Archive for November 7th, 2009
Spreading the word: MFIs and Publicity
By Julie Pachico, KF9 Mexico
A big part of the loan officers’ work load at FVP is “prospectando,” or heading out into the field and reaching out to potential clients. When I was first invited to come along I was a little nervous, as my career as a canvasser lasted for all of one day and I hate pushy sales people, no matter how good the cause. However my fears were rapidly relieved within minutes of accompanying the loan officers on their door-to-door visits. Their attitude isn’t that of aggressive marketing, but rather stems from a genuine concern and desire to help. Their message isn’t so much “invest in this program,” but more along the lines of “here’s this really great microcredit service offered by this organization, have you ever heard of it?” Here is a simple video I made of “prospectando” with the FVP loan officers in the Voluntad y Trabajo neighborhood , on the outskirts of Nuevo Laredo. You can read more about FVP’s method of finding new clients behind the cut.
7 comments 7 November 2009
Cuenca-stic Times!
By Zal Bilimoria, KF9, Ecuador
Over the past four weeks here in Ecuador, I’ve had the opportunity to see much of the country, starting out in Quito working at Fundacion ESPOIR’s administrative office, and now in Portoviejo near the coast to conduct borrower verifications and write journal updates, among other tasks. Since Ecuador is a relatively small country (roughly the size of Nevada), it’s easy to travel by plane or bus, usually within 4-6 hours to most major cities. This past weekend Kiva Fellow Kimia Raafat and I made our way to Cuenca for the long holiday weekend, where Dia de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) and Cuenca’s Independence Day were being observed. Day of the Dead (this past Monday, Nov 2) is a time of remembrance of loved ones who have passed away and a celebration of their lives (no connection to Halloween), while their Independence Day (Tuesday, Nov 3) marked Cuenca’s liberation from the Spanish Empire nearly 200 years ago. Easily the best weekend yet and the most beautiful city in Ecuador, in my opinion.
Enjoy this video montage of our Cuenca-stic weekend!
Zal Bilimoria is a Kiva Fellow based in Ecuador working for Fundacion ESPOIR. Consider making a loan to the working poor of this South American country.
3 comments 7 November 2009
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