Ouagadougou- pronounced Wagadugu and lovingly referred to as Ouaga by those who live here- is home to Micro Start, Kiva’s first partner in the small west African country of Burkina Faso.  If you’re like most, you’re wondering … Is that a country?  Where? I must know it by another name.  Is it a new country?  Why have I never heard of it?

Yes it’s a country. In West Africa. It’s previous name was the Republic of the Upper Volta (awesome).  No, it’s not a new country. I’m not sure why few have heard of it, but I would venture to guess because it’s small, stable, and poor. ...

By Alba Castillo, KF 16 Paraguay

“One can pay back the loan of gold, but one lies forever in debt to those who are kind.”

The other night my landlady, Señora Ada, came up to my apartment with two slices of pizza her husband had just made. We chitchatted while I enjoyed a fabulous concoction of cheese, meats and olives over a flaky thin crust. A few minutes later, as Señora Ada was walking out of my door, I was...

The phrase “The Circle of Life”, for individuals of my age demographic, typically conjures up images of Timon and Pumba. Hopefully I did not pull you into this blog under false pretenses but unfortunately the title is the only relation to the famous Disney movie. My hope is that you will continue reading in order to find out what “The Circle of Life” has to do with microfinance and Kiva.

First off, let me introduce you to the place, which is not Africa. For this circle of life I will be showing you around the workings of my MFI placement in Manila,...

By Kate Bennett (KF15)

Small business owners in Ecuador, like Marcia Suqui in the video above, can use their microloans to move forward with their businesses and improve their quality of life. After all, this is the idea driving Kiva- that small loans can change lives. But not all small loans can improve a business owner’s standing, because the darker side...