You are a great inspiration to me! I remember being in La Paz with you a few years ago and I couldn’t help but wish there was some way to substantially help the people there, in the countryside and in Ciudad Alta.You have found a way to help and it seems like Kiva has made some good choices based on your read of the first team. From where I am, outside Zagreb Croatia and having met some Serbians, Kiva could be useful in the more rural parts of Eastern Europe.

Love Jesse

thanks for your update. Indeed, several of the Kiva borrowers (through IMPRO) are in these areas. I have personally two loans to people in or around El Alto, which literally means “The Height”, and is one of the world’s highest cities (13,615 ft according to Wikipedia).

The biggest threat that I could see for Kiva investors (and Kiva borrowers) is that Evo Morales’ government would restrict the flow of foreign currency out of the country, resulting in the inability of IMPRO to pay back any loans to Kiva (and to accept any new loans). Note that this is something that Hugo Chávez in Venezuela already implemented a few years ago; Chávez of course being a great source of encouragement and guidance for Morales.

Did any of your contacts address that?

Thanks,

Ramón