As one of Africa’s best known teams there is tremendous support all around the world for the Black Stars. Ghanaians know the special place the Black Stars hold in world soccer and take a special pride in all things Black Star related. And, as the World... Continue Reading >>
Stories tagged with Ghana

As one of Africa’s best known teams there is tremendous support all around the world for the Black Stars. Ghanaians know the special place the Black Stars hold in world soccer and take a special pride in all things Black Star related. And, as the World... Continue Reading >>




By Holly Sarkissian, KF 19, Benin & Togo
In Benin, New Year’s Eve is a BIG HOLIDAY. I recently spoke with two Kiva borrowers about their plans to celebrate. Meet Flaure:
Flaure is currently saving money to celebrate the New Year. She plans to buy pagne (or colorful fabric) to make a new outfit for each member of the family. She will also celebrate by cooking a special meal and dancing with her friends and family.
Meet Romance of the Dieu Est Grand Group (God is Big Group):
Romance is looking forward to celebrating...
Continue Reading >>
Compiled by Isabel Balderrama | KF17 + KF18 | Bolivia
The road to fellow DIana Biggs’ job in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
This week our intrepid team of KF-18 fellows brings us an interesting mix of stories from a wide variety of countries. From taking a lesson on how to raise and care for sheep in Mexico, to learning more about little-known countries such as Burkina Faso and Albania, this week’s posts are sure to keep your interest. Read on for a...
Continue Reading >>
by Luan Nio | KF18 | Nicaragua
We think we are all well-travelled, educated and smart, with great interpersonal skills and able to handle difficult situations. But what does actually happen at a Kiva Fellow’s first day in the office?
Most of us have not worked in microfinance before, have never visited their destination country and sometimes don’t speak the local language as well as they might think.
Here are impressions from around the globe during our first day with our assigned Kiva field partner.
... Continue Reading >>

by Jacqueline Gunn, KF13 Ghana, KF14 Ukraine
For the past 7 months I have been roaming the world as a Kiva fellow. I began in the lovely town of Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana where I spent my days in the office and my evenings and weekends on the beach. When I applied for a second fellowship, my only request was that it provided contrast to Ghana. Working in an industrial factory city in Eastern Ukraine has certainly delivered that. I arrived in Winter and it was -20 degrees Celsius outside and not much warmer inside.
... Continue Reading >>
By Nila Uthayakumar, KF14, Uganda,
With the help of several other Fellows in the field
Borrowers of an MCDT solidarity group meet under the shade of a tree in Kampala, Uganda.
I’ve met all kinds of borrowers. From age 16 to 76; from orphans to a former beauty queen; from potato sellers to auto parts saleswomen to motorcycle transportation tycoons. I’ve met them in urban slums, in villages, in homes, on porches, in...
Continue Reading >>
By Adam Cohn KF14, Rwanda
Rwanda: That Bieber Fever
Poda-Poda, Tro-Tro, Marshrutka, Jitney, Bemo, Bush Taxi. It seems that they have different, funny names in each locale, but they all refer to the same concept: the shared taxi. A share taxi is a vehicle which travels around a fixed route and either departs when it’s totally full, or allows customers to hop on and off wherever they want. In Rwanda, they are also a zeitgeist of what’s hip...
Continue Reading >>
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky
Kiva Fellows celebrated Earth Day around the world (Rwanda pictured)
Kiva Fellows observed Earth Day by sharing projects initiated by their partner microfinance institutions and host countries and by celebrating Kiva.org’s first batch of “Green Loans”. The upbeat mood also extended to anniversary parties at MFIs in Jordan and Armenia, enthusiastic endorsements to travel to Colombia, and reporting on a great...
Continue Reading >>
Compiled by Caree Edson, KF 14, Armenia
One of the unfortunate sight-seeing adventures that you never sign up for when you travel (especially in developing countries) is the unseemly amount of trash cluttering the otherwise beautiful landscapes. In Armenia, it isn’t possible to see the horizon through the smog most days and the streets are covered in cigarette butts and litter. I found no exceptions to this as I inquired from other Kiva Fellows about the dire situation in their countries. Environmental education and reform are simply not a top priority in many countries....
Continue Reading >>
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
Most of the photos for April Fools' Day were ready before we even hatched our plans (Cambodia pictured)
We hope you enjoyed our April Fools post on Friday! While we were entertaining ourselves pulling it all together, we also found the time to attend to some serious matters: coffee in Colombia is no joke (in a bad way), some borrowers are easier to locate than others, and oftentimes Fellows must say goodbye to...
Continue Reading >>