A Change of Perspective
15 May 2010 at 09:51 mraimondi 5 comments
By Matt Raimondi, KF11, Honduras
I recently arrived in Juticalpa, Honduras to begin my Kiva Fellowship at FAMA OPD’F, a brand new Kiva partner. (FAMA has yet to post any loans but will be posting their first loans in the upcoming weeks. Be on the lookout for a blog post announcing their first loans!)
FAMA HQ, Juticalpa, Honduras
A longtime Kiva supporter, I began lending over three years ago and became a Volunteer Spanish Translator for Kiva a year and a half ago. I was always looking for ways to get more involved with Kiva and longed to be able to work on the ground and make a difference in the field. When I came upon the Kiva Fellows Program I knew it was meant to be.
I will be attending business school in the fall and knew this was the ideal opportunity to do a Kiva Fellowship. A little over a month ago I quit my job. After an intense, weeklong Kiva Fellows training I moved out of my apartment in San Francisco and two weeks ago I arrived in Honduras. It’s been a whirlwind month to say the least. The transition from Volunteer Spanish Translator to Kiva Fellow has been an eye-opening experience. I went from translating loan descriptions to being fully immersed in the daily operations of an MFI. In the first two weeks of my Kiva Fellowship I have learned a lot about Kiva, microfinance and myself. Kiva places an immense amount of trust and responsibility on the Kiva Fellows and I am grateful for the opportunity to make an impact at Kiva and in the microfinance community. I know I am in the right place and am very excited to bring another MFI onto Kiva’s platform!
Over the next three months I look forward to sharing my experiences with you on the Kiva Fellows blog!
Click here if you’re interested in getting more involved with Kiva!!!
Entry filed under: Americas, blogsherpa, FAMA Honduras, Honduras, KF11 (Kiva Fellows 11th Class). Tags: blogsherpa, Honduras, KF11, Kiva Fellows, www.kiva.org.
1. bania | 9 June 2010 at 22:55
Hi Blair,
I am happy to know that you are there in what seems to be a great mission and purpose. I am not familiar with this program but planning to find out more about it. As I was browsing lonely plannet, I read your comments and got curious about it. Given that I am from Juticalpa I am even more interested to know more about what you do so, I will be checking your blog often. I hope you have the best experience there and if you need any help feel free to contact my brother. His name Ever and he works at TIGO. You may even know him already! Best of luck!
2. bania | 9 June 2010 at 23:09
Matt,
Sorry, I was reading the previous post and I got your name confused. I am so sorry!
Bania
3. Blair Adornato | 8 June 2010 at 21:35
hi Matt-
I am a longtime supporter of Kiva and have a few friends connected with the organization and actually lived in Juticalpa for six months from January-June 2008. Reading your blog made me so excited to hear about the work that is being done in Juticalpa. I taught fifth grade at the Day Star school. I hope you love baleadas as much as I did and that you are finding your way around town.
I now teach Economics at a high school in Portland, Oregon and have my seniors doing a project on microfinance this week. if you get this comment in the next day or two and can share some more stories from your work in J, I d love to share it with them.
Id love to talk to you about Juticalpa and if you need any resources, please let me know- I know this is super random and I’m a stranger, but Juticalpa will always hold a special place in my heart and I’d love to help get you acquainted with its greatest assetes. if i never hear from you again- i hope you go to el rancho for a burger, to catacamas for fun, to tegucicalpa for adventure, to juanitas for breakfast, to metro video for some entertainment and always trust that the people of juticalpa have your best intentions in their hearts.
que le vaya bien,
Blair
4. A Change of Perspective « Matt in Honduras | 17 May 2010 at 08:58
[...] http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2010/05/15/a-change-of-perspective/ [...]
5. Shamsul alam | 17 May 2010 at 08:18
I want to change my life. what can i do ?