The most compelling benefit of microfinance and the reason I was drawn to the Kiva fellowship is its potential to empower the most vulnerable people around the world, particularly women. It’s no secret that women have the greatest impact on their families and their well-being, especially when they have more control over household finances. Across most of the developing world, this is not the case but organizations that work to reach women in these countries are helping to change that. Solar Sister is one such organization based in Kampala, Uganda. Approximately 1.6 billion... Continue Reading >>
Katie completed her degree at University of Southern California majoring in Business Administration/Finance with an emphasis in International Relations. Following graduation she accepted a position with Capital Group Companies as a financial statistician specializing in a top-tier Emerging Market equity and debt strategy. For six years she led results reporting: formulating complex portfolio statistics for internal and external clients; developing detailed analysis for investment professionals; and managing consistent global processes across North America, Asia, and Europe. She is particularly interested in sustainable development and innovative ways in which new technologies can increase the impact of development efforts in emerging economies. Katie's love of exploring different cultures and people has taken her to 20 countries thus far (and hopefully!) with many more to come. In her free time you can find her running along the beach, practicing yoga, or going to concerts with friends.
Fellows Blog Posts by Kathryn Krummel
May 3, 2013
Uganda
The most compelling benefit of microfinance and the reason I was drawn to the Kiva fellowship is its potential to empower the most vulnerable people around the world, particularly women. It’s no secret that women have the greatest impact on their families and their well-being, especially when they have more control over household finances. Across most of the developing world, this is not the case but organizations that work to reach women in these countries are helping to change that. Solar Sister is one such organization based in Kampala, Uganda. Approximately 1.6 billion... Continue Reading >>
The most compelling benefit of microfinance and the reason I was drawn to the Kiva fellowship is its potential to empower the most vulnerable people around the world, particularly women. It’s no secret that women have the greatest impact on their families and their well-being, especially when they have more control over household finances. Across most of the developing world, this is not the case but organizations that work to reach women in these countries are helping to change that. Solar Sister is one such organization based in Kampala, Uganda. Approximately 1.6 billion... Continue Reading >>
Apr 19, 2013
Uganda
As a life-long foodie one of my burning questions before coming to Uganda was “what is the food like?” After two and half months in Kampala I’ve had my share of Ugandan food both in the city and in the village. Most offices have subsidized lunches which can cost as little as 1,000 UGX ($0.40) but most are probably around 2,000 to 3,000 UGX ($0.80 to $1.20). A bargain either way! The typical meal is made up of at least 2 types of starch, a protein, and vegetable. Sadly, I’ve discovered that seasoning or spice is non-existent in Ugandan cooking. The starch takes... Continue Reading >>
As a life-long foodie one of my burning questions before coming to Uganda was “what is the food like?” After two and half months in Kampala I’ve had my share of Ugandan food both in the city and in the village. Most offices have subsidized lunches which can cost as little as 1,000 UGX ($0.40) but most are probably around 2,000 to 3,000 UGX ($0.80 to $1.20). A bargain either way! The typical meal is made up of at least 2 types of starch, a protein, and vegetable. Sadly, I’ve discovered that seasoning or spice is non-existent in Ugandan cooking. The starch takes... Continue Reading >>
Mar 29, 2013
Uganda
This past weekend I discovered what Kampalans do to escape the hustle & bustle of the city….they go to Jinja! Like any cosmopolitan city it's typical for its residents to fly the coop for the weekend to popular, more relaxing destinations. Many people visit family outside the city or go on trips with friends to surrounding areas. Traffic jams are a daily headache for anyone living or working in Kampala and it’s not uncommon to sit in them for hours at a time, but they are especially bad on Fridays as endless streams of cars and buses pour out of Kampala. Jinja is... Continue Reading >>
This past weekend I discovered what Kampalans do to escape the hustle & bustle of the city….they go to Jinja! Like any cosmopolitan city it's typical for its residents to fly the coop for the weekend to popular, more relaxing destinations. Many people visit family outside the city or go on trips with friends to surrounding areas. Traffic jams are a daily headache for anyone living or working in Kampala and it’s not uncommon to sit in them for hours at a time, but they are especially bad on Fridays as endless streams of cars and buses pour out of Kampala. Jinja is... Continue Reading >>
Mar 10, 2013
Uganda
As a Kiva lender, I would often find myself looking at the slew of pictures and video on Kiva’s website and wondering about the moment the images were captured. This past week I was able to experience firsthand when Ryan, Kiva’s Video Production Manager, and Liz, Kiva’s Media Fellow, visited Kampala for several days to capture images from two of Kiva’s partner organizations I am working with in Uganda: Solar Sister & Grameen Foundation. Kiva loans for both organizations work as business-in-a-box models whereby the borrower receives goods in-kind to use or... Continue Reading >>
As a Kiva lender, I would often find myself looking at the slew of pictures and video on Kiva’s website and wondering about the moment the images were captured. This past week I was able to experience firsthand when Ryan, Kiva’s Video Production Manager, and Liz, Kiva’s Media Fellow, visited Kampala for several days to capture images from two of Kiva’s partner organizations I am working with in Uganda: Solar Sister & Grameen Foundation. Kiva loans for both organizations work as business-in-a-box models whereby the borrower receives goods in-kind to use or... Continue Reading >>
Feb 16, 2013
Uganda
Every Kiva fellow gets excited about going out into the field. It’s usually the main reason you apply to be a fellow in the first place. To meet our borrowers, see their work, and hear their stories is an experience that is difficult to put into words. As the current Kiva Fellow in Uganda, I had my first opportunity to visit our Kiva borrowers with Grameen Foundation this week.
These borrowers are part of Grameen’s CKW (Community Knowledge Worker) program which centers around peer-nominated small-holder farmers (CKWs) equipped with...
Continue Reading >>