Over the past five months, I served as a Kiva Fellow in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Before coming to Central America, it was hard to ignore the headlines of violence and immigration that are often associated with countries in this region. Particularly as a solo female traveler, I was unsure of how my experience would be shaped by these issues.
For years, people have fled Central America - mainly Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador - to escape violence, search for economic opportunity and find a safe place to raise their family. Some people choose to make the trek with...