Posts filed under ‘Kyrgyz Republic’
Updates from the Field: Mosquito Nets, Rock Climbing + Clearing the Air
Compiled by Kate Bennett, KF15, Ecuador
The former Prosecutor's office, burnt out in April 2010's political upheaval in Kyrgyzstan
Kiva’s Field Partners are spread far and wide, from Nicaragua to Nepal, Afghanistan to America. As we lend $25 to a borrower in a distant land, we try to imagine what his or her life is like. This is one of Kiva’s greatest successes, in fact: it gives us a glimpse into the life of another person in a country we’re unfamiliar with. But no amount of transparency on the Kiva website, nor pouring over newspapers or guidebooks, can ever really illustrate the human condition in a foreign country. Misinterpretations, factual inaccuracies, and complete delusions abound. And we Fellows are just as hapless of victims as anyone else. This week in the field three Fellows clear up some common misconceptions and share some real life insights on the day-to-day in an oft-misrepresented country or culture.
Kyrgyzstan – Five Reasons Why I Am Not As Brave As You Might Think
Country: Kyrgyzstan / Fellow: Miranda Phua (KF15)
From talking dogs to civic engagement, Miranda walks us through life in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan- and it’s not what the travel websites have led us to believe.
Hijabs Included: Strong Women Working for Microfinance in Jordan
Country: Jordan / Fellow: Amy Kyleen Lute (KF15)
Amy Kyleen introduces us to two of the many strong women in Jordan and shows us that Hijabs or no, women are fending for themselves just fine.
Mosquito Nets: Subjective Risk.
Country: Sierra Leone / Fellow: Eric Rindal (KF15)
Eric “lifts his mosquito net” and realizes that life- and poverty- in Sierra Leone is much more than living with hunger.
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Updates from the past month:
Instability, Trust, + A New Home
Unsung Heroes, Community Alliances + and Mission Statements Made Reality
Personal Connections, Supply and Demand + A Culinary Excursion
Farewells, Mistaken Identities + Micro-Microfinance
Earth Day, Celebrations + Exceeding Expectations
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Plus more pictures from the past week:
Kyrgyzstan (Miranda Phau)
Sierra Leone (Eric Rindal)
Jordan (Amy Kyleen Lute)
Kyrgyzstan – Five Reasons Why I Am Not As Brave As You Might Think
By Miranda Phua, KF15 – Bai Tushum & Partners, Kyrgyzstan
“Sorry, you’re moving to Fishcake?”
To my family and friends (and possibly many of you) Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan is a mystery. Actually, until a couple of months ago, it was to me, too.
Despite its noticeably disproportionate consonant to vowel ratio, Kyrgyzstan has never really been a lead actor on the world stage. My knowledge was limited to discerning that the country was a former Soviet state perched somewhere near China and Afghanistan.
So, when Kiva advised that I would be calling Kyrgyzstan my home for the next four months, I started my research by heading to the Australian Government’s travel website.
“Kyrgyzstan – Reconsider Your Need To Travel.”
Fantastic! Kyrgyzstan had been ordained with a four out of five star danger rating – on par with only 18 other countries in the world. Were I to believe what I was reading, riots and covert terrorist operations would be part of daily proceedings, with the smell of revolution and escalating ethnic tensions permeating the air.
So mustering every ounce of courage I could find, I prepared for this intrepid part of the world, armed with nothing but a noble cause.
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Having been in the country for three weeks, unfortunately, I must fess up – I am not nearly as brave as you might think. I’ve not had to don gas masks or weave my way through riot police – in fact, I’ve not been called upon to bumble my way through a single heroic antic.
Wondering why Australia’s Cross of Valour won’t be coming my way any time soon? Let me share a few of Bishkek’s serendipitous delights and home truths. (more…)
Update from the Field: Fun Facts, Field Visits + Back to Basics
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
For many Fellows, this week was about getting back to basics: the borrowers. In between fun facts about Kiva Fellowships, doing database detective work, and reflecting on the internal dynamics of Kiva’s partner microfinance institutions, Fellows found themselves in the field again and again, much to their delight and often to the delight of borrowers. From Latin America to Africa to the Caucasus to Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe, meet Kiva clients, learn about their businesses, and check out all of the great photos.
Continue Reading 21 March 2011 at 01:53 Alexis Ditkowsky 9 comments
Kiva Fellows by the Numbers
By David McNeill (Sierra Leone) and Adam Cohn (Rwanda), with lots of help from the 14th class of Kiva Fellows
It turns out that one thing Kiva Fellows seem to have in common is a love for data. With that, Kiva Fellows David and Adam polled the current fellows in the field on the costs of various necessities and niceties in their current placements. The numbers, which we humbly title the Kiva Fellows Index, give some good insight into the conditions in the far-flung places we now live and work.
Far from home
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Kiva Fellows are in it for the long haul. On average, we’re 5,745 miles away from home, as the crow flies. The fellows who have trucked the farthest, at least by line of sight, are: Adam Cohn, who crossed 8,892 miles from Seattle, WA to Kigali, Rwanda; Caitlin Ross, who also went to Kigali from her home in Burlingame, CA, for a total of 9,417 miles; and the longest haul goes to Lisa Skowron, who flew 9,519 miles from her home in Chicago, IL to Kupang, Indonesia!
Internet
The first prize for the slowest Internet speed goes to Carlos Cruz in Liberia, with a close second and third for Claudine Emeott in Nepal and David McNeill in Sierra Leone. They experience speeds 10-100 times slower than in the US, making them thankful to the Kiva engineers who make Kiva.org one of the quicker websites to load. At these speeds video chatting is impossible, voice is dodgy if possible at all, and emails aren’t even guaranteed to work. Forget about watching videos on YouTube or listening to Internet radio. Having Internet access is quickly becoming almost as important as having electricity or indoor plumbing.
Weather
Many of us are serving in hot parts of the world without the blessing of air conditioning. The unlucky winners in this category are neighbors in West Africa – Carlos Cruz in Liberia and David McNeill in Sierra Leone. They survive high temperatures in the low 90’s (F) and lows that only get down to the upper 70’s or low 80’s (F). Carlos, we hope you’ve got a fan and electricity to run it like David does (most of the time).
On the other side of the spectrum, Amber Barger is struggling to keep warm in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia where it dips down to -9 (F) at night. David would be happy to trade one of his hot sunny beaches for some of Amber’s ice!
Amber trying to stay warm on her unheated camel ride in Mongolia
Housing
Carlos Cruz got the sweetest deal on rent, with free housing courtesy of his host microfinance institution in Liberia. The runner up is Gustavo Visalli in Totonicapan, Guatemala. He pays only $100/month, and that includes electricity, a flush toilet, and all the black beans and eggs he can eat!
Gustavo cooking up his all-you-can eat buffet in his sweet house in Guatemala
Transportation
There are some definite advantages to working in developing countries. Most of us spend less than $1 getting to work each day riding buses, motorcycles, or other modes of public transportation. For David in Sierra Leone, a ride in the back of a car taxi to a town 2.5 hours away only costs $3.50 (there are four people squished in a seat made for three, though). Stephanie Sibal has the sweetest deal on transportation – her host organization in Phnom Penh, Cambodia provides her a car and driver to bring her in to work in the morning.
With the cost of oil on the rise, we did a quick poll of gas prices where we are serving. The highest price is in South Africa at $5/gallon. If you want the cheapest price, you’ll have to drive to Indonesia ($2.15/gallon) or Kyrgyzstan ($2.73/gallon).
Refreshment
For refreshment, Stephanie Sibal is a definite winner – she only has to pay 15 cents for a Coke served in a plastic baggie! The following people have a four-way tie for the cheapest beer at only $1 a bottle: Stephanie Sibal again (Phnom Penh, Cambodia), John Gwillim (Barranquilla, Colombia), Geeta Uhl (Ayacucho, Peru), and John Farmer (Mexico City, Mexico). For coffee, some people like John Farmer have the luxury of a nearby Starbucks in Mexico City, Adam Cohn can drink 100% local coffee at multiple Bourbon locations in Rwanda, while poor Noreen Giga is still searching for a good cup in Lima, Peru.
Stephanie enjoying her Bag-o-Coke in Cambodia
As you can see, some of life’s necessities are more accessible, while others are prohibitive, for those who relocate to the other side of the globe. If you’d like to look at our full spreadsheet of stats, you can see it here.
Have you found places where a Coke is incredibly expensive, or internet is mind-blowingly slow? Let us know in the comments!
Update from the Field: Carnival, Collaboration + Cheese-Making
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
This past week was all about collaboration: Fellows coordinating across continents to profile entrepreneurs and organizations who believe International Women’s Day should be every day and community members coming together to celebrate Carnival in all of its elaborate glory. We learned about public health in Peru, making cheese and cigars in Nicaragua, the impact of climate change in Bolivia, and the challenges faced by a microcredit saleswoman in Guatemala. Life as a Kiva Fellow is busy as always!
Continue Reading 14 March 2011 at 00:45 Alexis Ditkowsky 8 comments
Update from the Field: Man’s Day, Singing Fellows + Learning How to Count
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
The Fellows will be covering International Women’s Day later this week but let’s take a moment to acknowledge its lesser-known cousin in Kyrgyzstan, “Man’s Day”. And while you’re appreciating culture and history in far-off places, take a trip to Peru and West Timor through photos, visit borrowers in Uganda and Rwanda through video, learn a little something about communicating in South Africa, and catch up on the latest from Liberia, Ghana, and Mexico (home to the “Singing Fellow”).
Continue Reading 7 March 2011 at 00:16 Alexis Ditkowsky 7 comments
Ensuring a manly man’s day
Maybe it's better to leave it to the professionals (Credit for photo goes to Aaro Ylitalo)
February 23rd was man’s day here in Kyrgyzstan. Actually it was Defenders of the Fatherland Day throught the former Soviet Union, but here in Kyrgyzstan that has morphed into man’s day. Many of you might be familiar with International Women’s Day which is coming up on March 8th, but until I got here to Kyrgyzstan I had not heard of its male equivalent. I decided to celebrate the day with a trip to visit an entrepreneurial eagle hunter working to set up a community based tourism project in his rural home town. (more…)
Kyrgyzstan post-revolution
Unfortunately the only time many people hear about Kyrgyzstan is in relation to political upheaval – but I suppose that is what happens when a country of five million people has two revolutions in five years.
Navigating the Social Performance Jungle
By Charlie Wood, Kiva Fellow in Kyrgyzstan
One of my first projects as a Kiva Fellow has been to work with MCC Mol Bulak Finance as they further develop their program of data gathering to quantify social performance. From my perspective as a lender, I imagined that measuring social performance would be a primary concern in the development of the microfinance industry, but in fact social performance management (SPM) is just emerging in the last several years as a best practice. In many ways this is because the lack of either a standardized methodology or ideology in regards to what constitutes social performance. One of the attractive features of Kiva.org is that Kiva vets microfinance institutions (MFI), seeking out organizations that adhere to multiple bottom lines. While some argue that the simple act of supplying credit to individuals without access gives clients financial freedom and should be given blanket encouragement, numerous examples of profiteering and mismanagement have marred the image of microfinance over the past several years. A ballooning belief that microfinance is the panacea to poverty alleviation has been closely echoed by a ballooning in client over-indebtedness. This is due at least in part to a lack of adequate client protection principles(see SMART Campaign). These problems fuel the argument that unfettered microfinance is merely a tool to spread debt burden to the poor while sucking profits from marginalized groups. So how can one measure and present particular MFI social performance in a transparent way? (more…)
Kiva Financed Loans at a Lower Interest Rate?
By Charlie Wood, KF13, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
One of the more difficult concepts to understand in the Kiva process is that while lenders do not receive interest on their loans and often carry the risk of default, borrowers do pay interest on loans financed through Kiva capital. Most of the time these rates are the same as those paid by borrowers receiving loans financed by commercial capital and carrying default risk.
Continue Reading 30 November 2010 at 13:00 kivacharlie 3 comments
How’s the weather?
By Charlie Wood, Kiva Fellow in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with Mol Bulak Finance (MCC)
Preparing to move to Kyrgyzstan for an undetermined amount of time caused some anxiety to my house. Not the least of our concerns was what mother nature might dish out during the winter in a place so close to Siberia. The day before I left the U.S., wracked with an LSAT induced cold, my mom made sure I was ferried to the local REI to stock up on long underwear. Yet like with many things in life, the reality has been a bit underwhelming so far. I haven’t even needed to wear the ushanka I bought on my second day here. That’s not to say that the weather hasn’t been unique.
Continue Reading 12 November 2010 at 14:00 kivacharlie 6 comments
An Inside Look at an MFI -En Espanol Tambien!
As I sit on my semi-comfy coach listening to some buoyant Central Asian tunes I try to reflect on my three months gone past. How can I begin to explain the world Kyrgyzstan has opened for me? Through my past blogs and my sharing of my Microfinance Institute’s (Mol Bulak Finance) work I have attempted to show you. There is one more important item left for me to discuss, and that is the subject of employees at Mol Bulak Finance (MBF).
A blog can only give you so much
My six months as a Kiva Fellow made me realize how privileged I am. Reading this might not be spectacular. Writing it is! Have a go!
Continue Reading 28 July 2010 at 07:08 Samuel Trauffer 2 comments
Corruption? No thanks!
“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Continue Reading 19 July 2010 at 07:14 Samuel Trauffer 1 comment
10 Things You Didn’t Know in Kyrgyzstan –En español también
Let’s talk about cultural differences, my favorite topic! After having lived in Kyrgyzstan for over two months, I have come across hundreds of differences between what I consider the norm and what I have witnessed here. Let me share just ten unique things about this country:
Kyrgyzstan Report –En español también
For the first time in my life, I am living in a country with serious national strife. If I ever thought about a developing country with ethnic tensions and no governing body, I imagined chaos. I imagined people screaming and running with complete disregard for civilized life. True, I am not situated in Osh—south of Kyrgyzstan, where Kyrgyz and Uzbeks living side-by-side recently started killing one another—but to my surprise, Bishkek (the capital) is tranquil and people seem sharp about the situation.
Developing Country Knowledge –En español también
By Eva Nemirovsky, KF11 Kyrgyzstan
Maybe you want to improve the world.
This is why you read Muhammad Yunus’ books and the End of Poverty, by Jeffrey Sachs. You have a perfect project in mind that could help alleviate poverty in Tanzania. The only issue is that you have never been there.
Never judge a country by its capital
Four weeks ago, I arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to start my second Kiva fellowship. I had spent the previous three months in Thiès, Senegal. The poverty patterns which I encountered in Senegal were not apparent in Bishkek. “Poverty in post-Soviet Union countries is not easily understood”, Eva Nemirovsky, the other Kiva Fellow who currently works in Bishkek, wrote in her recent blog post. Indeed. There seemed to be so many amenities here in Bishkek of which I would not have dared to dream of in Senegal! Four example, our apartment had a cooking stove instead of a fireplace, hot water, a functioning toilet, internet access and much more. In the streets of Bishkek there were cars which have driven only a fraction of the distances their rundown counterparts in Africa have. In short: My new environment seemed to have much more economic wealth than Senegal.
Continue Reading 4 June 2010 at 10:45 Samuel Trauffer 3 comments
Are Pictures Really Worth More Than a Thousand Words? –En español también
By Eva Nemirovsky, KF11 Kyrgyzstan
Sometimes. But, maybe not for Kyrgyz microfinance borrower using the Kiva platform. Poor Kyrgyz people make sure to look good for pictures, so good, in fact, that one may misleadingly think: “these people don’t need a loan!”
One issue that Kiva often discusses is why some loans are funded faster than others. There are some patterns worth noting, most significantly, that in Central Asia loans take a lot longer to fund. Some have argued this is due to the loan amounts being much greater, however, thus far at Mol Bulak Finance all the borrowers have been part of a group and therefore the loans have not differed too greatly from others on the Kiva website.
My hypothesis is that poverty in post-Soviet Union countries is not easily understood by outside nations. Kyrgyzstan gained its independence less than two decades ago; it is a young State that had almost no political history before Russia fully took over operations around 1920. Similar to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan was a mostly nomadic culture throughout its entire history. The Soviet Union abruptly changed all this and unnaturally imposed its political, economic, and cultural norm onto the Kyrgyz territory.
Not everything was negative; the Soviet Union vastly improved Kyrgyzstan’s living conditions. For one, the USSR was famous for its superior education system and efforts were taken to make all Kyrgyz citizens literate. Fortunately, Kyrgyzstan continues educating its people until the ninth grade. This explains the striking 98.7% literacy rate in the nation today. If one compares this figure with the 39.3% literacy rate in Senegal (another Kiva site), one is automatically inclined to associate this with poverty. It is remarkable to realize that in per capita GDP, Kyrgyzstan rates 184th out of about 195 countries of the world. (Statistics from online CIA factbook)
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan lost its vast market and the period effectively drained the country from much of its natural resources. Ultimately, Russia was centerfold and “if the strengthening of the centre required it, a policy of plunder in the borderlands would be proper and correct.” (Sources taken from Kyrgyz Republic by Stewart and Weldon).
Today, Kyrgyzstan has little developed industry. After a seventy-year Soviet rule, innovation is not accessible, business enterprise is difficult. The people living below the poverty line (which account for 40 percent of the country), have a minute variety of jobs to choose from: mainly trading and farming. Working in agriculture is difficult mostly because, if they wish to stay afloat, farmers must learn multiple trades. For example, if a borrower buys a cow with her loan, she cannot dedicate all her time to the livestock because her income would be insufficient—I learned that to raise a cow and use it for mating or meat purposes takes about three years. This borrower also has to: have a daycare, grow potatoes, and be a taxi-driver.
Two weeks ago, the instant I arrived to visit a borrower in Balykchi, he started to negotiate fish prices with the microfinance institute’s driver. I was there to verify that his loan was being used to buy a calf, but I was obligated to wait ten minutes for him to conclude his deal with the driver. Since this borrower’s activities did not make enough money for his household, he had become a part-time fisher.
This form of poverty is something I never had to study in school. When I first saw the Kyrgyz Kiva loans my initial reaction was to think that these borrowers did not need microfinance, but now, having seen it face-to-face, I have learned otherwise.
Pictures can also be deceiving, especially in the former Soviet Union where the legacy of controlled life lives on. To take a picture, or merely to go out of the house, citizens dress up; the possibility of public scorn is just too great.
Eva Nemirovsky is a Kiva Fellow working with Mol Bulak Finance in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Join the Kyrgyzstan lending team. There are borrowers from Kyrgyzstan with Mol Bulak Finance who you can help by contributing to a loan today, and many other entrepreneurs from around the world on the Kiva site.
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Las fotos realmente valen mil palabras?
Por Eva Nemirovsky, KF11 Kirguistán
A veces sí. Pero quizás no para los prestatarios Kirguiz de microfinanzas que usan la plataforma de Kiva. Los pobres de Kirguistán siempre se aseguran de salir bien en las fotos, tan bien, de hecho, que uno equivocadamente podría llegar a pensar: “esta gente no necesita un préstamo”!
Un tema que se discute bastante en Kiva es porque algunos prestatarios son financiados más rápido que otros. Hay algunos patrones interesantes, específicamente que los préstamos en Asia Central tardan mucho más en ser financiados. Algunos argumentan que esto es porque las cantidades de los préstamos son más altas, pero hasta ahora he visto que en Mol Bulak Finance los prestatarios forman parte de grupos y el total de los préstamos no excede la cantidad de otros préstamos ofrecidos en el sitio Kiva.
Mi hipótesis es que la pobreza en países post-soviéticos no es fácilmente comprendida por naciones extranjeras. Kirguistán se independizo hace menos de dos décadas; es un país nuevo que antes de 1920, no tuvo amplia historia política. Como Kazakstán, Kirguistán siempre fue de una cultura nómada. La Unión Soviética cambio todo este esquema y agresivamente impuso nuevas normas políticas, económicas, y culturales.
No todo fue negativo; la Unión Soviética mejoro la calidad de vida en Kirguistán. La imposición de su sistema superior de educación, es un buen ejemplo. Los rusos se esforzaron para que toda la gente en Kirguistan pudiera ser alfabetizada. Por suerte, hoy Kirguistan sigue ofreciendo educacion publica a sus ciudadanes hasta noveno grado. Esto explica el alfabetismo excelente del 98.7%. Si uno compara esta figura con el 39.3% de Senegal (otra ubicación de Kiva) automáticamente, uno lo conecta con pobreza. Aqui es importante notar que el Producto per Capita PPP en Kirguistan es clasificado como numero 184 de 195 paises! (Estadisticas del CIA Factbook en internet).
Con el colapso de la Union Sovietica, Kirguizstan perdio su mercado enorme y al mismo tiempo empezo a sentir los resultados negativos de los anos de ocupacion en sus recursos naturales. Al final, el territorio ruso era lo más importante en la época soviética, “si para fortalecer el centro se precisaba, la política del pillaje en las aéreas bordeando Rusia no sería problema y seria la acción correcta”. (Fuentes tomadas de Kyrgyz Republic por Stewart y Weldon).
Hoy, Kirguistán tiene poca industria desarrollada. Después 70 años de ser administrada por una política soviética, la innovación no es accesible, emprendimiento es difícil. Las personas que viven bajo la linea de pobreza (40% del país) tienen una variedad muy limitada de trabajos: mayoritariamente comercio y actividades agropecuarias. Trabajando en agricultura es difícil porque para sobrevivir los granjeros tienen que aprender múltiples comercios. Por ejemplo, si un prestatario compra una vaca con su préstamo, ella no puede decidirse todo su tiempo al animal porque su salario no sería suficiente—aprendí que criar una vaca para que tenga crias o para comer lleva tres años. Este prestatario también debe: proveer un servicio para cuidar niños, crecer papas, y ser taxista.
Hace dos semanas, cuando llegue a la casa de un prestatario en Balykchi, empezó a negociar precios de pescado con el chofer del instituto de microfinanza. Yo estaba visitando para verificar que el préstamo se estaba usando para comprar una vaca, pero fui obligada a esperar 10 minutos para que el prestatario y el chofer terminen su negociación. Este prestatario no ganaba lo suficiente con sus actividades agrícolas y fue obligado a hacerse un pescador part-time.
Este tipo de pobreza es algo que nunca estudie en la escuela. La primera vez que vi los prestatarios de Kirguistán en el sitio de Kiva pensé que los prestatarios no precisaban la microfinanza, pero ahora, después de haberlo visto con mis propios ojos, aprendí que no es así.
Las fotos pueden enganar. Especialmente en países post soviéticos donde el recuerdo de una vida bien controlada sigue viva. Para sacarse una foto, o simplemente para salir a la calle, los ciudadanos se visten bien; la posibilidad de ser mal vistos por el público es demasiado dañina.
Eva Nemirovsky es un Kiva Fellow trabajando con Mol Bulak Finance en Bishkek, Kirguistán. Únete al Kyrgyzstan lending team. Hay prestatarios de Kirguistán que están con Mol Bulak Finance a quienes tú puedes ayudar contribuyendo a un préstamo hoy.
Why I’m Not Eating a Kyrgyz Chocolate Bar/La razón que no como un chocolate kirguiz
By Eva Nemirovsky, KF11 Kyrgyzstan
It’s Friday night and I’m eating a Cliff bar writing in my Bishkek apartment. I arrived two weeks ago, so I still have a few Cliff bars left. Truthfully, I would rather go outside to the kiosk and buy some Kyrgyz chocolate, but everyone has warned me not to go out at night. I think my Mother would be proud because for once I’m actually listening to them.
When I first told people I was going to Kyrgyzstan they said “Kyrg…what!” followed by “didn’t they just have a coup?” I have become accustomed to calmly explaining that “yes, that is correct, on April seventh there was a coup and the President at that time (Bakiyev) was ousted from power—he barely escaped his white house in Bishkek and fled to the Southern part of the country, where his influence is greater. However, Bakiyev was eventually forced to resign and now a six-month interim government is ruling the land.” 
The outrage in April occurred because Bakiyev, who had taken power after the 2005 Tulip Revolution, had promised to improve the conditions of the country. Five years later, a monthly pension was only enough to cover utilities. Conditions were clearly not better.
Over 80 people were killed during the revolution, and from what I have observed thus far, this was a great shock and horror to Kyrgyz citizens. I visited the fenced white house, where the victims were shot by police, and saw that the gate was full of pictures and flowers. Upon looking at the pictures, I was alarmed to see many young boys fifteen years of age—I even saw a fourteen year old victim! 
This was definitely not what I had imagined. I realized what chaos must have ensued on those couple of days. I got the impression that the violence occurred just as much, or more, because of confusion than because of people’s convictions.
It is strange, before leaving San Francisco, so many people asked me about the situation in Kyrgyzstan that I was able to turn on my automatic pilot explanation “yes, that is correct, on April 7th…” One could say that I almost thought less about the revolution because of the bombardment of inquiries. I have lived in places with political turmoil before, but never one with violence so fresh on every citizen’s mind.
I think today was the first time in my life that a coworker said “I can take you shopping at the bazaar, but let’s wait until after the 40-day official mourning period since it may not be safe beforehand.” My coworkers at Mol Bulak Finance are not scared about their safety, but they are concerned about the welfare of their country. One goal of microfinance is to help develop poor regions and it is difficult to meet this objective when the government has little power, no focused direction, and few resources. The only thing left to do is wait, be patient, and help entrepreneurs whose businesses are moving forward regardless.
Eva Nemirovsky is a Kiva Fellow working with Mol Bulak Finance in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Join the Kyrgyzstan lending team. There are borrowers from Kyrgyzstan with Mol Bulak Finance who you can help by contributing to a loan today, and many other entrepreneurs from around the world on the Kiva site.
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Por Eva Nemirovsky, KF11 Kirguistán
Estoy escribiendo esto un viernes a la noche desde mi departamento en Bishkek mientras como una barrita Cliff. Hace dos semanas que estoy, así que me quedan algunas barritas mas. La verdad es que me gustaría ir afuera al kiosco y comprarme un chocolate Kirguiz, pero todos me han advertido que no salga a la noche. Creo que mi madre estaría orgullosa porque por primera vez les estoy haciendo caso.
Cuando le contaba a la gente que me iba a Kirguistán me contestaban “Kirgui…que!?” seguido por “no acaban de tener un golpe de estado?” Yo ya me acostumbre a responderles, con mucha calma, “si, es correcto, el siete de abril hubo un golpe y al Presidente, en aquella época (Bakiyev), le sacaron el poder—apenas se pudo escapar de su casa blanca en Bishkek e irse al sur del país, donde su influencia es mayor. Aun así, eventualmente Bakiyev fue obligado a resignar, y ahora un gobierno temporario de seis meses está en poder.” Los problemas en abril ocurrieron porque Bakiyev, quien había tomado poder después de la revolución de Tulipán en 2005, había prometido mejorar las condiciones del país. Cinco años después, la pensión mensual solo alcanza para cubrir las expenses de la casa. Era evidente que las condiciones no habían mejorado.
Durante la revolución mataron a más de 80 personas, y por lo que yo he visto hasta ahora, esto fue un asombro y horror para los ciudadanos de Kirguistán. El otro día visite la casa blanca, que tiene rejas alrededor, donde las víctimas fueron matadas, en esas rejas ahora hay fotos y flores. Cuando mire las fotos, note que había varios niños de quince años—hasta vi una víctima de catorce! Definitivamente, esto no era lo que yo me había imaginado. Me di cuenta del caos que debe haber sido la revolución. Tuve la impresión que la violencia ocurrió más por confusión que por las convicciones de las personas.
Es raro, antes de irme de San Francisco, tantas personas me preguntaron sobre la situación en Kirguistán que aprendí a responder como una máquina “si, es correcto, el siete de abril hubo…” Quizás pensé menos sobre la revolución por la cantidad enorme de preguntas que me hicieron. Yo he vivido en lugares con complicaciones políticas, pero nunca en un país que ha pasado por violencia tan recientemente.
Creo que hoy fue la primera vez en my vida que una colega me dijo “te puedo llevar a hacer shopping en el bazar, pero esperemos hasta que termine el luto oficial de 40 días porque quizás no esté muy seguro si vamos antes”. Mis colegas en Mol Bulak Finance no tienen miedo, pero si están preocupados por el bienestar de su país. La meta de microfinanzas es ayudar a desarrollar regiones pobres y es difícil cumplir este objetivo cuando el gobierno tiene poco poder, insuficiente enfoque, y escasez de recursos. La única sugerencia por ahora es esperar, ser paciente, y ayudar a emprendedores quienes, por suerte, siguen con sus negocios.
Eva Nemirovsky es un Kiva Fellow trabajando con Mol Bulak Finance en Bishkek, Kirguistán. Únete al Kyrgyzstan lending team. Hay prestatarios de Kirguistán que están con Mol Bulak Finance a quienes tú puedes ayudar contribuyendo a un préstamo hoy.
Hola, Kiva en Colombia! Do svidaniya, Kiva v Kyrgyzstane!
By Rob Packer, KF9 Kyrgyzstan
My fellowship in Kyrgyzstan has come to an end and now I’m writing this in London before starting as one of pair of Kiva Fellows in Colombia: a first for Kiva. During training, I heard on the Kiva rumour mill that Kiva would be starting in Colombia a few months after training and thought it would be an amazing placement. Three months later with flights booked for Colombia in the New Year, I can feel the excitement building up as years of Colombia Dreaming finally come true.
Even though Kyrgyzstan is not a country I chose and Central Asia is not a region I chose, I’m already missing the marshrutkas (minibuses) and mountain views of Bishkek. The reason I ended up in Kyrgyzstan is because I speak Russian; Kiva looks for “Language proficiency in […] Russian” and speaking Russian is a sure-fire way to be offered a Russian-speaking placement. I decided that the post-Soviet stories would be fodder for dinner parties for years and that I’d have a large selection of Central Asian hats. Rather than the detachment of funny stories and the materialism of hats (although I have both), I have come to love the region. And if you can love Central Asia in the winter without yurt stays, much horse-riding or hiking and no beach life on Issyk-Kul, it must be true love.
Mol Bulak staff at my (semi) surprise send-off.
Ait mairik bolsun! (Eid Mubarak)
By Rob Packer, KF9 Kyrgyzstan
Islam in Kyrgyzstan feels different; more of a personal matter compared with other countries I’ve travelled in. While it’s probably an exaggeration when the Lonely Planet for Central Asia says that the Kyrgyz “limited it to what they could fit in their saddlebags”, there is probably some truth in the matter in a culture where kymyz, fermented mare’s milk, is a key cultural pointer and a toast with vodka is often not that far away, especially amongst the more Russified population of northern Kyrgyzstan. When you remember that the Kyrgyz are a people with a nomadic heritage who were first permanently settled under the Soviet Union’s official policy of ‘militant atheism’, you might expect the relationship with religion to be a little different from the norm.
An Islamic cemetery outside Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan.
Money from Siberia (Part 1 of 3 of the Remittance Series)
By Rob Packer, KF9 Kyrgyzstan
This is part one of a three-part post on remittances with forthcoming blogs by Meg Gray (KF9, Nicaragua) and Agnes Chu (KF9, Samoa).
In the US or Western Europe, we often think about remittances as something that people send from our home countries back to their families in Mexico, Ghana, the Philippines, Ecuador, and so on. Remittances and the hope of wealth are the one of the driving forces in all kinds of global migration, so it seems fitting that the subject of remittances is a recurring theme in the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report from October 2009, which this year focuses on migration and aims to “challenge our preconceptions”. While movement from the West to developing world is one side to the story of remittances, it is not the only side: remittances do not necessarily touch the “rich world” of North America or Western Europe, or they can linger below the radar and have an enormous impact on countries where people are barely aware that they have an emigrant community. The three Kiva Fellows contributing to this co-ordinated post are posted in the countries currently hosting a Kiva Fellow and where remittances make up the largest percentage of the country’s gross domestic product (data from the World Bank): Samoa (22.8% of GDP), Nicaragua (12.9% of GDP) and Kyrgyzstan (19.1% of GDP).
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.
Continue Reading 5 November 2009 at 21:22 robpacker 3 comments
Kyrgyzstan’s Windy City
By Rob Packer, KF9 Kyrgyzstan
In the middle of October I spent a week away from the Bishkek office of my MFI, Mol Bulak Finance, to see microfinance in action in their Balykchy branch. Part of the training as a Kiva Fellow is to complete an online course from the United Nations Development Program on microfinance, which seemed to tell me continuously that microfinance is a low-margin, high-cost business. No matter how many times this message is drilled into me, it still comes as a shock.
The town of Balykchy sits at the start of Lake Issyk-Kul, the world’s second-largest mountain lake after Lake Titicaca. The lake is a summertime holiday Riviera and a former Soviet naval testing ground far away from the prying eyes of the West. Compared with its more visitor-friendly lakeside neighbours of resort town Chopon-Ata and trekking or skiing centre Karakol, Balykchy suffers from a bad reputation in Bishkek. Bishkek was a sea of yellow leaves at the time, but I was warned that I would need warm clothes for the cold and sunglasses for the wind. As we drove out from Bishkek, the ever-present fields and mountains became drier and when we finally left the steppes and arrived in the massive valley of Issyk-Kul, the landscape looked more and more like a mountainous desert, camels included. During my time there, I never experienced Balykchy’s gale force delights but the wind’s presence seemed to hang over the town like a dragon in the mountains.
The modern-day Silk Road outside of Balykchy.
Добро пожаловать, граф Картошка! Jagaimo-san, Irasshai! ジャガイモさん、いらっしゃい！Welcome Mr Potato!
By Rob Packer, KF9 Kyrgyzstan
Inter-Cultural Exchanges in Kyrgyzstan
The words ikebana and prazdnik started spreading around the offices of Mol Bulak Finance, my MFI last week. Prazdnik was the easy part: it means holiday, festival or party in Russian, but the word ikebana was new to me. My first thought was “That word sounds a lot like the Japanese art of flower arrangement!” and then decided it didn’t really sound all that Russian, and used my limited knowledge of Kyrgyz (eki means two) to convince myself it must be Kyrgyz. When I asked I was met with shocked expressions and told it really was the Japanese word and that on Thursday flowers would be arranged, or lunch prepared.
A Sunday outing, MFI-style
By Rob Packer, KF9 (Kyrgyzstan)
I feel it’s almost become a cliché to write about the inspiring professionalism and overwhelming dedication of MFI staff on these pages. I’ve now been at my Kyrgyz MFI, Mol Bulak Finance, for a week and have now seen where the clichés come from: reality. As if to drive the point home, MBG’s indefatigable Credit Manager, Renat was waiting outside my apartment at 9am on a sunny, but cold October morning to visit borrowers in and around Kara-Balta, Kyrgyzstan.
The view from Bishkek
The road out of Bishkek was my first trip outside of the capital within Kyrgyzstan after my night-time journey from the airport into town. Our route out took us past Osh Bazaar, one of Bishkek’s largest, and Kyrgyzstan’s largest used car market, which is a phenomenon I hope to write about in a later blog. Along our route thousands of kilometres of flat Kazakh Steppe and West Siberian Plain crashed spectacularly into the snow-capped Toblerone blocks of the Alatau Mountains, the advance guard of the Himalayas, which rise 3500 metres within the space of 50 km. (more…)
Countdown to Kyrgyzstan
By Rob Packer, KF9 (Kyrgyzstan)
It’s been a short six months since I first found out about Kiva and in that time I’ve moved from having an interest in poverty alleviation and a vague desire to “do a bit more” to graduating yesterday as a fully-fledged KF9 Kiva Fellow. And my physical journey to Kiva has been no less of a complete change of direction: it started six months ago with me working for an investment bank in Hong Kong, and continued with persuading Indonesian internet cafe owners to let me have interviews over Skype in the dead of the night, returning to my hometown of London, England for a few weeks to say goodbye to friends and family, and finally arriving at Kiva Fellows training in San Francisco. My journey to my placement with Mol Bulak Finance in Kyrgyzstan will take me most of the way back to where I started.
KF9 Graduation with Kiva Staff and KF9 Kiva Fellows
One of the most obvious differences between my placement and most other Kiva Fellow placements is that I won’t be dealing with extreme heat. (more…)
Six Months Later: 10 Lessons Learned About Life, Microfinance and the Universe
Going full circle. Ferris Wheel in Bosteri, Issyk-Kul Lake Region, Kyrgyzstan
It was exactly half a year ago, on January 23rd, that I packed all of my belongings in one 30-pound backpack and left New York City for a 7 month trip to Central Asia and India. I only had a slightest idea of what the trip would wind being like and what exactly I’d be doing during all that time. I just knew that it was something that I had to try for myself, even if I couldn’t quite find and explain the reasons to others.
Low and behold, it’s now six months later and and I’m in the midst of doing my 2nd Kiva placement in Kyrgyzstan (after doing doing a Kiva Fellowship in Tajikistan and then a another job assignment in India). So, I figured that it would be a good time to stop and reflect on the experience and the lessons learned. With just four weeks left before heading back to the good, old U.S. of A, you definitely wonder about what this meant for you.
10 Lessons Learned About Life, Microfinance and the Universe (in no particular order):
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On Patience: Things take time to work. Over the last 6 months, I started work in 3 different organizations (2 for Kiva and 1 was for an independent, non-Kiva placement but also in microfinance). The first few weeks in every place can feel slow and sometimes awkward, as you struggle to find your place within the organization and figure out what you can contribute. Patience really is a virtue. (more…)
