Normally, when I go on borrower verification visits I am accompanied by someone from the Field Partner office, both to serve as a translator and (I suspect) to ensure I don’t get lost forever somewhere out there. This story began with an unchaperoned borrower verification trip and ended up with a deep dive into the exciting social enterprise scene in Armenia.
The last client I had to visit from my borrower verification list for Nor Horizon, one of the Armenian Field Partners I am working with, was also the client located farthest away in Kapan, a city approximately 7 hours...
Stories tagged with Armenia
The book focuses on the living standards of Armenians, one in three of whom live in poverty, and the obstacles facing a young nation that is trying to rebuild its economy. During the 1990s, Armenia witnessed the collapse of state-owned industries and a... Continue Reading >>
Are we winning the FIGHT against poverty?
What are the biggest BARRIERS in our way?
How can we do BETTER?
These... Continue Reading >>
Armen is a fishmonger in Yerevan where he sells trout and sturgeon from the freshwaters of Armenia’s many beautiful rivers and lakes. Armen is an incredibly hard working man and adds real value to his business by preparing delicious fish dinners for take away. Khorovats is the national dish of Armenia and involves barbecuing fish or meats on skewers, served with potatoes,... Continue Reading >>
For much of the world, food is fuel. But far more than mere sustenance, food draws us together. It slows our pace and brightens each day. Calling upon all five senses, cusine...
Continue Reading >>Through motivating stories, informative videos, intriguing sound bytes and interesting first-hand accounts, this week’s update is quite the smorgasbord of stories from the field. Through accounts of first business loans and stories about successful community banks, Fellows in Georgia and Peru show us the effects of our loans; through sights, sounds and narratives, Fellows in...
Continue Reading >>Compiled by David Gorgani | KF17 + KF18 | Guatemala
It’s official – the Fellows have taken to the field! This week’s update touches on many different Fellows’ experiences visiting Kiva borrowers in the field and traces the similarities and differences we face in our borrower visits, all with a strong undertone of inspiration. Let’s face it folks, this is why...
Continue Reading >>By Ward Lassoe / KF-18 / Armenia
Recently, I had the chance to experience micro-finance at its very earliest stages. It started with a visit to some Kiva borrowers in the one of the poorer regions of Armenia. We were in the northeastern corner of the country, near the border with Azerbaijan.
This farmer and others got loans through Nor Horizon, one of Kiva’s partners in Armenia, but there are many other local farmers who are not financially stable enough to qualify for a Kiva loan. That may change soon thanks to a new initiative where local farmers...
Continue Reading >>As we begin to get a feel for our new placements and our new countries, we Fellows have also begun to ponder items ranging from local business realities to simply why we love what we do. The nine posts in this update give a great deal of insight into the work of a Fellow, local culture in the locations in which we are placed, and most importantly,...
Continue Reading >>By Ward Lassoe / KF-18 / Armenia
I’d read about Armenian hospitality. I’d heard about it. But last week, I got a chance to experience it.
My first assignment as a Kiva Fellow was to videotape interviews with current and past borrowers in Armenia. I’m lucky because these interactions with local borrowers are always a highlight of a Kiva Fellowship.
But as I headed out the first day with some staff members from SEF International (one of Kiva’s micro-finance partners in Armenia), I wasn’t sure how the experience would go. How would the...
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