Shortly before leaving for my Kiva fellowship, I had an iced coffee so good that I thanked the barista. Today, I got to thank the man who grew the beans--not the actual beans, probably, but the kind of high-quality beans that must have gone into such a drink. Experts say that while Peru doesn't produce nearly the quantity of its famous neighbor, the quality of its coffee can be even bettter, in part because production is on such a small scale, mostly on tiny... Continue Reading >>
Stories tagged with blogsherpa
Sep 9, 2015
Peru
Shortly before leaving for my Kiva fellowship, I had an iced coffee so good that I thanked the barista. Today, I got to thank the man who grew the beans--not the actual beans, probably, but the kind of high-quality beans that must have gone into such a drink. Experts say that while Peru doesn't produce nearly the quantity of its famous neighbor, the quality of its coffee can be even bettter, in part because production is on such a small scale, mostly on tiny... Continue Reading >>
Shortly before leaving for my Kiva fellowship, I had an iced coffee so good that I thanked the barista. Today, I got to thank the man who grew the beans--not the actual beans, probably, but the kind of high-quality beans that must have gone into such a drink. Experts say that while Peru doesn't produce nearly the quantity of its famous neighbor, the quality of its coffee can be even bettter, in part because production is on such a small scale, mostly on tiny... Continue Reading >>
Jun 6, 2015
Philippines
Greetings from Cabanatuan City, nicknamed the “Tricycle Capital of the Philippines.” Tricycles, made by affixing a sidecar to a motorcycle, are a common means of public transportation in the Philippines. More than 30,000 tricycles for a population of 272,676 people (as of 2010) in Cabanatuan means that there is 1 tricycle for every 9 people in this largest city in the province of Nueva Ecija.
After attending Kiva... Continue Reading >>
After attending Kiva... Continue Reading >>
Jan 1, 2014
United States
Kiva Zip is an innovative pilot program created by Kiva that uses mobile and electronic payment technology to enable direct, 0% interest loans to financially excluded and socially impactful entrepreneurs. The loans are crowd-funded on Kiva Zip’s website, where anyone with an Internet connection can lend as little as $5 to a borrower of their choice.
One of the principal aims of the program is to expand access to capital... Continue Reading >>
Kiva Zip is an innovative pilot program created by Kiva that uses mobile and electronic payment technology to enable direct, 0% interest loans to financially excluded and socially impactful entrepreneurs. The loans are crowd-funded on Kiva Zip’s website, where anyone with an Internet connection can lend as little as $5 to a borrower of their choice.
One of the principal aims of the program is to expand access to capital... Continue Reading >>
Nov 11, 2013
Global Update, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Peru
In "Potluck fashion" the following blog post includes the perspective of 6 different Kiva fellows placed in 4 different continents. Each fellow bringing something different to the table. Our work with Kiva in microfinance is so rewarding that celebration seems inevitable. Thus, we thought it worthwhile to share a glimpse into recent holidays that we have witnessed around the world. ... Continue Reading >>
Oct 10, 2013
Colombia
When Medellin beat New York and Tel Aviv this year for Wall Street Journal’s “Innovative City of the Year”, news articles reminded everyone of the long way Medellin has come from its dark past as the playground for Pablo Escobar’s drug trade and violent crimes. While this is true, Medellin’s forward thinking spirit should become Medellin's defining characteristic. Medellin has transformed into a city with low crime rates, delicious tap water, a free bike sharing system, and a new metro system. All of this was accomplished by focusing on the future rather than dwelling too much in the past.... Continue Reading >>
Oct 10, 2013
Peru
The majesty of Peru extends far beyond Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. This country is teeming with cultural, historical, and geographical diversity. The following post combines the perspective of three Kiva fellows recently in Peru. Each offers a brief glimpse into a region where they served and a specific example of how micro-finance with Kiva is making a difference on the ground.
The Spanish conquerors oversimplified Peru into three geographic regions: 1. Sierra (mountain highlands), 2. Selva (broadleaf rainforest), 3. Costa (desert coast). Although these... Continue Reading >>
The Spanish conquerors oversimplified Peru into three geographic regions: 1. Sierra (mountain highlands), 2. Selva (broadleaf rainforest), 3. Costa (desert coast). Although these... Continue Reading >>
Aug 8, 2013
Costa Rica, Global Update
Journaling. Is it a lost art or a relic of times past that has rightfully disappeared in a world of easy electronic fixes for expression? Journals are deeply private things, they represent ourselves poured out in ink. Our moods can be seen in every penstroke, our thoughts in every malformed word. We don't edit ourselves in journals. Looking back, our writing seems disjointed and without the structure or social awareness that is expected from a polished status update. Journals are the only places,...
Continue Reading >>
Aug 8, 2013
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Global Update, Guatemala, Honduras
This August, I completed 7 months on the road in Central America with Kiva! I had once ignorantly assumed homogeneity among Central American countries, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover differences in each city, region, and country that I have visited. From climate, to cuisine, to culture, to colloquialisms, I found myself amazed at the variety and distinctions.
So, here are 5 lessons learned and my Top Ten Favorites from my time in the Central America.
... Continue Reading >>
So, here are 5 lessons learned and my Top Ten Favorites from my time in the Central America.
... Continue Reading >>
Aug 8, 2013
Nicaragua
During my fellowship in Nicaragua I had the pleasure of working with an exciting new Kiva partner named Tecnosol. Tecnosol is the Central American leader in the sale and installation of decentralized renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, hydro, and biogas.
Mural outside Tecnosol's office in Managua, Nicaragua
There is a high demand for renewable energy products in Nicaragua, especially among remote populations that are unreached by the country’s electric infrastructure. Despite the need, however, Nicaragua’s vast... Continue Reading >>
Mural outside Tecnosol's office in Managua, Nicaragua
There is a high demand for renewable energy products in Nicaragua, especially among remote populations that are unreached by the country’s electric infrastructure. Despite the need, however, Nicaragua’s vast... Continue Reading >>
Jul 7, 2013
Nicaragua
For the past three months I’ve had the pleasure of working with an exciting new Kiva partner. PAC (Association for People in Community Action) is an agriculturally focused economic development organization in Nicaragua. They specialize in rural productive value chain integration by offering their clients three primary services: loans, technical assistance, and access to markets.
Loans
PAC offers microcredit to meet a variety... Continue Reading >>
Loans
PAC offers microcredit to meet a variety... Continue Reading >>