Kiva | Loans that change lives

Apr 11, 2013 Dominican Republic

What I Learned from Borrower Visits: 4 Dominican Experiences By roselarsen

by Rose Larsen | KF20 | Dominican Republic

One of my first tasks upon arriving in the Dominican Republic was to visit 10 borrowers, chosen at random from all of the borrowers with ASPIRE (Kiva’s partner MFI), to verify data and find out how they are doing on their loan. This was an exciting but challenging introduction to daily Dominican life, as I navigated Santo Domingo and the surrounding areas via shared taxis, public buses, motorcycles, the metro and my own feet. I traversed bustling neighborhoods in the center of Santo Domingo, small towns in...

Apr 10, 2013 Albania

The man I can't stop thinking about By Rachel Lewis

This month I was lucky enough to meet a man that made a tremendously deep impact on me and I can't shake the image of his face from my mind. Please allow me to introduce Hamit, an entrepreneurial pig farmer living in the Korca region in the south of Albania that I had the pleasure of meeting on a recent field visit.

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Apr 9, 2013 Global Update

Guatemala: Kiva Kitchen Exchange [Spinach Artichoke Dip - recipe and VIDEO included] By Jeffrey Nelson

In early February, I interviewed female borrowers in rural Guatemala. Fresh in the field, I was intimidated by seasoned farmers, leathered hands, and weathered grins. My pleated khakis seemed out of place. We bounced through conversation enjoying the novelty of unfamiliar company. When a female farmer, Fidelia, described the success of her artichoke crop, I commented that I like artichoke dip. Fidelia...

Apr 7, 2013 Indonesia, Timor-Leste

Artificially Sweetened Development By Rick Beck

Usually when I've been in places that I declare to be "artificial" I am thinking of a Disney theme, or a place like Cabo San Lucas or Cancun - southern California or Florida transported to Mexico - a place which bears little resemblance to what it would be like if it weren't for the tourist dollars it was created to attract. Of course, Las Vegas is the archetype for turning a desert into a sweet water oasis, of sorts.

The Jesus statue from the hills above Dili.

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Apr 7, 2013 Global Update

Why? By Felipe Moreno

It is certainly a good question. One that we should always keep in mind as we advance in our life paths. Answering it accordingly should be enough to further one’s mission, or at least to keep oneself well motivated when the horizon does not look that clear. That mission is unique for every one of us and for my case in particular, a unique one in the field of microfinance.

In this regard, my life goal has been undoubtedly enriched by this fellowship in Kenya and by this incredible organization called Kiva. As a matter of fact, one of...

Apr 6, 2013 Vietnam

Communes, Women, and Microfinance By Jon Fung

Having spent my formative years in a moderately sheltered suburb, the first images that come to mind when I hear the word "commune" consist of a few dozen hippies living in the woods, probably sitting in drum circles, debating the evils of capitalism and how things should just be...like, freely shared amongst society, man. Also, drugs.

Jokes aside, the hippie subculture at...

Apr 6, 2013 Chile

Londres 38 By Esther R. Honig

49 years ago marks the anniversary of the original 9/11, when in 1973 the widely supported nationalist regime of Chilean President, Salvador Allende was overthrown by militant leader Augusto Pinochet.

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Apr 5, 2013 Global Update

"Lives first, loans second. Always. The rest follows.” An interview with Bob Harris By Leo Della-Moretta

Bob in Cambodia

My favorite magazine in the world is Esquire magazine, primarily for the interviews that they publish. When I learned that Bob Harris was publishing a book on his experiences in micro-finance called “The International Bank of Bob,” I saw my chance. The challenges to getting a coherent interview to take place were many. 1: As much of a fan as I was of the “Esquire” style interviews, I am just that, a fan and not a journalist. 2:...

Apr 5, 2013

Young Kenyan Entrepreneurs at the Forefront of Tech Innovation By Katrina Shakarian

Young Kenyans are harnessing their country’s growing tech prowess to go into business for themselves. For example, Jamila Abbas and Susan Oguya, created a mobile application called M-Farm. The application allows Kenyan farmers to access real time market information, buy farm inputs from manufacturers and find buyers for their produce, all through SMS. Lorna Rutto started EcoPost, a company that turns plastic waste into durable fencing posts, an environmentally friendly alternative to timber. At Strathmore Univeristy, Kenya’s leading institution for...

Apr 4, 2013 India

Holi: Because one day, one name, and one way to celebrate aren’t enough By Stasi Baranoff

If you can't beat 'em....

This past weekend I celebrated Holi for the first time. Holi is known the world around as the Festival of Color for the rainbow of powders that can be seen on every person who sets foot outside their homes during the holiday. Leading up to Holi, I’ll admit I was pretty excited. It would be nice to see Imphal go a little crazy. I would ask my colleagues at WSDS what I should expect to see, imagining pure mayhem in a typically composed city (for India...

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