As I get ready to start a new chapter in Nairobi, Kenya with the Kiva Labs team, I can’t help but reminisce on the last 6 months abroad as a Kiva Fellow in the Philippines and Timor-Leste. Although it was not always easy to be on my own, I’ve grown so much as a person because of all the “Yeses” I reluctantly agreed to. 'Treat every day as an adventure,' was the phrase I reminded myself every time I felt lonely, or was stuck in unexpected and uncomfortable situations. One blog is definitely not enough to share all the great adventures I experienced, but hopefully the 3 lessons below can...
Continue Reading >>Yaris comes from a background of work in the travel and hospitality industry, focused mainly in hotel management, events, and service operations. She is a Chinese descendant who was born and raised in Venezuela. She lived in Guangzhou, China and New York City before moving to San Francisco. Yaris worked for Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Expedia.com before switching to a more social impact focused career. In her most recent job, in the field of economic and community development, she implemented neighborhood revitalization strategies in emerging neighborhoods in San Francisco. As a Project Manager, Yaris planned and executed outreach projects and development initiatives with major community organizations. Yaris holds a B.S. in Hotel Administration from Cornell University. She is super excited for this amazing opportunity at Kiva and looks forward to working with all of the partners in the Philippines, East Timor, and Kenya!
Fellows Blog Posts by Yaris Ng Pang
"We cannot survive without rice.” “Rice is the reason why we work.” “I can have a meal with just rice.” “Rice is life.” “When there is rice, there is no hunger.”
These are some of the quotes I gathered when I interviewed my colleagues at Community Economic Ventures, Inc. (CEVI), a Kiva Field Partner, about what rice means to them. Rice plays a big role in the Filipino culture as well as for most other Asian countries. My dad would be the first one to agree that without rice, he is not full.
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It’s no surprise that people around me don’t fully understand why I left the comfort of my job and life in the United States to go to the Philippines to become a Kiva fellow. Friends and family often ask, “What do you do, exactly, for Kiva?”
I am going to attempt to answer this question by walking you through one of the responsibilities I am asked to complete during my time here: borrower...
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