It's a decidedly scorching afternoon in the small pastoral community of Puerto Momotombo, located approximately an hour outside of Leon, Nicaragua's university capital.
In Australia (where I'm from), we start learning about money early. From lessons about compound interest in mathematics to budgeting for a meal in home economics, financial "know-how" is considered a survival skill.
Safoura is a 46-year-old woman who lives in Dieli, a small village in rural Mali. After losing her husband 12 years ago, she became a single mother of 7 children. She knows life can be challenging.
Imagine you’re a Malian farmer. Once a year you plant your corn, your sorghum, your peanuts, your millet. You pray for solid rainfall and a large enough harvest to feed your family for the year.
When I use the word “microfinance,” or talk about Kiva, people tend to picture entrepreneurs in far off destinations, using small loans to invest in their businesses. And while it may be true that cash lent for seeds, goats or rickshaw repairs in less developed countries is the essence of micr
There was no dozing off on the way to Dedaye. As the taxi sped mercilessly down the bumpy road dodging bikes, motorcycles, ox-drawn carts, and the occasional village parade, I thought to myself, “Are we supposed to be going this fast?”&