Author Archive
Death-Defying Repayment in Vietnam
It’s funny how death makes a person keenly aware of their responsibilities. You think about all the wrongs you need to right, the people with whom you need to make amends, and the debts you need to repay. You’re lucky if you’ve never faced death. If you live in a developed country like the United States, things like tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases and stomach cancer don’t make it on the list of top 10 leading causes of death in your country. But if you live in a developing country like Vietnam, your fate is different. I recently met a Kiva borrower who was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The 6-month survival rate of stomach cancer patients diagnosed in its later stages is less than 15%.
Despite her recent surgery, Pham Thi Dieu, continues her daily life in Dong Anh Province, just outside of Hanoi, Vietnam in defiance of her stomach cancer. Dieu and her husband continue to work in a family member’s construction business. Her husband does the labor, and she resells construction materials and handles the books. The women in Dieu’s village support her and surround her with love and encouragement. Because health is risky business in Vietnam, Dieu is realistic about her chances of survival, but “I still have to work to help my family, take care of my two boys…and besides, I still have 6 more months of repayment on my loan,” she states rather matter-of-factly. I showed Dieu the photos of the 12 lender profiles on Kiva who were supporting her loan. “Well, I have to get better now, don’t I? I owe a responsibility to these people as well.”
With Dieu’s permission, I share her story and the attached video as a reminder of the hope and connection you Kiva lenders give when you honor the lives and businesses of borrowers through the loans you make. You can also watch videos of the loan process in Vietnam and meet the different credit officers who make it happen by following these links.
Video: Follow Your $25 to Vietnam EPISODE 3!!!
Dear Lender,
If you’re tuning in for the first time, you’re in for a treat! Watch as a group of women in a remote province of northern Vietnam receive access to credit for the very first time. Feel their hope, hear their fears, and share in the laughter =)
This is the last of a 3-part video blogging series in which I attempt to give you a snapshot of the person-to-person experience you would have if you were to follow your $25 Kiva loan to Vietnam. I hope you enjoy!
Video: Follow Your $25 to Vietnam, EPISODE 2!
Dear Kiva Lender,
A few weeks ago, I created a video introduction to what you might experience if you followed the money you lent on Kiva to Vietnam. This time, meet the local staff and credit officers of the local micro-finance institution who make the magic happen. You’ll hear of a credit officer’s story of the impact that micro-credit has had on her family directly. Hope you enjoy!
Video: Follow Your $25 to Vietnam!
Dear Lender,
Have you ever wanted to see what happens to your money once you press the “LEND” button on kiva.org? Well, wonder no more as I take you on a visual person-to-person experience into the rural provinces of Hanoi, Vietnam. Every couple of weeks, I will be posting a video blog of what happens to your money from the ground up. Enjoy this first episode as a teaser of what’s to come!
Kiva Fellows are all about the Schwag?
So I’m on day 4 out of a week-long Kiva Fellows training program that starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. straight through to 6:30 p.m. along with 28 other trainees from all over the world. We’re fighting off all kinds of sicknesses from being together 10+ hours a day (i.e. braving a rainy outdoor trolley ride around San Francisco, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the computer “sauna” room, and hi-fiving when our team scores on Kiva Jeopardy).
