jara Small, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Tanzania, Tujijenge Tanzania Ltd, africa from smallj @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Dala-dalas are Dar es Salaam’s form of public transportation. They are buses that run all over the city, charging about $0.30 per ride. There is no set schedule, and they typically only leave once they are full.
Although several Tanzanians warned me about taking dala-dalas during rush hour, I figured it was no big deal. So [...]
21 Days on the Road (Part 2)
September 17th, 2008 — , BRAC Tanzania, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Tanzania, africa from Julie Ross @ Kiva Stories from the Field
(To see what happened during the first 11 days, see Part 1)
Day 12 (Warning: slightly disgusting content. Do not attempt to read while eating):
I just finished rubbing my heels with sandpaper for the last hour. It’s a long story how I got to this point, but it involves exclusively flip-flops/sandals and very dirty/dusty/sandy [...]
Microfinance In Cameroon – Ten Years On
September 11th, 2008 — , Cameroon, Ghape, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), africa from Yuan @ Kiva Stories from the Field
One of the most inspiring things I have seen in Cameroon is the progress made by many GHAPE borrowers over the years. GHAPE is the local NGO where I am working during my time as a Kiva Fellow in West Africa. Their aim, like many of the other hundreds of microfinance organisations around the world, [...]
Micro-finance in Post-Conflict: Meet OI-Wedco
September 9th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kenya, Opportunity International - Wedco Ltd. from zackturner @ Kiva Stories from the Field
It has been sometime since I’ve updated for the Kiva Fellows blog. As cliché as it is lots has happened and I’ve promised a more in depth description of the impact of the post-election crisis on micro-finance. So in baseball terminology I offer a double header (or double-dip in the vernacular of the [...]
Related StoresOdd Fellows Fraternal Groups Historical Memorabilia Collectibles
Identity Crisis Superhero Modern Age 1980-Now Comics Collectibles
Continue reading → Micro-finance in Post-Conflict: Meet OI-Wedco
Brief Summary of the Post-Election Crisis in Kenya
September 8th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kenya, Opportunity International - Wedco Ltd. from zackturner @ Kiva Stories from the Field
The last several weeks I’ve been traveling all over West Kenya visiting groups in the branch offices of OI-Wedco to do journal updates. I return back to Kisumu with a deeply somber heart.
A few weeks ago in Kakemega I met two Kikuyu single mothers from a Kiva funded group. They told me about how [...]
Continue reading → Brief Summary of the Post-Election Crisis in Kenya
A date with Colonel Mathieu and Why Kiva?
September 8th, 2008 — , JJ, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, Lebanon from jemru @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I’ve had a pretty frustrating day here in Beirut. To those who plan on traveling, a bit of advice…don’t loose your passport. Especially not in Lebanon. I felt like I was trapped in that scene from Battle of Algiers where Colonel Mathieu is unceremoniously perched atop his desk answering the questions of reporters either with an endless moral treatise or a flippant [...]
Related StoresA Simple Plan A Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
Desk, Shelf Models Military Aviation Transportation Collectibles
Continue reading → A date with Colonel Mathieu and Why Kiva?
What’s in a name?
September 7th, 2008 — , Jonathon Repinecz, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Senegal, Senegal Ecovillage Microfinance Fund (SEM), africa from jrepinecz @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Well, I’m back in the U.S., which means back to the old grad-student-grind. (There is, however, the new excitement of teaching French 1 for the first time here in Beautiful Berkeley, where I have hardly seen a cloud since my return.) I’ve had a few things to finish up for my Kiva fellowship in Senegal, [...]
Related StoresSame Same But Different
September 6th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, Vietnam, Xanthi Kouvatas, microfinance from xanthisodyssey @ Kiva Stories from the Field
In Hanoi the tourist stalls in the old quarter are crammed with all manner of trinkets for tourists to buy. T-shirts are of course popular and there are many that contain that ubiquitous saying ‘same same but different’. Usually I ignore the persistent hawkers ( while fighting back the urge to proudly declare that I [...]
Related StoresWho needs Traffic Lights… We have Honking!
September 6th, 2008 — , Al Majmoua- Lebanese Association for Development, JJ Emru, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, Lebanon, MENA (Middle East & North Africa) from jemru @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I couldn’t really decide how to start this blog. I’m a bit new to the business. I always assumed blogs were just a bit pretentious unless you had something terribly important to say, but now that I have to write one of these things for my Kiva fellowship, I think I’m growing into the idea. [...]
Related StoresTraffic Lights, Signals Automobilia Transportation Collectibles
Fellowship of the Ring Lord of the Rings Sci-Fi, Fantasy Trading Cards Collectibles
Continue reading → Who needs Traffic Lights… We have Honking!
21 Days on the Road (Part I)
September 6th, 2008 — , BRAC Tanzania, Julie Ross, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Tanzania, africa from Julie Ross @ Kiva Stories from the Field
On August 24th I left Dar es Salaam for a 3-week trip to central Tanzania to train BRAC branches on Kiva in three other regions. Here’s a glimpse into the first 11 days of my 21 days on the road:
Day 1:
Seven hours on the bus from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma has kicked [...]
Cochabamboozled
September 5th, 2008 — , AgroCapital, Bolivia, Cynthia McMurry, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), LAC (Latin America & the Caribbean) from cmcmurry @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I have eaten more in the past six days than in my previous five weeks in Bolivia. Cochabambinos pride themselves on living in the eating capital of Bolivia, and the third question people ask you after “What’s your name?” and “Where are you from?” is usually “How do you like the food?” The local specialty [...]
Related Storesmemorial
September 5th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
The shock of mold growing on the open skull would be hair, but was not. Dents of landlocked bone, stab marks, inscriptions of knife in cartilage – too the contorted tongues encased in lime, preserving shape but not smell, not soul. How thin the bone under plaster, the ligaments. Are they shape, were they this [...]
Related Storesmemorial
September 5th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
The shock of mold growing on the open skull would be hair, but was not. Dents of landlocked bone, stab marks, inscriptions of knife in cartilage – too the contorted tongues encased in lime, preserving shape but not smell, not soul. How thin the bone under plaster, the ligaments. Are they shape, were they this [...]
Related Storesmemorial
September 5th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
The shock of mold growing on the open skull would be hair, but was not. Dents of landlocked bone, stab marks, inscriptions of knife in cartilage – too the contorted tongues encased in lime, preserving shape but not smell, not soul. How thin the bone under plaster, the ligaments. Are they shape, were they this [...]
Related Storesmemorial
September 5th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
The shock of mold growing on the open skull would be hair, but was not. Dents of landlocked bone, stab marks, inscriptions of knife in cartilage – too the contorted tongues encased in lime, preserving shape but not smell, not soul. How thin the bone under plaster, the ligaments. Are they shape, were they this [...]
Related Storesmemorial
September 5th, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, africa, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
The shock of mold growing on the open skull would be hair, but was not. Dents of landlocked bone, stab marks, inscriptions of knife in cartilage – too the contorted tongues encased in lime, preserving shape but not smell, not soul. How thin the bone under plaster, the ligaments. Are they shape, were they this [...]
Related StoresPhnom 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
How to adopt a child…..
September 2nd, 2008 — , Chanti de Kleijn, Friendship Bridge, Guatemala, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kiva, microfinance from chantikiva @ Kiva Stories from the Field
As some of you might know there is the story about the Guatemalans being a bit scared of people taking their kids for illegal adoption; apparently there was once a Japanese tourist beaten to death when he (or she I don’t know) picked up a kid.
Myself I have had kids dropped in my lab to [...]
Homeless in Dar
September 2nd, 2008 — , Jara Small, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Tanzania, Tujijenge Tanzania Ltd, africa from smallj @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Fresh off the plane, I arrived in Dar es Salaam eager to begin work with Tujijenge Tanzania as a Kiva Fellow. First task: find accommodation for the year. Without Craigslist Tanzania, the whole process promised to be daunting.
It was. Here are some of the reasons:
Go to a real estate agent, he charges you $20 for [...]
Malaria & My Trip to a Nigerian Hospital
September 1st, 2008 — , Jessica Heinzelman, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO), Nigeria, africa from jheinzelman @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Since arriving in Nigeria, I’ve mostly been hot. When I’m not hot, I’m comfortable. Cold is a word that I reserve for specifying how I would like my bottled water. When I became chilled and goose bumps started popping on Wednesday night, I knew something was wrong.
Within one hour, my forehead was [...]
Progressive housing 101, or, an intro to why housing microfinance matters
August 30th, 2008 — , Brendan McBride, Fundación para la Vivienda Progresiva (FVP), KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), LAC (Latin America & the Caribbean), housing microfinance, mexico, progressive housing from brendan11 @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I promised a long time ago to write about housing in Nuevo Laredo.
So I will exercise self-control and delay the gratification of writing about my recent outing to a lucha libre pro wrestling extravaganza. I will write instead about how housing gets built here in Nuevo Laredo – more of a sweaty struggle than the [...]
Dishwashers Built-In Dishwashers Major Appliances
Long Island New York US State, Town Views Postcards Collectibles
Continue reading → Progressive housing 101, or, an intro to why housing microfinance matters
Mama’s Left Leg
August 28th, 2008 — , Cameroon, Ghape, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Yuan Potts, africa from Yuan @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Squeezing people into taxis is par for the course in Cameroon. As cabs approach, you shout your destination to the driver and if you get the nod you hop in. If there are already three in the back, no matter, there’s room for one more. If there are two in the front, again, no problem: [...]
Related StoresA Study in Contrasts
August 28th, 2008 — , Add new tag, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Nabomita Dutta, Sero Lease and Finance Ltd. (SELFINA), Tanzania from nabomitaforkiva @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Dar es Salaam. The city is an assault on the senses. Flying into Nyerere International airport, my first glimpse of Tanzania, and indeed of Africa, is incredibly beautiful – mile upon mile of azure ocean clings alluringly to a sandy coastline, clusters of coconut trees spring up from between houses with maroon and blue roofs, [...]
Related StoresTargeting 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 [...]
Related StoresNEW DISCOVERY!!! Microfinance before Grameen
August 22nd, 2008 — , Ghape, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Lucy Gent, Njangi, Social equity, microfinance from lucygent @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Well, maybe I’m not the first to discover that microfinance existed in Cameroon before the Grameen bank was founded in India or before Mohammed Yunnus got the Nobel Prize, but I felt like I had when I stumbled upon Njangi while talking to some friends over the weekend. The young people who I’ve met in [...]
Related StoresContinue reading → NEW DISCOVERY!!! Microfinance before Grameen
Irresponsible Lending – Some Lessons
August 21st, 2008 — , Cameroon, Ghape, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Yuan Potts from Yuan @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I am sitting in the modest headquarters of GHAPE in Bamenda, north west Cameroon.
I am surrounded by the membership books of some of the organisation’s small borrowers, detailing their loan totals and bi-monthly repayments. There is no column for defaults. When the women (it is mostly women) meet to make their regular contributions they [...]
Related StoresTo Begin
August 21st, 2008 — , KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Kathy Lin, Vision Finance Company, rwanda from nklin @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Mornings, always one rooster does not know the time of day. As is customary in the neighborhood, most chickens start calling between five and six – but renegade number one is early. 4:30, last time I checked.
To be sure, were it not for the roosters I am guaranteed to wake soon after. Shortly after six [...]
I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar
August 20th, 2008 — , BRAC Tanzania, Julie Ross, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Tanzania, africa from Julie Ross @ Kiva Stories from the Field
When I first began working in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill, my initial impression was horror that the country was being run by a bunch of 20-somethings. At 23, I was solidly within the median age range and even felt old when I saw peers walking around with short skirts, finding myself thinking “how inappropriate!” [...]
Related StoresPatan Business and Professional Women Photos
August 17th, 2008 — , Chris Baker, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Nepal, Patan Business and Professional Women from christopherbaker @ Kiva Stories from the Field
A few of P-BPW’s borrowers.
A regular borrower’s group meeting.
Borrowers making payments with loan officer.
Photos Wrestling-Professional Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
Wrestling-Professional Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
Continue reading → Patan Business and Professional Women Photos
Ms. Rita
August 17th, 2008 — , Chris Baker, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Nepal, Patan Business and Professional Women from christopherbaker @ Kiva Stories from the Field
Field visits are by far the best part about being a Kiva Fellow. You’re given the opportunity to hop on a motorbike, hike up a village trail, and actually see the impact of a Kiva loan firsthand.
While this is indeed an incredible experience, after a few weeks of checking in on chicken farmers and [...]
Playing Catch Up.
August 17th, 2008 — , Chris Baker, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Nepal, Patan Business and Professional Women from christopherbaker @ Kiva Stories from the Field
I should have been a better blogger.
After two months in the field as a Kiva Fellow, I have now returned home to speedy internet, reliable electricity, and a slightly more predictable daily schedule. So, from my comfortable desk with my cup of coffee, I will now try to make up for a less than prolific [...]
Bolivin´ at high altitude
August 16th, 2008 — <