Arrival in Uganda
26 November 2007
My name is Drew Kinder. I am a Kiva Fellow from Buffalo, NY assigned to Share an Opportunity (SAO), a Micro-Finance Institution (MFI) headquartered in Kampala, Uganda.
Although my future postings will be about the borrowers I meet in Uganda, this first blog answers the question of how I ended up in Uganda volunteering for three months as a Kiva Fellow.
I discovered Kiva in March 2007 after reading a column in the New York Times written by Nicholas Kristof. I was captivated by the Kiva website and the ease of loaning $25 to entrepreneurs around the world. This struck me as an elegant way to participate in the lives of the “poorest of the poor”, as a business transaction rather than a gift. The fact that I received no interest on my $25 loan was immaterial. The important thing was being repaid. To date, my Kiva loan portfolio contains over 25 loans, including 3 loans that have been repaid and then re-loaned.
One fateful day I discovered the Kiva Fellows program while navigating around the website.
The program made business sense to me. Kiva relies on its MFI customers around the world to find borrowers, tell their stories, disburse the funds, and collect repayment of the loans when due. Based on my experience in wholesale sales and distribution, I knew that customer relationships like this work best when you travel to the customer’s place of business.
My business in Buffalo is an internet-based, seasonal, small business, with 98% of sales occurring from March through October. Although I would prefer year-round sales, the benefit of seasonality on the web is the freedom to close your doors when customers are not buying and do something else.
The timing of the Kiva Fellowship was ideal for me. Kiva requires a minimum commitment of ten weeks, which fits neatly into my business schedule.
When I applied for the volunteer fellowship, I couldn’t help but wonder how the application of a seasoned entrepreneur would be received by an organization founded and staffed by bright young people. I was pleased to be accepted. One thing led to another, and I celebrated Thanksgiving on a plane bound for Uganda.
One of my daughters, who has volunteered in an orphanage in Chile and a tribal village in India, administered earthquake relief in Pakistan, and interned with the Minister of Finance of Liberia, gave me the following advice; “Dad, if you’re not wracked with self-doubt on the plane ride over there, you haven’t challenged yourself enough.” By her standard, I am fully challenged!
I have never been a banker, I’ve never been to Uganda, I speak only English, and I have not been away from my family this long since my wife and I married thirty years ago. Despite these limitations, and more, I fully intend to have a positive impact on Kiva’s mission in Uganda. If I lose sight of why I am here, all I have to do is read the words on my ball cap; “Kiva.org… loans that change lives”
Cheers,
Drew Kinder
Entry Filed under: KF3 (Kiva Fellows 3rd Class), Share an Opportunity Microfinance Ltd., Uganda. Tags: Drew Kinder, Uganda.
14 Comments Add your own
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed
RSS - Posts
1. RB Halaby | 26 November 2007 at 15:49
Dear Drew:
Congratulations and best wishes on the wonderful effort you are undertaking. I know you will do a FANTASTIC job.
Cynthia joins me in sending you and M-T our best.
Wishing you and the Kinder Clan a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
Best regards,
RB
2. Drew Kinder | 26 November 2007 at 20:42
Good luck to you on this wonderful experience. Rick and I will be thinking of you often. Happy Thanksgiving!
3. Doug | 27 November 2007 at 08:35
Drew, nice to hear another fellow is in Kampala.I’m with Pearl in Kampala. Let’s get together, I also celebrated my 30th anniversary this year. Look forward to meeting you. I’ll try and get your e-mail or phone # from Kiva.
4. John | 29 November 2007 at 06:37
Hi Drew,
Welcome to Uganda. I’m a Fulbright Scholar based in Entebbe, studying malaria at the Uganda Virus Research Institute. I’ve been reading Muhammad Yunus’s book and trying to get the lowdown on microfinance here in Uganda. It seems that the Bonna Bagaggawale rural financing scheme has created a lot of havoc. If you have time to meet and discuss drop me a line.
Kind regards,
John
john.quattrochi(at)gmail.com
5. Katie | 30 November 2007 at 00:23
Hi Drew!
I was reading your blog and I just wanted you to know that your writting has inspired me to apply for Kiva’s Fellow program! Thank you for the inspiration and I will continue to read your blogs! Take Care!
6. Eileen & Jude | 30 November 2007 at 00:46
Hi Drew,
What a wonderful opportunity for you and them! We will be checking in to see how it is going. Love, Eileen & Jude
7. QueenOfHearts | 30 November 2007 at 18:51
Hi Drew….you blog entry has been posted at the KivaFriends.org site and you are an inspiration to us all!!. There are quite a few members who fall into your age group (myself included) and you just go to prove that we may be older but we are far from beign useless!! Keep up the good work and we look forward to your future entries.
Queen
8. Glenda Denniston | 30 November 2007 at 23:20
Hi, Drew, and hope you have a great time in Kampala – I’m looking forward to reading your blog.
I was in Uganda this September for a Habitat build, and stopped by at SAO to check on some of the Kiva folk I had lent to. A really fascinating experience. I was much impressed with the staff at SAO and with their sincere desire to help their clients. Stuart, there, went with me to meet two women who worked at African Craft Village after I told him of their interest in getting loans (they did get them and I’m very much looking forward to hearing how they do)! Also I got to meet a chicken farmer I support as well as a young boda boda driver (even got to ride on the back of his cycle).
All I can say is that you’re in for a real treat. The people of Uganda are warm and welcoming. I’d go back any time (if I could afford it, that is).
Please say hello to Stuart, Fred, Sam and all the rest of the great SAO staff.
Glenda, a Kiva lender
9. Jackie, a Kiva Lender | 1 December 2007 at 16:18
Hi Drew,
Your blog is an inspiration to all the Kiva Friends who have been following your stay in Uganda thus far. Please keep it up!
Jackie, a Kiva Lender
10. Andrea | 4 December 2007 at 06:22
Your blog inspired me to apply to go next year.
11. Molly (Drew's daughter) | 7 December 2007 at 01:52
The only thing more moving than bursting with pride for one’s father is reading that so many others — including strangers! — feel the same way. Dad, you really are an inspiration to all of us. Kudos for your courage and commitment. I look forward to following all of your adventures, and hopefully seeing them with my own eyes!
Love,
Molly
12. Lorna | 18 December 2007 at 23:12
I read your blog posting about Florence Kaluuba and I found it so compelling that I’d really like to send her a donation to support her efforts to expand her school… do you think this is a bad idea for any reason, and would you happen to know how I might go about doing this?? I’m a long time Kiva lender, but I’d really like to make a gift here. Thanks for all you’ve done and for your great blog entries!
13. Tim | 29 January 2008 at 21:35
Drew
hope all is well with you, we miss seeing you and look forward to your return
14. David Hoffman | 9 August 2008 at 03:04
Mr. Kinder,
This is just an amazing journey. I am so glad that I found your blog. What you have done is so relevant to the types of things I hope to help with in Liberia. I would definitely like to talk with you further.