Blog posts tagged with agriculture

May 5, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Want to support farmers in Belize? Eat more chocolate (and make a loan!) By Camille Ricketts
This is a guest post by Emily Stone, the managing director at Kiva partner Maya Mountain Cacao in Belize. MMC supports cacao growers in the country to improve their livelihoods and get their high-quality product to market.

Chocolate. Dark brown, delicious, sweet, creamy, cocoa-loaded delights. Brownies, cookies, mousse, tarts, cakes, ganache. Candy bars, truffles, and bonbons.

This is the chocolate that we all know and love. Given as gifts between couples, used to celebrate special events, and craved by the masses sitting at school desks and... Continue Reading >
Mar 3, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Slow Money: Small investments in sustainable change By Camille Ricketts
Here at Kiva, we’re all about deliberate and sustainable change. In order to make a true difference in lives and communities all over the world, we need to make sure people have the tools to lift themselves out of poverty. And every day, thousands of Kiva lenders help make this possible by lending small amounts of money to support businesses, education, and more.

This is one facet of a new U.S. movement coined “Slow Money.” As the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits an all time high, and more and more people struggle to find work and equitable pay, it’s... Continue Reading >
Mar 3, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Newest Field Partner: Kiva re-enters in Nigeria to help increase crop yields with Babban Gona By Amniya Shahbozova
Kiva is now in Nigeria! And we are extremely excited to work in this country again with our brand new partner, Babban Gona.

One of the most populous countries in West Africa, it was named after the Niger River which runs through the country. Although playing a vital role in Africa’s economy, Nigeria has a high poverty rate of about 70% and an unemployment rate of over 23%. The number of unbanked people in the country is one of the highest in Africa, and access to banking services is particularly limited in rural areas.

Luckily, some... Continue Reading >
Feb 2, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
New Field Partner: Empowering women and out-of-school youth in Uganda with YICE By Amniya Shahbozova
We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Youth Initiative for Community Empowerment!

In Uganda, as is the case in many African countries, women face a wide range of challenges including discrimination, low socioeconomic status and often violation of basic rights. Discrimination reduces their chances of becoming educated and economically self reliant. Moreover, women often become reliant on abusive men at home.

The same situation is seen among young women -- they become exposed to sex at an early age either for economic survival or for other reasons, and... Continue Reading >
Feb 2, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Challenging the traditional loan model with longer loan terms By Eileen Silva
While the majority of microfinance models provide short-term credit with a two-year turnaround or less, there is a significant need for long-term finance in the marketplace. Long-term loans of 3 to 15 years, for example, are especially critical when borrowers are looking to finance educational expenses or agricultural investments.

The very nature of education is long-term, whereas agriculture can involve both short- and long-term loans. Longer-term agricultural investments include microforestry, organic conversion and field renewal, to name just a few.

MFIs and other... Continue Reading >
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