Great post (again). I think you’re right that your interviews need tea. I have found that the borrowers I interview won’t talk unless they are drinking coffee and/or smoking cigarettes.

I can’t believe you met 60 borrowers! Geez.

~Milena (Bosnia, KF6)

I commend you on your experiences, as it is a wonderful but complex region. I lived in the USSR (back when it was the USSR) and spent a fair amount of time traveling in the different republics and your comment about the nature of people’s behavior there is spot on. Beyond just the experiences of their civil war, it’s important to remember, too, that they were raised (probably with the group you are working with, their entire life) under a ruling party that punished you for speaking with foreigners and weren’t even sure who they could trust amongst their own. For many people outside of major cities, you can often be the first westerners they meet and though the USSR fell 15 years ago, the mentality hasn’t changed (even in big cities to a certain extent). Those fears are so ingrained that they can’t be shed overnight. The tea is the first step in breaking down the barriers and a chance for them to suss you out, so to speak. They aren’t accustomed to interviews and it is reminiscent of the days of interrogations and watchful eyes. Tea puts it into a safer context. Sounds crazy, but it’s true!

Good luck and continue to bring us your great blogs and client updates!