الطريق مفتوح؟
Is the way clear?
This was the sentiment voiced by my Palestinian colleagues at Al-Ibdaa and Palestine for Credit & Development (FATEN) before we set off for the field. Under the complicated governance structures dictated by the Oslo Accords, the West Bank has been carved into Area A, Area B and Area C. Area A falls under the holistic jurisdiction of the...
Stories tagged with Middle East
I had the privilege of being Kiva’s first fellow to work with Together Association for Development and Environment (TADE), our only partner in Egypt. TADE is based in the Minya governate, known locally as the “Bride of Upper Egypt.”
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This might come as a surprise to some, given that the widespread stereotype of the Middle Eastern woman often renders a submissive, taciturn figure consistently dominated by her male counterpart and - even worse - uninterested... Continue Reading >>
The difference between Islamic finance and “regular” finance is this: generally, in Islamic finance, risk and profit are shared between lenders and borrowers thereby tying the success of lenders to borrowers. It has grown steadily since the emergence of large Islamic banks in Saudi Arabia in the 1970’s and opens a new avenue for current cash-only populations (Garrett 2011). This is particularly true for the poor and less educated who face many obstacles to benefiting from modern institutions, including a reluctance to participate... Continue Reading >>
” After weeks of headline news about the Arab Spring, we seem to have forgotten the man who started it all: Mohamed Bouazizi, the [26 year old] Tunisian fruit vendor who set himself on fire after police confiscated his small cart. It was Mr. Bouazizi, a microentrepreneur, who sparked this revolution in a single act of protest against the same harsh economic realities shared by the majority of citizens across the Arab world.” ~ Elissa McCarter, Vice President of Development Finance, CHF International
... Continue Reading >>Since arriving in Jordan last Tuesday night for the start of my Kiva Fellowship, I’ve ridden at least a dozen taxicabs which are prominent in Amman’s streets. The daily commute has sparked some very interesting conversations with the drivers who have given me a glimpse into the peoples’ challenges and the country’s current affairs. A 20 minute cab ride to work costs approximately 3 Jordanian Dinars ($4.25 USD) and provides my morning dose of news and chitchat.
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