Author Archive
Video blog: The heart of Kiva
Mindblank! Recently I have been at a loss for words, and haven’t felt so compelled to share anything on the blog. Instead I decided to focus my efforts on producing a video of my time in the field as a Kiva fellow. One of the most amazing parts of being a Kiva fellow is the beautiful meetings you have with microfinance clients. In these sessions you have the opportunity to chat with borrowers about anything and everything. At the end of an interview we all commonly ask borrowers what are their hopes and dreams for the future.
Developed or Developing – Which would you rather?
These words were inspired by a recent conversation I had with a Ugandan man who had spent 10 years of his life living and working in the UK. He left shocked over the lack of community, how you couldn’t just talk to a stranger on the streets like in Uganda, and how people would refuse to acknowledge someone sitting next to them on the subway. “They all just want their space!” he exclaimed mortified. He looked at his watch and said; “and it’s all about time.”
Here I seek to compile a list of my observations from living in both developed and developing. In my eyes both have certain advantages and a merger is what we need to aspire to.
A week in my life..
By Anna Cleal, KF13, Kampala
So what does week one of being a Kiva fellow entail? I can’t guarantee that this will be typical – we are all in very different places around the world, but for me…
Day One: I arrived at Entebbe airport Uganda. Found a taxi to take me into Kampala, to my new abode, met my new flatmates, and went to sleep. Don’t worry the week gets a little more exciting after this!!
Kiva, Google Earth, and the Big Wide World
Ok so hear me out on this concept – I think it’s a good one.
In my eyes one of THE greatest things to come out of the last fifty years is the ability to travel. The ability to see, to experience, to understand different cultures, and get a taste of what it’s like to live in a country vastly different to your own.
So what about Google Earth?
10 Things the Philippines Can Teach the World
1) How to smile
At the moment I am working as a Kiva fellow with the field partner organisation Community Economic Ventures (CEVI), based in Bohol, Philippines. Here there are some of the most fantastic smiles I have ever seen. It’s the real face lit up, all teeth accounted for, glowing beam that can spread far and wide.
Lesson: Plain and simple – Smile! Remember to smile as much as possible because everyone knows that smiles are contagious!
Dear World….
Some people don’t like airports/train stations/bus stations but I do. I like those few moments in between where you’ve been, and where you are going. The fact you actually get a chance to reflect. I’m in a queue at the airport. Here are my thoughts.
My Right Hand Man, Sesenio
It is becoming increasingly obvious to me, living here in the Philippines, that SO often money does not go into the right hands. The two main shopping malls on the island of Bohol are owned by wealthy Chinese business men. Chain stores like Chow King, McDonalds, and Jollibee are filled with customers. When you ask people what they do in the weekend the common answer is “malling” or window shopping. Malls are synonymous with air conditioning. Air con means escaping the heat. Less people shop in the open markets and side of the road stalls. More people are drawn into the big chain stores.
And so the story goes, and it’s an old one, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. ENTER: Microfinance!
Why do we need Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and Interest rates?
A blog in response to comments under “Bad Roads, Interest Rates, and MFI Sustainability”
Food for thought on Interest rates
* Have you ever seen a microfinance institute?
Working with Community Economic Ventures (CEVI) in the Philippines I have come across the most passionate, forward thinking bunch of individuals who really care about the community in which they operate. They are of similar mindset to the lenders, Kiva staff, and us fellows. They are a part of this because they really care. Of course they have operational costs! They have staff. They need to distribute the money. The loans are small.
Slavery – abolished or reinvented?
Is exploitation just another form of slavery? This question has crossed my mind a few times today.
The borrower I just visited (who will remain anon) uses her loan to buy materials to make a product.
After a fair bit of questioning and digging. Here’s the dirt.
San Frantastic, time to get real
The best part about leaving a place is that it generally means you will be arriving somewhere new. You’re sad. You’re excited. You’re a whole bunch of simultaneous emotions. I want to write this, my first Kiva Fellow’s Blog, while these emotions are still fresh;
while the bitter sweet sound of karaoke is still ringing in my ears;
while the last shot of the night is still processing;
and while the memory of 30 smiling fellows is firmly imprinted in my mind.
First let me tell you why I am excited
1) I am about to embark on a three month fellowship for an organisation called Kiva. They’re excited about the concept of microfinance. We all know that excitement is contagious. If you want to get excited too then skip to The Kiva website.
