Kiva Zip entrepreneurs in New York are a group of over 150 creative people with small businesses such as family farms, bakeries, media, and apparel. The Kiva Zip team is constantly inspired by the passion they put into their work but it's a really difficult feeling to convey to Kiva lenders, partners, and community. Our solution to this problem was to bring our entrepreneurs directly to the community! Over one hundred enthusiastic Kiva Zip... Continue Reading >>
Fellows Blog Posts by Tony Chow
Kiva Zip entrepreneurs in New York are a group of over 150 creative people with small businesses such as family farms, bakeries, media, and apparel. The Kiva Zip team is constantly inspired by the passion they put into their work but it's a really difficult feeling to convey to Kiva lenders, partners, and community. Our solution to this problem was to bring our entrepreneurs directly to the community! Over one hundred enthusiastic Kiva Zip... Continue Reading >>
Meeting borrowers may be the best part of being a Kiva Fellow. It's an incredibly enriching experience where we get to learn about the borrowers' lives; they all have businesses, homes, families, hopes, and dreams. Each of the dozens of farmers I met in Kenya had their own unique stories and here are a few of my favorites. Benedate is an entrepreneurial farmer with a variety of income streams to support her six children including maize, beans, sweet potatoes,... Continue Reading >>
For three days in February, I visited Kiva borrowers in Nyanza Province near Lake Victoria in the southwest of Kenya. The visits took me to the city of Kisii and the nearby towns of Nyamira and Kenyenya via countless pickup truck, boda-boda, and matatu rides. Although it was invaluable to see a side of Kenya other than my base of Nairobi, the remoteness of the region gave me a new appreciation for the hard work that Kiva partners put in to service our clients. Nyanza Province... Continue Reading >>
One of the highlights of the Kiva Fellowship is the opportunity to live somewhere far from home and learn about a new culture. I've met dozens of Kiva Zip trustees and borrowers during my three months in Kenya and unexpectedly forged a strong connection with one in particular. I first met Joseph* when he visited the Kiva office for a trustee interview. Joseph has an extensive background of community development and now continues his work as a pastor in Kenya, providing financial and educational services to his community. As a civic leader, he is a typical trustee that puts a great amount...
Continue Reading >>One of the best parts of the Kiva Fellowship is the anticipation while awaiting the location of your placement, which could be nearly anywhere Kiva loans are available. Wouldn’t it be great to stroll by the Taj Mahal on the way to work, gallop on horseback through the plains of Mongolia, or take in a sunset on a Samoan beach?
Then on a beautiful July afternoon, I almost physically jumped for joy when offered the opportunity to work in Kiva...
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