Archive for 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%.
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
Phonecards and Peanuts: Looking at Micro-finance through the Macro Lens
Ilmari Soininen
KF9 UIMCEC Dakar, Senegal
Topping up one’s phone credit is never a problem in Dakar – on every street corner you will find one, or usually three or four young men hawking the same exact Orange Telecom cards. They offer the exact same cards, in the exact same spot, at the exact same time. Peanut vendors are equally ubiquitous, often stationed only a feet away from each other, selling the same peanuts, in the same 50 Franc increments.
These vendors often rarely have many other avenues for generating income. Many come from the countryside, where subsistence farming is usually the one and only option. They prefer the hustle and bustle of the city. They prefer the 500, 1000 or even 2000 CFCA (between US$ 1-4) they can make a day. Who can blame them.
But when you add up all of the thousands of phonecard, peanut (cigarette, tissue, fruit …) vendors, you begin to see why this country, and indeed many of its neighbors, are still so poor. (more…)
A welcomed visitor in Guatemala, but just a visitor
By Jeremy Lapedis, KF9, Guatemala
I am the visitor. I am from Kiva. I am Jeremias. This has been my introduction for my first days in Guatemala.
Tueseday, we went to San Martin. It is a two hour drive from Guatemala City: thankfully it was Marco and not me who was driving so I could observe the scenery as we passed through beautiful rolling hills covered in forests. In the distance we could see small peaks, and each one was covered in trees.
Once we arrived, we were greeted by Bertha Carmelina Tohon, who just finished fundraising on Kiva. She gave 
us a warm welcome and insisted that we have tea before we leave her comedor (eatery). She not shy to share her life story. I quickly learned that her kids attending college, one studying psychology and the other chemistry. I learned that she thought the Guatemalan school system did not teach the children anything practical, and that she has a typing school where kids learn using typewriters. I learned that she was hard working: “There is time to rest when you die,” she said.
But not all of our visits on this day would be this happy. (more…)
The Local Local Lifestyle
Rebecca Corey, KF9 Tanzania
The first time I got shoved 
out of the way in a mad rush to the dala-dala bus, my friend Victor said to me, “This is the local local lifestyle, pole sana–I’m very sorry.” The next time he said it was when the electricity went out and I was reading in the living room. “This is the local local, pole dada–sorry sister.” Then again when I had Malaria: “The Tanzania local local, pole sana, pole sana.” In the streets, when Tanzanians are shouting to me, “Mchina, mchina!” Chinese person, chinese person! : “They are local local, they cannot tell you are Korean. Pole.” And every time, he smiles his big smile, apologetic, almost wistful, partly amused, always sincere.
I have also started to think to myself, “local local,” several times each day. We haven’t had water for the past eight days because of a broken water pump, so we fetch bucketfuls from next door. Tanzania is suffering from a major power crisis, so electricity is rationed. Ours goes out for a full day once every three days. I get up at five every morning to catch the dala-dala before the major traffic jams so I can get to work by eight. I see one bus that says on the back, “Don’t Hide, Just Pay,” another claims “Jesus is Power,” and a third “Blootooth On.” “Local local,” I think. (more…)
“Not Real Men…”
Me and the other Africa-based Kiva Fellows (photo provided by John Briggs)
By Taylor Akin, KF9, Togo
In the months of preparation leading up to my Kiva Fellowship in Lomé, Togo I have had plenty of opportunity to practice my take on the taxicab test – a concise explanation of Kiva’s mission and the work of a Kiva Fellow. Upon completing my training at Kiva Headquarters in San Francisco, I felt confident in my ability to accurately explain Kiva’s approach to microfinance to a relatively neutral audience. More often than not, I encountered the disinterested but common eyes-glazed-over look immediately following the words “non-profit.” To be sure, anyone who has ever gone to the developing world to do anything other than build schools has faced this problem.
While we learned the many ways in which to defend Kiva, there was one area where our taxicab test fell short: defending our host countries. It had not really occurred to me that I would be put in the position of having to justify a five-month trip to the continent of Africa. Yet, I rarely got beyond “I’m going to Togo” before being hit with a surprising amount of ignorance, miseducation, and prejudice.
At first, the most common responses seemed innocent enough. They generally fell along the lines of cautionary warnings like “be careful,” “watch out for the lions,” and “it’s not safe there like it is here.” At other times, comedy was the vessel through which this prejudice was revealed. One co-worker recently asked me when I leave “for the jungle to visit Tarzan” despite my repeated explanations that I’ll be based in a bustling capital city. Finally, there are the truly shocking remarks. About a week ago, a co-worker warned me to “be careful in Africa because the people there are like animals, not real men.”
(more…)
I Work In Microfinance Because…
By Mohammed Al-Shawaf, KF9 Palestine
Recently, Kiva’s been engulfed in controversy over how it presents its Person-to-Person lending platform–a convenient shorthand for the reality on the ground or a more draconian attempt to mislead the casual lender? I will not weigh in on this specific debate because there is already a rich dialogue that has taken place. However, I have noticed that a theme in some of the posts and responses has been to lament the limitations of P2P lending today.
In this equation, the microfinance institutions (MFIs) servicing the loans have been regarded as indispensable, but still undesirable middlemen between Kiva lenders and borrowers. I can’t fault that view. On the Kiva website, MFIs have partner pages that explain their missions. But Kiva, above all, is a place that connects people and only in borrower and lender profiles can you learn what motivates individuals to engage in microfinance.
With that in mind, I asked employees at Ryada, the MFI I’m working with in Palestine, to finish the following prompt: I work in microfinance because…
Transparency: Not Just for Lenders
By Maia Pelleg, KF9, Kenya Agency for the Development of Enterprise and Technology (KADET)
This video was filmed in response to the following interaction I had with a borrower group outside of Nairobi, Kenya…
“Habari. Nina itwa Maia,” I practice saying as I walk into my first group meeting of the day. A KADET credit officer named Gachi,and I are visiting Kiva borrowers living in Kamae, a slum-like area filled with tin huts and roads littered with garbage and roaming animals. Almost all Kiva borrowers here lack formal education and exposure to English, and I wanted to make sure that I could at least introduce myself in their language. I take my seat on a long sturdy bench and face a group of 12 borrowers sitting in four straight rows before me. With perfect posture, the borrowers stare earnestly at Gachi, waiting for an explanation as to why a mzungu (white person) is joining their meeting.
A round of introductions begins, translated by Gachi, and I learn that the group’s name is Kihatu, meaning broom. When they hear their group name announced to me, every single borrower’s face breaks into a proud grin. Until now, the groups I have met have names that translate to English words like lion, opportunity, and faith. Puzzled by this self-designated title, I ask for insight into this choice. A willowy woman with a strong, clear voice responds and Gachi translates, “This is the first loan cycle for all of us in this group,” she says, “and each of us is looking to sweep away the problems of our past and the problems of luck. We are no longer going to depend on luck, but on ourselves.”
YOSEFO Day 2009
By Jennifer Gong, KF9 Tanzania
YOSEFO has come a long way. In 1997, it humbly opened its doors to 50 clients, for a total loan portfolio size of $5000. However, with unwavering determination, it has succesfully expanded into 14 different communities around Dar es Salaam and has opened offices in Ifakara, Zanzibar, Kilwa and Tanga. Today, YOSEFO can proudly claim to serve over 11,000 active clients and has seen its loan portfolio increase to $1.5m. This is definitely something to celebrate about, and celebrate we did! To mark 12 successful years of serving Tanzania, my MFI decided to organize YOSEFO Day 2009.
The purpose of the celebration was not only about rejoicing, it was also about recognition. It was about acknowledging the outstanding clients and staff members that have played a significant role in making the past dozen years successful. Recognition is important because the sweat and tears of both clients and staff often go unnoticed. Furthermore, the showcasing of successful stories will hopefully create a competitive spirit that will drive everyone to strive for more.
Here are some highlights of YOSEFO Day 2009… (more…)
The Savings behind the Interest
By Eva Wu, KF9 Philippines
Having followed the recent debate over Kiva’s transparency and the P2P model, the main critique that stuck with me was that there should be more transparency on Kiva’s partner MFIs. This resonated with me because I believe that Kiva has, on the whole, picked out partner MFIs that do amazing work and have really compelling stories to tell about their organization. So in that spirit, I’ve decided to share more details here about some of the products and services that my host MFI, Hagdan sa Pag-uswag Foundation, Inc. offers. In addition to lending, Hagdan also offers a mandatory savings program, insurance programs, and leadership/business trainings. Hagdan also runs community development programs out of a different part of the organization.
Before I dive into those services though, I want to devote this post to HSPFI’s interest repayment policy. Over the last six weeks I’ve realized that my understanding of the details is sadly lacking. So one weekend when I was in the office, I grabbed Sir Melchie Badion, HSPFI Internal Auditor, and asked him for a detailed rundown. Knowing that interest payments cover much of an MFI’s operational costs, I wanted to make sure I had everything straight in my head from start to end.
Weekend in training
By Ed Coambs KF9 Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation
Tricycle driver from training weekend, read this post to learn why we have his photo
The morning starts early, its 5:30 and I rise to church bells and a new day’s adventure. At 6:30 I will be leaving with Raymond, Presy and Masa to introduce Kiva to five Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation branches (NWTF). NWTF partnered with Kiva in July of 2009 and is now expanding their program to more branches.
Today we will travel in a 1990’s vintage Mitsubishi van that has room for 12. The van is well worn with the character of traveling many roads. Our first destination San Carlos will take about three hours and we will pass over a mountain to the other side of the island of Negros. Like any good Filipino road trip starting at 6:30 we make a quick stop at Jollie Bee (A popular local fast food joint) to pick up coffee, hot dogs dripping with cheese and fries. Yes I know a strange breakfast to most but to each Filipino their own. Now that we have our fuel for the morning we hit the open road. Or should I say (more…)
A Sierra Leonean Pick-Me-Up
by Stephanie Meyer, KF9, Sierra Leone
I eat at Kumba’s at least three times a week. I’ve always been the type that likes to have my “regular spots” – my coffee shop, my bar, my newsstand. I like to think of Kumba’s as my lunch spot. It doesn’t hurt that everything is so homey. There are only three tables, so people tend to share and chat. By the time I had made three visits, I was granted to privilege of walking through the door to “Eh! Step-nie!” followed by enquiries after the folks I usually eat with and their whereabouts. The food is tasty and it’s fast, and on very rare occasions when she knows I’m coming, there’s onion stew (my favorite so far). About a week ago, I popped my head into my Kiva Coordinator’s office to let him know I was off for “apotho lunch” (me and my weak American stomach eat lunch about an hour before everyone else in the office). He asked where I was going, and I told him Kumba’s for Cassava Leaf. “Kumba?” he asked, “You know, she is a client”. (check out her current profile here)
Kiva, Transparency and P2P Microlending
by Zev Lowe, KF8 Indonesia
I never knew when I signed up to represent Kiva for 10 weeks in Indonesia that I was also signing myself up for a much longer-term commitment as a Kiva Ambassador. But all jesting aside, as someone who has gone behind the curtain and seen the inner workings of Kiva and one of their MFI field partners, here’s my own personal opinion (not endorsed in any way by Kiva) on whether or not Kiva is actually peer-to-peer microlending.
Continue Reading 11 November 2009 at 08:50 zevlowe 9 comments
Kiva Lenders Have Character
By Prem Thomas, KF9, Philippines
Yesterday I took a trip to a CCT Kiva branch located in Caloocan, about 2 hours north of the head office in Manila. CCT offices often have inspirational posters and signs, but I thought this one was very relevant to Kiva.
Kiva lenders have good character: “They lend money to those in need without interest.”
Why Me?: A Post about Bolivian Women
By Suzy Marinkovich, KF8 Peru & KF9 Bolivia
Twisted twining vining metal unrhythmic untamed unkempt and in comes the dust sweat and sticking to me tires thumping each rock unsettled plastic bag squeezed empty tossed out the window just a drop of papaya juice leaps back clings to the dirty car door parting from the white stretch of plastic mangling on wire scraps whose posture, never organized (more…)
So, what is a “community bank”?
By Julia Kastner, KF9 Mexico
When Kiva first started, all of its loans were to individuals. Borrower A asked for X dollars and voila! Person A got a Kiva loan. Over time, however, Kiva’s been working with more and more MFIs, and the number of different types of loans and lending models has been increasing.
Watch a meeting of a community bank (a.k.a. UDE):
As Kiva explains:
“In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a group of individuals bound by a group guarantee. Under this arrangement, each member of the group supports one another and is responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members if someone is delinquent or defaults.”
So, how is an UDE different from other group loans? Why is an UDE helpful? And how does it work?
These are the questions I’ve been asking folks here at FRAC for the last two months, and this is what I’ve learned…
Big is beautiful in Kenya
by Rachel Brooks, KF9, Kenya
My favorite Kiva field partner before I started my fellowship was Kisimu Medical & Education Trust, here in Kenya. At K-MET, microfinance is a smaller part of a community-based health organization. They offer loans to providers (many of them volunteers) so that they can maintain or improve their clinics and services. And they have these wonderfully innovative programs to help women and improve reproductive health.
But as much as programs like these make me go weak at the knees, I’ve also really come around to loving what the scope and focus of a big MFI can offer. Big is beautiful.
Faulu's Director holds the BIG certificate
Faulu Kenya has more than 90 outlets across the country, over 1000 staff members, and a fairly large headquarters. They are laser-focussed on providing financial services to low-income people, with over 250,000 clients. They want to reach a million clients by 2011. (more…)
Contingency Planning for Crises Unimagined (Part 1)
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.
US Embassy Alerts a.k.a. Things to Worry About
By Meg Gray, KF9 Nicaragua
It rained all weekend in Managua. It rained because of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Ida, which hit Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast on Thursday. You may have heard about Ida because your saw it on the news or read about it in the paper. Or maybe, like me, you learned about it via an alert from the US Embassy in Nicaragua. In my mind, Embassy Alerts are code for “things to start worrying about if you aren’t already.” Written in a calm, informative tone, the alerts are as alarming as they are pertinent. In my five weeks in Nicaragua, I have received alerts on three topics:
1. Tropical Storm (soon-to-be Hurricane) Ida
2. Mobs Attacking the US Embassy
3. Dengue Fever Outbreak
(more…)
What a Loan Smells Like:
By Brian Kelly, KF9, Armenia
Not very good, at least in some of these Armenian villages I’ve been dropping in on lately. Have you smelled a chicken coop, or a sty filled with 20 pigs lately? It’s tough to carry a conversation in there. Visiting borrowers, at least in Armenian villages is quite the sensory overload. You will smell more than you hoped to, probably taste something you never expected to, and perhaps hear a story that will inspire you to start your own apricot grove.
Haaaayyyy. This will feed the animals throughout the winter, looks tasty
Kiva does an interesting thing. It helps put stories to the often boringly academic discipline of microfinance. Without the stories, Kiva would struggle to fund loans as quickly as it does. They help to strike a chord inside of us that increases willingness to lend or donate because of a connection felt on a human level. But you probably know all of that already, (or have read some of the chatter) and this spiel sounds all good and nice, but what does a loan really LOOK like. What does it feel like, taste like up close? How is access to credit really affecting the borrower? Well that question is one of the unique opportunities that Kiva Fellows get to ask and hopefully attempt to answer.
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.
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.
CCT Borrowers Often Work in the Sidelines
By Prem Thomas, KF9, Manila, Philippines
After visiting many Kiva CCT borrowers, I noticed a trend that the primary business requiring a loan is not the only source of income. In the Philippines side jobs are referred to as “sidelines” or “extra income”. I have met a teachers who also sell clothing, farmers who rent out their plows to neighbors and a TV repair shop that sells ice in plastic bags during hot months. Of the CCT borrowers I’ve met, about half will have some sort of sideline.
Myrna Valencia used her entire Kiva loan to purchase inventory for her Personal Care direct selling business which she sells for a 25% markup. Myrna also has one of the more interesting sidelines I have scene. She recently completed a medical reflexology course and takes blood pressure for her neighbors on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings for 10 pesos (about $0.22 USD):
The Most Bizarre Client Interview (Part 2 of 2)
By Eva Wu, KF9 Philippines
Bizarre is probably not the best word to describe this client interview, but without a doubt we were intrigued and utterly fascinated by the alien-looking blob we saw sitting pretty before us. Corroi, HSPFI‘s Kiva Coordinator and I found ourselves staring at a live (or semi-live) sea cucumber during a visit to HSPFI client and Kiva borrower Ann Lagrada on Camiguin Island.
(This is the second part of my “most memorable client interviews on Camiguin” series – check out “The Most Beautiful Client Interview (Part 1 of 2)” if you haven’t already!)
(If you have a soft spot in your heart, an ongoing and lasting fondness for sea cucumbers like the one above, and the thought of chopping/prepping a sea cucumber for consumption would cause you much undue stress, do NOT click on the “more” link.)
My Motorcycle Diary from Guayaquil
By Kimia Raafat, KF9 Ecuador
Last week, I blogged about D-MIRO’s influence in the peri-urban zones of Guayaquil. There is no way to describe the dedicated D-MIRO staff members and the lengths they go to reach those marginalized from the traditional financial system. So I opted to film a sample day! Here is “My Motorcycle Diary”:
Verb rules and road duels
By Rob Packer, KF9 Kyrgyzstan
A less endearing road habit is driving in the country at night, where the gentleman’s etiquette of how to deal with oncoming traffic that I’m used to, has become an updated version of the staple of the 19th-century Russian novel, the duel.
A Slice of the Pie
By Victoria Kabak, KF9, Nicaragua
Before I left for my placement as a Kiva Fellow in Nicaragua, I was browsing my microfinance institution’s web site, trying to see what I could learn from it and to familiarize myself with the organization, AFODENIC, a bit more. I clicked on a link in the left sidebar called “Fuentes de Financiamiento,” or “Sources of Funding.” After the page loaded, I realized that, subconsciously and perhaps naïvely, I had been expecting to see a particular logo we know so well, that comforting, familiar green logo, with its leafy K and its curvy A.
Instead, the large pie graph on the page was labeled with the unfamiliar, non-green, non-leafy logos of three other funders. The smallest piece of that pie provides AFODENIC with funding equivalent to 4 times the amount of its monthly limit on Kiva–the largest, 57.5 times AFODENIC’s monthly limit.
There are a few important points to note at the outset. First, I can’t vouch for how recent these numbers are. Second, because the limits on Kiva are monthly, an MFI can receives up to 12 times that amount of funding in a given year. In fact, when I looked at the numbers on AFODENIC’s partner page on Kiva, the dollar amount of loans that AFODENIC has funded through Kiva is more than what the institution has received from two of the three other funders that were on this web page. But in any case, Kiva wasn’t on the page and my first thought was, “I guess Kiva isn’t one of its biggest sources of funding.”
Hey, Joe
I have been mistaken for this guy a lot since I've been here
By Adam Preston, KF9, Philippines
The Filipinos are a very generous people. So generous, in fact, that if they don’t know your name, they will even give you a name – and that name is Joe. I am greeted in this way no less than 3 or 4 times in a day, coming from men and women both young and old: “Hey Joe!”
As many guide books will tell you, in many parts of the Philippines foreigners especially males of Caucasian decent (read: white dudes) will be greeted as “Joe” referring to the GIs (American soldiers) who had a presence here through World War II.
“Finally, Filipinos have a unique greeting for male (and sometimes female) Westerners: ‘Hey Joe!’ (‘Hey Kano!’ is a less used variation). Both are hangovers from Word War II when the country was overrun by GI Joes or American soldiers (‘kano’ comes form Americano’) and are used ad nauseam. Of course, if your name’s Joe, you’ll feel pretty special. If not, you may start to feel like a clown set especially to give the locals a laugh.”
“Philippines”, Lonely Planet, p. 63, Edition 8, 2009
What is interesting about this experience isn’t just that this moniker dates back more than 50 years, but it is how it is often said, the utter exuberance in which the greeting is delivered. When waiting for my tricycle and I hear someone shout “Hey Joe!”, oddly, I don’t feel insulted. When I look over at the guy saying this, he is looking right at me with a big smile on his face. He seems to be genuinely glad to see me. I politely turn and wave and reciprocate in the only way that I know how: “Hey buddy”, I respond.
Adam Preston is a Kiva Fellow working with ASKI in Cabanatuan City, Philippines. He answers to both the name his mother gave him and also now to Joe. To get involved click here.
I might be falling for microfinance.
Alana Solimeo, KF9, Costa Rica
I realized after letting the excitement of Kiva, Costa Rica, and research topics (exhibited in previous post Rice, Beans and an Inspired Hypothesis) settle that I might want to take a step back. The thing is I hit the ground running here, thanks to the great work of my predecessor Kiva Fellow, the fact that EDESA really is on top of their game, and the enthusiastic charge with which I like to begin things that earned me my nickname Eager Beaver.
As ready as I think I am to lay it down as to why I think EDESA’s model is so successful it will be prudent to spend a blog post proving that it is indeed, successful. So here I give myself one shot to make you a believer, and then maybe we can jump on Kiva Fellow Suzy’s “What if microfinance really does work?” bandwagon! (more…)
The people who borrow
By Jane Lim, KF9 Mongolia
Today my envy of other Kiva fellows faded because I finally, finally got to meet Kiva borrowers.
There is a certain sadness that most of these borrowers have. For some it’s buried deep beneath stoicism and the victories of subsequent success, but for others it’s brimming at the surface, and you get the feeling that one more slight push would send them into the chasm. When I take their photos, they never smile – and I’ve thought of asking them to, but I don’t want to if there’s nothing to smile about. The truth is, life has been hard for them.
where i went today: the Chingeltey ger district
