Kiva Stories from the Field

By Mohammed Al-Shawaf, KF9 Palestine

Before proceeding, let me first state that this is not a political blog.  I neither have the expertise nor desire to engage in the complex web of conflict–latent or otherwise–that surrounds the major events of the last decade in Palestine.  I will attempt to reference and explain only the events that help me tell the story of the resiliency of the Palestinian microfinance sector and in particular, of Ryada.  I implore those interested in learning more to do just that.  Although it requires a bit of fiddling around, the Google News Timeline is a fine tool that allows you to view major news headlines filtered by keywords and timeframes.

When I was 3, Hurricane Hugo wreaked havoc throughout the Southeast region, enveloping my hometown of Charlotte, NC in its wake.  I can even recall a picture of myself standing next to the shriveled stump of what was once a broad, formidable tree that overlooked my grandma’s house.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about contingency planning. I can’t remember what my family did in anticipation of that storm, but I’m sure it was something.  For homes chronically threatened by hurricane season, preparatory measures are often taken: supply kits are filled, windows are reinforced and sandbags are at the ready.  But what would happen if these homes were just as likely to succumb to blazing fires as they were to hurricane flooding? What if it instead of a natural disaster, a plague swept through the region?  What about a war?

Welcome to Palestinian microfinance where contingency plans are made for crises unimagined.

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