By Sheethal Shobowale, KF9, Peru

In Cusco, Peru, Halloween is celebrated in full force.  It kinda feels like home (side note: home for me is Brooklyn, New York).  Back in New York, I usually put some pumpkins on my stoop and make some curried pumpkin soup. This year, Cynthia McMurry (Kiva’s Field Support Specialist in South America) and I are going to carve a zapallo and make some soup.  So it will feel like home!

Here are some photos from Halloween in Cusco -

I’ll add more over the weekend when I see people dressed up and out trick ‘o treatin’… Hopefully I’ll get to see some cute little kids dressed up like pumpkins.

Happy Halloween from Cusco, Peru!

Celebrate Halloween by lending to Kiva borrowers.

Sheethal Shobowale is currently serving as a Kiva Fellow in Cusco, Peru with Asociación Arariwa

By Sheethal Shobowale, KF9, Peru

My first loan disbursement outside of the Asociación Arariwa office took place in San Sebastian, an area of Cusco about 15 minutes away from the office.

This group meeting was my ideal picture of group microfinance.  Banco Comunal de Maria Auxiliadora is a group of 11 low-income women from Cusco, engaged all all different types of businesses, from cosmetic and grocery sales to artesanía.  They had failed to make their repayments on time in their last loan cycle but this time, Valentina, their loan officer was determined for them to succeed.

The Meeting

As we entered the small shop where the meeting was held, we saluted each woman with a buenas tardes (good afternoon) and a customary kiss on the cheek. Rocio (another loan officer) and I posted the meeting agenda on the wall.  Valentina introduced me to the group and I said a few words about Kiva and myself.  The women applauded for me (it felt so good   We started with a short prayer by the group president followed by the Peruvian national anthem (Here’s a link to the Peruvian National anthem).  Then the group president spoke a few words of encouragement.

Next Valentina took the stage. She explained the importance of being responsible and careful with their funds.  Poetically she compared “nuestra capital semilla” (our seed money) that Arariwa will give them to help grow their businesses with the seeds we plant to grow food. With a ton of enthusiasm, Valentina bestowed positivity, confidence and encouragement on the women and welcomed them to the Arariwa family.  Each woman signed their loan documents and created guarantor groups (Arariwa’s loan model stipulates that the borrowers guarantee each other’s loans in groups of three).   The president and treasurer of the group verified and counted the money and disbursed the funds. Valentina dictated the monthly payment dates and the amounts they would have to pay.

Opening a new communal bank is a special event and the formal group meeting instills confidence in the group loan model for each member.

A Celebration of Women and Nuestra Capital Semilla

With the money business over, we celebrated with a toast of sweet Peruvian wine. (Imagine drinking with your loan officer?) It was also Yegenia’s (one of the members) birthday so we sang happy birthday to her in both Spanish and English and each woman gave her a hug. We then ate an enormous plate of food consisting of beef, potatoes and stuffed peppers prepared by the several of the group members.  It was an experience I will never forget.

On only my second day at Arariwa, I saw my ideal of group microfinance. Who could ask for anything more than a group of women led by women and supporting each other financially and emotionally?  I truly hope they succeed.

Watch Banco Comunal Maria Auxiliadora’s progress on the Kiva website and consider loaning to other Kiva women.

Sheethal Shobowale is currently serving as a Kiva Fellow with Asociación Arariwa in Cusco, Peru.  Follow Sheethal on Twitter to get more real-time updates from Cusco!

“Mi Mundo” courtesy of Sylvia Replay through the Creative Commons license.

By Sheethal Shobowale, KF9, Peru

Wordreference translates the Spanish word socio as member or partner.

Yesterday, on my first day as a Kiva Fellow at Asociación Arariwa, I got to see my first group loan disbursement.  Raquel (the Kiva coordinator at Arariwa) described the borrowers as Nuestros Socios (our members).  In a group loan at Arariwa, the borrowers are Socios del banco.  A lender who joins the Kiva community can also be called a Socio de Kiva.  I translate Kiva’s partner MFIs as Socios de Kiva (Kiva partners) and I describe myself as Socio de Kiva (Kiva Fellow).   And one more: here’s a past blog post by another Kiva Fellow, Michelle, about Socios Dinámicos.

Of course we all have other names -

• Institución de Microfinanzas – Microfinance Institution: Asociación Arariwa

Institución de Microfinanzas - Microfinance Institution: Asociación Arariwa

• Prestamista – Lender: Kiva Lending Team Amigos de Asociación Arariwa

Prestamista - Lender: Kiva Lending Team Amigos de Asociación Arariwa

• Prestatario – borrower: Ayda from Asociación Arariwa, Cusco, Peru

Prestatario - borrower: Ayda from Asociación Arariwa, Cusco, Peru

• Voluntario – Volunteer: “Lethal” Sheethal Shobowale, Kiva Fellow, KF9, Peru

Voluntario - Volunteer: "Lethal" Sheethal Shobowale, Kiva Fellow, KF9, Peru

but I really like the idea that we are all socios (partners or members) of Kiva, of microfinance and in alleviating poverty.  And going back to Kiva’s mission, Connecting People through Lending to Alleviate Poverty, being connected as socios seems to make sense to me.

Please consider becoming a Socio of Asociación Arariwa by lending to Arariwa borrowers and joining our Kiva lending team – Amigos/Amigas de Arariwa!

Sheethal Shobowale is currently serving as a Kiva Fellow with Asociación Arariwa in Cusco, Peru.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world” -Mahatma Gandhi

That’s why I wanted to be a Kiva Fellow.  In honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday today (Oct 2nd), I am glad to say that my Kiva Fellow colleagues and I are living the change we wish to see by helping people much less fortunate than us.

Kiva Fellows Training

My name is Sheethal Shobowale.  I am a New Yorker and the daughter of Indian immigrants.  Through my recently founded company, Leap Work, I help non-profits with online communications – development, social media, audience research and analytics online.  In my free time, I facilitate discussions about financial literacy for youth and conduct credit counseling for adults as well as coordinate my local block association.  I also love rock climbing and cooking.

I am excited to work as a Kiva Fellow with Asociación Arariwa in Cusco, Peru starting next week.  I look forward to sharing stories of positive change with you!  You can also follow @LethalSheethal on Twitter to get (more) real-time updates from Cusco.

Please consider lending to Asociación Arariwa borrowers on Kiva or join Kiva Lending Team Amigos/as de Asociación Arariwa in your future loans.

Thanks for supporting Kiva!

Sheethal

Sheethal Shobowale is currently serving as a Kiva Fellow with Asociación Arariwa in Cusco, Peru.

By Cynthia McMurry, KF8 Ecuador

Over the past year, I have learned valuable lessons about life, gotten to know myself better, greatly enriched my understanding of microfinance, observed the workings of the informal economy in Latin America, been touched by many clients’ stories and experiences, and been proud to represent Kiva at four different MFIs in three South American countries.

Some of my favorite moments, though, have absolutely nothing to do with microfinance. They’re little cultural quirks, lifestyle adaptations, or just silly everyday things that make me smile, remember that I am not from here, and cherish the experience that much more.

Some of my favorites:

Best heckle: Anyone who’s as white as me and who has tried to run in public in Latin America knows what it’s like to be heckled. You usually get whistles, catcalls, and hear things like, “Faster!” “Run!” and “ONE two three ONE two three.” After a while you learn not to pay too much attention and to instead focus your energy on watching out for dogs and traffic.

Out running in Trujillo at 7am one morning, a driver stuck his head out the window and yelled “Yuquitas peladas!” (“Little peeled yuccas!”), a metaphorical reference to the whiteness of my legs. By far the most creative heckle ever, plus I’m impressed that he was able to think of it so quickly (especially that early in the morning) and stick his head out of the car window while driving and avoiding traffic mishaps. Kudos.

Best street foods: Grilled plantain with cheese (Ecuador), giant corn on the cob with cheese (Cusco), hand-churned muyuchi ice cream (Ayacucho), cow-heart kabobs (Bolivia/Peru).

Pati, a Kiva client in Cochabamba, grills up some cow-heart kabobs

Luzmila, a Kiva client in Ayacucho, dishes out some hand-churned ice cream

Best market find: “Peanut paste” in Ecuador, which is supposed to be used to cook cow’s stomach. When I told the woman I buy it from that I add salt and eat it on bread with jelly, she looked at me like I was nuts. Crazy gringos.

Best healthy eating tip: A loan officer in Santa Cruz, Bolivia once invited me to a glass of caldo de caña (sugar-cane juice), a thick, murky brown liquid that is sickeningly sweet, like drinking a glass of maple syrup. He says, “It’s all natural, don’t worry. They don’t add any sugar to it.”

I’m waiting for this to take off as the next fad diet in the States.

Best religious insight: A conversation I had with a loan officer:
Her: What religion are you?
Me: Oh, I’m not religious.
Her: Why not?
Me: Well, I just have a hard time believing that just one of the world’s religions has all the right answers and all of the others are wrong.
Her: Yes, but if you think about it, the one thing they have in common is that they all lead you to Jesus Christ.

Best financial advice: Hoard change (thanks, Dan Kahn). You’re only as rich as the amount of change in your pockets.

Most humbling idiomatic realization: I will never be done learning Spanish. Every time I think I’ve got it down, I change locations and chalas become sandalias become become zapatillas, or lapicero becomes bolígrafo becomes pluma becomes esfero, or caña becomes chaque becomes resaca becomes chuchaque. And aguacate and palta keep switching back and forth.Where on my resume should I indicate that I know four different words for pen?

Second most humbling idiomatic realization: After two months in Ecuador, I still don’t know how to ask for the kind of bananas I want without pointing. I don’t understand the difference between a platano, a banano, a guineo, a maduro and an orito. If anyone has pictures with labels it’d be greatly appreciated.

Those look like oritos hanging back there, but I wouldn't put money on it

Best way to ask for directions: Most anywhere I want to walk to is immediately deemed too far away and/or too dangerous for a lolita like me to go on foot. In order to avoid answers like “Walk to the corner, hail a cab and tell the cab driver that’s where you want to go,” I’ve learned to strategically rephrase my requests for directions. Instead of asking, “How can I walk to this place?” I ask “How might Antonio Banderas ride a scooter to this place?”

Best way to tell Ecuadorians apart geographically: One day at the beach with the local branch manager, he pointed out that it’s easy to distinguish locals from people from Quito who are in town on vacation. I looked around and wasn’t so sure I could tell, so we started guessing with passers-by. He nodded to one middle-aged man, lounging in the back of his pickup truck with a tank top pulled up to his chest, exposing his sizeable beer belly, which he rubbed fondly.

“What about that guy?” said Fernando.
The gentleman in question looked pretty tan. “Mmmm… local?” I guessed.
He laughed. “A local would NEVER do that, Cynthia.”
“What? I’ve seen tons of guys from the coast strutting around showing off their guts,” I responded, confused.
“Yes,” he said, “but never in Lycra.”

Land of Lycra: Quito at dawn. Why was I awake at dawn? My neighbors have roosters.

Cynthia McMurry is a fourth-time Kiva fellow working with brand new Kiva field partner Fundación Espoir in Cuenca, Ecuador. Previously she worked with Fundación AgroCapital in Bolivia and FINCA Peru and Asociación Arariwa in Peru.

To search for currently fundraising loans from Fundación Espoir on Kiva, click here. No currently fundraising clients? Please check back soon! In the meantime, you can join Espoir’s Kiva Lending Team here.

Posted by Lee Bruner KF8

In Cusco, Perú, there are numerous holidays during the winter months of June and July. Most recently the town celebrated Inti Raymi (the Sun Festival), an Incan tradition marking the beginning of a new year with the winter soltice. Many  companies make up their own traditional outfits and march through the main square in a parade that lasts for around 12 hours.

I am currently working with Asociación Arariwa, Kiva’s field partner in the Sacred Valley of Perú. When I arrived last month, preparations for Inti Raymi were already underway: signs were posted around the office detailing the dress code (dark pants and red pocho) and practice times for the dancers who would lead our group through the plaza.

We met up at the office for the parade at 5 pm. I had some difficulty finding a pocho big enough for a 6’5 (195 cm) guy. With the help of three colleagues, we undid the hemming of one, and then stitched up the sides for just the right fit. We were group #149 out of 300 lined up on Avenida del Sol, slowly heading to the Plaza de Armas while music was blaring and fireworks were exploding overhead.

Lee Bruner KF8 with Asociación Arariwa Colleagues

I wish I had actual footage of the dancing, but I was too busy trying to follow along with some improvised dance steps that a loan officer was teaching us moments before our debut. I was literally dancing (or attempting to, I should say) in front of thousands of people and camera crews through the main square – no joke! Despite the slight humiliation, it was a blast, and quite an introduction to Cusco!

Arariwa has been an excellent host since I arrived last month. Right now they are transitioning from a Pilot to Active Partner with Kiva so that their monthly fundraising limit can be increased. As a Kiva Fellows, thisentails doing borrower verifications, as well as looking for ways to integrate Kiva with their internal computer software and loan disbursement process.

This week I’ll be traveling to Pilcopata, a town in one of the most remote regions that Arariwa serves. Loan officers regularly travel up to 4-5 hours away from the Cusco headquarters to meet with communal banks, reaching entrepreneurs who might not otherwise have access to capital. Loan officers have also recently received training to begin a financial literacy program to teach clients about planning for repayments as well different savings methods.

I’m looking forward to seeing Arariwa’s work in more rural areas. And word has it that we’ll be passing through Paucartambo to catch a glimpse of the famous Virgen del Carmen Festival!

If you’re interested in funding loans for Asociación Arariwa, click here. Please also consider joining our Lending Team!

This past week I heard from a friend in the US who got the new iPhone. It looks pretty cool – smaller, faster, and even has the long-awaited cut/copy/paste feature. All for just USD $199…

But what if you used your phone to make a living? What if it had nothing to do with apps, downloading music or texting your friends?

Last week I interviewed groups that were getting loan disbursements and also followed up with existing Kiva borrowers. While the majority of clients were planning buy more merchandise for their general stores or small businesses, two women stuck out in particular: Rosa and Grimanesa. Rosa and Grimanesa invested in their cell phone businesses. As part-time jobs, they stand on busy street corners and charge people to use their cell phones to make local and long distance calls. Why would somebody pay to use their phones? It costs more to call a cell phone from a public pay phone, and you don’t get change back for coins that are deposited. In Peru a basic cell phone costs around $30 USD, and current rates are about  15 cents a minute to call other cell phones and and 10 cents  per text msg.  This is still too expensive for a majority to have mobile access, especially small business owners that are receving microloans.

These women’s businesses caught my attention because they were using a mobile phone as a means to make income – exactly the opposite of how frequently I find myself spending money on unnecessary apps and songs. And it also made think about mobile banking in microfinance. If these women are making a living with the cell phones, couldn’t mobile services also be a way to provide better financial services to them? After all, I followed up with Grimanesa via a cell phone call to discuss her Kiva loan.

There is so much potential for m-banking, especially to help lower administrative costs to borrowers in rural areas. What if Rosa and Grimanesa could make their loan payments on their phones, or charge others a nominal fee to do so?  What if they could text updates to their loan officers? What if they were rural farmers and could get access to weather forecasts to determine when to plant crops or  coordinate delivery times to markets?

My first reaction is to say that this makes perfect sense. It seems like an ideal way to incorporate technology into microfinance.  However, there are cons that I didn’t see until spending time out in the field.

An Arariwa loan officer offering financial training at a group loan meeting.

Monthly group repayment meetings are an important part of lending: they promote a sense of community, strengthen accountability, and also provide an ongoing forum for financial education. For example, last week I accompanied a loan officer who taught her group about the dangers of taking out loans to pay off other loans and then did a case study to demonstrate long-term growth strategies.  Group members shared their stories and observations about local markets conditions, and also collectively decided how to help members who were struggling to make a profit. How much is this worth, especially to those who had to give up a few hours of work to come to a repayment meeting?

It seems contradictory: a cell phone has the capacity to keep us connected 24/7 and help us to make more informed decisions, but it can also isolate us. For many people,  ordering take out or paying a credit card bill can be done on a mobile phone without any interaction.  But we lose the intrinsic value of personal connections, and in microfinance, face-to-face time with other entrepreneurs and financial educators is invaluable. There are emotions that emoticons can’t capture – like an entrepreneur who just made her first profit – and 160 characters couldn’t cut it to describe the impact that it’s having on her family.

Does it make sense for MFIs to start transitioning to m-banking as cell phone service becomes more accessible?  From what I’ve seen in the field, I believe so, but it will have to be done very carefully as to not undermine the strong sense of community that group loans promote. I’m sure that there are already some pilot programs underway that are facing these challenges, and I’ll be interested to hear follow-ups about m-banking with  Kiva Field Partners such as K-MET in Kenya. CGAP’s technology blog has also had some interesting articles concerning m-banking.

And in the meantime, I just keep asking myself:  what could Rosa and Grimanesa do with an iPhone?

Lee Bruner is a member of KF8 currently based in Cusco, Perú with Asociación Arariwa.  He’s looking forward to hearing any ideas, comments or updates about mobile banking being used in the field!

In a desperate last-minute attempt to get my name off the top of the “least-blogging fellows” list and fulfill my grandma’s request for more blogs, I’d like to share some of my favorite photos from my 10-week placement at Asociacion Arariwa in Cusco, Peru.

Arariwa is an amazing organization with an extremely dedicated group of loan officers. I was consistently impressed with loan officers’ dedication to their clients—not just putting in long hours for little pay and running risks by carrying cash, but in some cases even relocating to remote villages in order to serve clients without previous access to financial services. For example, Tula Barazorda and Armando Cabrera live and work in Pilcopata, a remote jungle town that’s 8+ hours from Cusco on rough, narrow dirt roads. Pilcopata is a sleepy little town where there’s little to do but shoot the breeze and swat the mosquitoes. One morning – over breakfast, no less – Tula and Armando had a long, nonchalant conversation about all the different kinds of bugs that can burrow under your skin, how to tell the difference, and the pros and cons of each one (never before have I been so grateful to my parents for raising me in Minnesota, where all we have is ticks).

All in all, my time at Arariwa was an incredible experience, and I’m already itching to go back and visit. I’m also looking forward to reading much more frequent blogs from my Arariwa successor, Lee Bruner!

To see all currently fundraising loans from Asociación Arariwa, click here.

Cynthia McMurry is a fourth-time Kiva fellow working with brand new Kiva field partner Fundación Espoir in Quito, Ecuador. Previously she worked with Fundación AgroCapital in Bolivia and FINCA Peru and Asociación Arariwa in Peru.