Archive for 13 July 2009
New York City to Mexico City – Pre-Fellowship Musings
Pre-fellowship musings.
Continue Reading 13 July 2009 at 18:50 Julia Kastner 2 comments
Wanted: Tagalog Speaking Kiva Fellow / Reward If Found!
By Sloane Berrent, KF8, Philippines
Special Mission should you choose to accept.
The Kiva Fellows Program is looking for a Tagalog-speaking (or Cebuano) person of Filipino descent for a placement at a microfinance institution on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. That means you must be comfortable being placed there and traveling around the region.
Why Tagalog/Cebuano speaking and Filipino?
Kiva abides very closely to the State Department issued warning and there is currently a travel advisory against U.S. citizens traveling to that part of the Philippines.
Reward you say?
That’s right. If you recommend the Kiva Fellows who gets the placement I personally will give you a $25 Kiva gift certificate.
Why? Because I’m here in the Philippines now and I wish I could go down to Mindanao myself. I see microfinance making a real impact here in the Philippines, especially in the provinces outside of Manila, and I believe that Mindanao deserves the same availability to Kiva the rest of the Philippines has access to.
Ok, so more about the Kiva Fellows program? Think you’re qualified?
Join a group of the most dedicated up and comers in the fields on microfinance, community building and economic development you could find.
Spend a minimum of 10 weeks at a placement determined by Kiva. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis (I have heard they are willing to move quickly for the right candidate for this placement but shhh you didn’t hear that from me).
What are you waiting for? Please send this along to anyone you think is a qualified candidate. Have them refer you in their application and if chosen, I’ll be giving you a $25 Kiva gift certificate to loan to any Borrower you want!
Interested in helping with this incentive? Match me and let’s make this “reward” higher ($50, $100 +!) Just say so in the comments and include your email address and I’ll keep you in the loop about who our deserving winner is!
A little linkage for more information:
More about Kiva Fellow requirements can be found here.
Sloane Berrent, KF8, is currently serving her placement with Ahon sa Hirap (ASHI) in the Philippines. Spending time with ASHI members she has learned to throw pots, plant rice and helped man a general store and is planning to spend a day with more members to walk in their shoes. When online, you can find her promoting Kiva on Twitter and writing about social action campaigns on her blog, The Causemopolitan.
¡Feliz Inti Raymi!
Posted by Lee Bruner KF8
In Cusco, Perú, there are numerous holidays during the winter months of June and July. Most recently the town celebrated Inti Raymi (the Sun Festival), an Incan tradition marking the beginning of a new year with the winter soltice. Many companies make up their own traditional outfits and march through the main square in a parade that lasts for around 12 hours.
I am currently working with Asociación Arariwa, Kiva’s field partner in the Sacred Valley of Perú. When I arrived last month, preparations for Inti Raymi were already underway: signs were posted around the office detailing the dress code (dark pants and red pocho) and practice times for the dancers who would lead our group through the plaza.
