Posts tagged ‘microfinance in Turkey’
Tulip Mania, Tulips are from Turkey not the Netherlands + Maya’s Only Florist + Fast Flower Facts
By Kimberly Strathearn, KF 16/17, Turkey
April 7 -29, 2012 is this year’s date for the 7th International Istanbul Tulip Festival which is organized by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Being a national symbol of Turkey, tulips have had a major role in Turkish arts and culture for centuries. Not to mention it is the current official tourism symbol.
The Tulip Festival is held each April and the city parks, squares, and gardens are blooming with millions of tulips of every color. This year over 11.5 million tulips of 104 different varieties have been planted throughout Istanbul. Various parks and squares will host live concerts, painting and Ebru (marble-painting) demonstrations, Tulip Photography Exhibitions and Tulip Sculpture Exhibitions.
Barrier + Solution = Groups loans for Maya! + Challenges Remain.
By Kimberly Strathearn, KF 16/17, Turkey
No water = barrier for fish
(ran across this advertisement for a new aquarium one morning in Taksim Square on the way to work)
Maya has been a Kiva Field partner for 8 months. Maya is a small program that was established under the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work in 2002. Maya’s target clients are low-income women with a primary school education that have limited chances of finding a job in the formal economy. Turkey has a large informal economy, so most of Maya’s clients want to set up a small-scale business or enhance their existing small-scale business. Many of their clients work from home but some have small shops, or work in market stalls. Most of these businesses are in the trade sector but some are in the manufacturing and service sectors. Since most of the businesses are unregistered, the women are unable to access regular financial services.
Have you been wondering why Maya has only posted 35 entrepreneur profiles on the Kiva website? And that they all have been individuals? You may know from my first post about Maya or Maya Field Partner Page, that Maya offers group loans—so why isn’t Maya posting any?
Junk Food +1,300 Chefs + Edirne-Style Liver + Maya Food Entrepreneurs
Kimberly Strathearn | KF 16 | Istanbul, Turkey
Although you will find many familiar fast food restaurants in Turkey, I have never understood why they are popular. Turkish food is just too darn good. When I first started living in Turkey in 1998, there was very little western fast food, very little packaged junk food, and very little prepared foods (i.e. bottled sauces, frozen vegetable, mixes and other packaged foods). I used to bring back lots of food items when I visited my family once a year. Now I only bring back chili powder for when I occasionally make tacos (don’t have to bring tortillas back anymore, Turkey now grows avocados, and I substitute fresh yogurt for sour cream).
Gigantic Lay's billboard
Fast food glore
