Posts filed under 'Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI)'
“Ok. Next question…”
Laughing with Myrna Data, a Kiva Borrower
Mary Riedel, KF9, Philippines
“…What do you think your biggest challenge will be if you become a Kiva Fellow?”
I heard this question twice during my interview process with Kiva. On both occasions I was sitting at my kitchen table in San Francisco, working from home (experiencing some cabin fever), and planing to meet up with friends later in the day. My answer was, “Feeling disconnected from friends and family.” And yes, some days staying connected has been a bit of challenge, looking at the clock wishing it was telling me a different story, jumping to Skpye and hoping to to see little green dots. For the most part though, communication has been good, it just takes more planning and acceptance.
So that’s not my biggest challenge… (more…)
15 comments 17 November 2009
Hey, Joe
I have been mistaken for this guy a lot since I've been here
By Adam Preston, KF9, Philippines
The Filipinos are a very generous people. So generous, in fact, that if they don’t know your name, they will even give you a name – and that name is Joe. I am greeted in this way no less than 3 or 4 times in a day, coming from men and women both young and old: “Hey Joe!”
As many guide books will tell you, in many parts of the Philippines foreigners especially males of Caucasian decent (read: white dudes) will be greeted as “Joe” referring to the GIs (American soldiers) who had a presence here through World War II.
“Finally, Filipinos have a unique greeting for male (and sometimes female) Westerners: ‘Hey Joe!’ (‘Hey Kano!’ is a less used variation). Both are hangovers from Word War II when the country was overrun by GI Joes or American soldiers (‘kano’ comes form Americano’) and are used ad nauseam. Of course, if your name’s Joe, you’ll feel pretty special. If not, you may start to feel like a clown set especially to give the locals a laugh.”
“Philippines”, Lonely Planet, p. 63, Edition 8, 2009
What is interesting about this experience isn’t just that this moniker dates back more than 50 years, but it is how it is often said, the utter exuberance in which the greeting is delivered. When waiting for my tricycle and I hear someone shout “Hey Joe!”, oddly, I don’t feel insulted. When I look over at the guy saying this, he is looking right at me with a big smile on his face. He seems to be genuinely glad to see me. I politely turn and wave and reciprocate in the only way that I know how: “Hey buddy”, I respond.
Adam Preston is a Kiva Fellow working with ASKI in Cabanatuan City, Philippines. He answers to both the name his mother gave him and also now to Joe. To get involved click here.
4 comments 4 November 2009
Seriously? Another Typhoon?
Tracking "Ramil" - Northern Luzon, Philippines
By Mary Riedel, KF9, Philippines
This is how my morning started…woke up around 5 am – packed and ready to go – off on my first trip to meet the Kiva borrowers after 2 weeks in the Philippines! Started humming a little tune to myself…”I’m on my way, I don’t know where I’m going, I’m on my way, taking my time but I don’t know where….( shout out to Simon and Garfunkel)” (more…)
7 comments 19 October 2009
When the Floods Recede
The aftermath of Typhoon Parma
By Adam Preston, KF9, Philippines
We as Kiva lenders want to believe that the borrowers take out their loans in good faith. We want to believe that the Kiva field partners conduct the necessary due diligence to ensure that their clients have ability and determination to succeed. But what happens when everyone is doing the right thing and disaster strikes? Given the natural disaster that recently fell upon the Central and Northern Luzon provinces of the Philippines, what if even the best MFI clients cannot meet their loan obligations? What then? (more…)
8 comments 18 October 2009
“After the storms, a new morning comes.”
The rain has stopped! Umbrella and tricycle outside ASKI!
Mary Riedel, KF9, Philippines
I’m sitting in Cabanatuan City, Philippines on the island of Luzon, which is one of the main islands in the Philippines (a nation composed of over 7000 islands). My name is Mary Riedel and it’s Day 5 of my Kiva Fellowship at Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI) (a partner in development). ASKI has been an MFI Partner with Kiva for 10 months and I am the third fellow to be on the ground here with Adam Preston fellow #4. They have over 2000 Kiva Entrprenuers and have raised a little over 400K on Kiva.
It’s weird to be so close to the recent devasation of Ketsana (Ondoy – local name) and Parma (Pepang – local name) and still feel somewhat removed from it all, apart from the rain of course and carrying “payong ko” (my umbrella). However, it has touched the lives of many employees here and all of the Kiva clients/borrowers at ASKI who live in Region II (Northern Luzon) where there was serious damage from Parma. This region was chosen to be “Kiva Country,” (as the ASKIANS call it) because it is the most remote and under-served area in the ASKI portfolio.
5 comments 8 October 2009
The power of your loan
By Drew Loizeaux, KF8 Philippines
The last 4 months working as a Kiva Fellow have allowed me an up close look at many different sides of microfinance. It has been fascinating for me to see and made me look at the loans I make through Kiva in a different way.
As Kiva Lenders, our money not only goes to the borrowers themselves, but through our interest free loans we are also directly supporting each Kiva Partner that we lend through. Each Kiva Partner is different, and no matter what your reason is for believing in the power of microfinance, there is an organization that will fit your philosophy. In the same way that you may buy local, fair trade or made in the USA products you also can put your money in an MFI who’s mission you connect with. This is a powerful tool that each lender can, and should appreciate.
At ASKI for example, the MFI I am currently working with, the revenues from the microcredit program go to fund many other social programs that help enrich the lives of not only their clients, but also the communities in which they live. Below you can see are a few videos that highlight the ripple affects our loans can have.
This is a presentation I attended last week, where a member of a local ASKI sponsored youth group explains a village water project they are working on.
ASKI has always looked to provide more than just microcredit to their clients; ASKI Foundation was created last year to formalize and strengthen some of ASKI’s “Beyond Microfinance” programs. You can see ASKI Foundation General Manager, Bogg Burbos, talk about its programs further in the video below.
4 comments 2 July 2009
What a difference a government makes
Four weeks ago I left my first placement in Cambodia and came to the Philippines where I started my second assignment with Kiva Field Partner ASKI. With each day at ASKI I have been more and more impressed by the dedication of the staff and the amazing programs that they are running.
Last week I started working on a blog post where I plan to conduct video interviews with staff that work on what ASKI calls, their “Beyond Microfinance” programs. These programs include; health insurance, life insurance, community development, housing loans for government built low income housing units, marketing training, finance training and a whole foundation that provides everything from child care to scholarships to toilets.
As I began to research each program’s operation it became obvious that each one of them were a testament to the staff’s tireless efforts to serve their clients in every possible way. Most of the programs are funded directly through profits earned in their core micro credit business, which I thought was an incredible use of profits. There was something else I discovered that struck me as well; many of these programs would not be possible without partnership with or support from the Filipino government.
I found that the health insurance, life insurance and housing loan programs are in direct partnership with the government, and the community development program helps villages work with the local government to complete valuable infrastructure projects.
I immediately thought back to my time in Cambodia and I asked myself:
3 comments 12 June 2009
Welcome to “Kiva Country”!
“Kiva Country” is what ASKI-MFI (Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc.) staff like to call the Isabella Province, the region where their Kiva clients live and work. ASKI MFI is a new Kiva partner in the Philippines. Their headquarters are in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija about 3 hours north of Manila, 10 hours if there is traffic and there is always traffic. They’ve been working hard these past months on their Kiva partnership, and are growing quickly. Beyond micro-finance, ASKI also offers many benefits and programs to their clients such as life and health insurance, educational scholarships, and business training. Their approach is holistic.
As a Kiva Fellow with a new partner, my job is to document everything, verify clients, and bring this information to the Kiva team and to Kiva lenders. I am so excited to be able to bring Kiva’s first field visit with ASKI-MFI to you.
Welcome to "Kiva Country"!
Check-out current Kiva ASKI borrowers to lend to.
Kiva Fundraising loans at ASKI MFI
To learn more about ASKI Microfinance Institution and their holistic approach to alleviating poverty, please visit their website. http://www.aski.com.ph/
Teresa Dunbar just finished her Kiva Fellowship with ASKI MFI, Cabanatuan, Philippines. She’s been a Kiva Fellow since August 2008 with MFI’s in Cambodia and the Philippines. She previously worked for The Christensen Fund, promoting bio-cultural diversity resilience. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Spanish.
4 comments 9 June 2009
Tarantula, Dog, or Duck Fetus, srey Teresa (sister Teresa in Cambodian)?
Being a Kiva Fellow in Southeast Asia you meet many small business owners. Some of these business owners sell what I like to call “culinary adventures”. So as not to offend people, you get a chance to try many of the dishes. Over the course of my seven months, I’ve discovered after a while to stop asking what it is, and just try it. Some have left their impressions on me though, and I thought I’d share them with you.
Let’s see, in Cambodia you have fried tarantula and various bugs such as beetle, cricket, and bee larva. The most delicious and famous ones come from the Kampong Cham region, northeast of Phnom Penh. You can get them on the side of the road as you motorbike by, or at any local street market.
"love, love, love me some good tarantula!"
You also have dog. This dish was bought for me by Rong, a Cambodian friend. He told me, “You have to try it since you don’t have it in the US, and after you try it, you must text me what you think.” I was told that dog is a meat that makes you warm. It is eaten mainly by men and coupled with beer. The best dog restaurant in Phnom Penh is just east of the Boung Keng Kong Market.
And I did have a beer or two with it. It just went down better with a beer. My stomach is still upset just thinking about it.
You also have boiled duck fetus eggs called “pong tea koun”. Fortunately, I only had one opportunity to eat it, and my Cambodian friends at CREDIT-MFI let me slide on that one as I watched them chow-down. As they pulled the fetus from its shell, I could see the partially formed baby duck complete with head, neck, beak, and wings. It was explained to me that you can buy “pong tea koun” at different fetus stages, a few days old to 2-weeks old. It all depends on your taste. It was the nastiest looking thing I had ever seen someone eat. It is said that they give you strength and energy.
Now, Khmer and Filipino cuisines do not have much in common, but they do seem to share the same love for boiled duck fetus eggs. In Tagalog, it is called “balut”, and unfortunately, this time my Filipino friends at ASKI-MFI would not take, “No” for an answer.
Now, if you eat “balut” like a lady, you don’t pull the embryo out of the shell, you eat it bit by bit with a little spoon so you don’t have to actually see what you are eating. Lucky for me, the ladies at ASKI-MFI eat “balut” like men which is what they required of me. To eat “balut” like a man, you pull the entire fetus out of its shell in order to see the almost formed fetus duck body . It usually takes about 2-3 bites to completely eat.
Balut, see the fetus duck head on the right?
Needless to say my “culinary adventures” continue. I will be in Cabanatuan City, Philippines with ASKI-MFI for the next three months bringing you Kiva client stories and blogs. Hope you enjoy them, I am off to lunch now.
Hmmmmm, should I have goat or more balut?
4 comments 15 March 2009
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