Posts filed under ‘Honduras’
Here’s to all the loan officers out there!
I’ve been hanging out with the Prisma staff for almost three weeks now. The moment I stepped off the plane, they made me feel right at home. They’ve been eager to take me out in the field to meet borrowers, and educate me on the intricacies of microfinance in Honduras. It’s hard to believe it’s only been three weeks.
I am based out of the main office in the Loma Linda Sur neighborhood of Tegucigalpa. However, Kiva clients are spread throughout Prisma’s five offices so I am traveling between all of them. In addition to Loma Linda Sur, there’s the Pedregal office which services Comayagüela, Tegucigalpa’s neighboring sister city; the Danlí office about 1 1/2 hours east; the Choluteca office about two hours south; and the San Lorenzo office also two hours south but on the coast. Each branch has on average, two loan officers, who are out in the field every day meeting new clients or checking in with existing clients. So far I have had the pleasure of accompanying five of them to meet their respective Kiva clients. The work that these officers do is in my opinion, the most critical to increasing microfinance in developing countries.
Every client I meet tells me how much these small loans have helped him or her. Time and time again, I hear the same comment: that slowly but surely, these loans are changing their lives. Access to credit is empowering people to create economic opportunities in countries that for one reason or another, are unable to support their own.
As beneficial as it is, the one thing I’ve noticed is how hard it is to physically reach all those people who need loans. First, in big cities like Tegucigalpa, the traffic is horrendous and it could take 45 minutes to make it across town. That’s assuming one is traveling by car. Usually the loan officers will travel by motorcycle, bus, or foot (or a combination of) to reach clients because cars are too expensive to purchase and maintain. Second, whether it is an urban city or rural village, the roads in the poorer parts of town are usually in poor condition. In most of my trips around the city, I’ve been fortunate enough to get a ride in a taxi owned by one of the loan officer’s husbands. Even so, we usually have to get out of the car at some point and walk because the roads are too steep, poorly maintained, or haven’t even been built yet! It is physically demanding work – traveling all day, being out in the heat, and sometimes even having to watch out for would-be thieves.
I feel really lucky to be in the company of some very experienced and dedicated loan officers. They are tireless in their efforts to meet new clients and build long-lasting relationships with their existing clients. These officers, and all the other loan officers out there should be commended. It’s because of them that microfinance has been able to reach as many people as it has to date. They are instrumental in reaching those clients who need loans most, helping them pull themselves out of poverty. So thank you all!
Just like home…well, almost
I arrived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras last Wednesday. Two of the staff members of Prisma Honduras, Orbelina and Lucy, were kind enough to brave the rush hour traffic and pick me up at the airport. You can read more about the staff members and the various Prisma offices on Dr. Kendall Mau’s informative blog: http://microfinancetravels.typepad.com.
My first impressions of Tegucigalpa were that I could be in any large suburban US city, albeit with a little Latin flare! In my first three days here, I visited two different malls, both packed with people shopping at many of the same stores you find in the US, went to Wal-Mart to get a phone, and had dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. And if you’re wondering, this was not all at my suggestion! Even the prices for goods and services in Tegucigalpa are not much different than at home. Where am I again? When you see all this, it’s hard to believe that Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America (according to the 2006 CIA World Fact Book). Furthermore, in 2006 the unemployment rate was estimated to be at an astonishing 27.9% compared to 4.8% in the US. How can this be, when everybody is shopping?
Living in a nice section of Tegucigalpa, it’s really easy to forget that there is another half (or more) that lives below the poverty line in Honduras. There is an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income between the rich and poor here. This week, I finally was able to get out and meet some of the Kiva borrowers in Prisma’s Danlí office, about 60 miles away from Tegucigalpa. Danlí is colonial town with a cowboy feel. Cattle ranching, coffee production, and cigar production are the economic mainstays. Now I remember what I am here for! I spent most of my time with Manuel, one of Prisma’s loan officers, driving around to meet various borrowers at their homes and businesses. Manuel knows just about everyone in Danlí and the nearby town of El Paraiso. He remembers everyone’s name, their family situation, where they live, and how much they have borrowed without needing to bring his files. I could tell that Manuel’s clients have a lot of respect for him. Everyone welcomed us in their home with open arms. Furthermore, I am told that none of his clients have ever defaulted on a loan!
As I return back to my apartment in Tegucigalpa, I remind myself that there are many sides to this country: the one where I am living with all the creature comforts of home, and another one, where many people are working hard every day just to meet their basic daily needs.
Daniela in Honduras
Hi, I’m Daniela, and I’ll be working with Prisma Microfinance in Tegucigalpa, Honduras’ capital. I’m spending a few days on the island of Roatán before heading to Tegucigalpa. Roatán is the largest of three islands that make up the Islas de Bahía (Bay Islands) just north of the mainland in the Caribbean Sea. Although there’s some technical debate over the definition of the various reefs, together, the Bay Islands and nearby Belize reef systems make up the world’s second largest coral reef after Australia’s
Great Barrier Reef! Too bad I’m not a scuba diver…
From what I’ve read, the Bay Islands and the north coast of Honduras are much different than the rest of the country. The islands have a mixed heritage of Africans, Caribs, Europeans, and mainlanders. There’s also a lot of foreign investors buying up ocean front property to develop into higher-end lodging. It’s easy to see what all the hype is about – white sand beaches, clear turquoise blue waters, coral reefs, and unbelievable amounts of sea life including dolphins, manta rays, and sea turtles. All this tourism provides a source of economy for the locals, providing a better standard of living than many of the people on the mainland. As a result, a fair number of mainlanders (as well as westerners) are immigrating to the islands in search of economic prosperity. Hopefully the island and the reef system will be able to handle the influx of residents, tourists, and development. I met another American today, who when I told him I was going to be working with Kiva, said, “I know Kiva. How can I get involved?” It seems that word is traveling fast about all the great things going on in microfinance!
I’m expecting Tegucigalpa, in southern/central Honduras to be much different. As the nation’s capital, it has over 1.5 million residents compared to less than 80,000 in the Bay Islands, and at 3,000 feet above sea level it will help fight against any malaria risk! I’m looking forward to meeting the staff at Prisma in a few days.
