Archive for November 16th, 2009
Kiva and Empowerment
Gavin Sword KF9
I read with great interest the very thoughtful blog by David Roodman: as well as the more sensational New York Times article about Kiva’s loan disbursement disclosure issues. I agree that Kiva could have done a better job of explaining the nuanced realities of fund disbursement on its website. And I think that insightful blogs aimed at holding Kiva accountable are useful and will serve to strengthen the organization. But beneath all the controversy, for many, I think a line blurred between connecting to an individual and controlling an outcome.
As lenders we like to think we are really making a difference in someone’s life and we are…but it’s complicated and it actually bumps up against something we all value greatly about Kiva: Empowerment. For all three stakeholders: lenders, borrowers and MFI’s – empowerment is key.
3 comments 16 November 2009
Funky Cheese
By Zal Bilimoria, KF9, Ecuador
Ecuadorian cheese tastes a bit different if one is not accustomed to eating it. Cheese is not necessarily the most common ingredient in local fare, as the staple for most meals is rice, plantains and beans served with beef, chicken or some other type of meat. However, it’s unmistakeable when you take that first bite of pizza, pasta or ham and cheese sandwich…especially if it hasn’t been refrigerated properly due to the energy crisis sweeping the country.
Mote (Corn) with Egg and Cheese
This is typically the dry season for much of Ecuador, but for the past two years, it has rained just enough to support the energy demands of the country, which hinge on the Paute hydroelectric dam south of Cuenca. Unfortunately, the presidential administration and the energy department decided to forgo plans to build additional hydroelectric installations and bet Ecuador’s future on their belief that rain would come once again for a third year in a row. However, here in Cuenca just 100 miles north of the dam, clear blue skies and record high temperatures suggest that pending rainfall is but a dream. Paute needs to operate at roughly 70% efficiency in order to satisfy domestic demand; at the present time, the most it can muster is 35%.
4 comments 16 November 2009
On the Road
By Nick Malouin, KF9, Togo
There’s something about traveling at high speeds in Africa that allows the mind to open up and do its best thinking. Maybe with the pot holes and daily frustrations left behind the brain can finally concentrate on something else. I had such an experience on a recent weekend trip to Lomé. Traveling at 60km/h, I had two hours to take in the beautiful scenery between Kpalimé and Lomé. The villages, usually a cacophony of noise and activity, had the brief illusion of serenity.
I started thinking about earlier that day when I met a client selling motor oil on the side of the road. His stand had looked like every other motor oil stand in Kpalimé and you might think for a second that it was part of a chain. The fact is though with only certain inputs available (wood boards) and zero money to invest, all merchant stands, whether selling vegetables, pagne or motor oil, look exactly the same. I started wondering if a little training could go a long way; if a quick lesson on product differentiation, branding and marketing strategy, along with financial planning, could turn this motor oil stand into the next Jiffy Lube.
Nassirou Ouro-Couloum, Kiva Client
6 comments 16 November 2009
RSS - Posts