Fellows Blog

Stories from the field

Fellows Blog Posts by j

Dec 1, 2009 MN Mongolia

By Jane Lim, KF9 Mongolia

I am convinced that my borrower videos have been lost in the abyss which is the Kiva journal tab (it currently has 5224 unsearchable pages), so I had to find another platform for their airing. I.e., here!

Posting a video journal entry takes a considerable amount of work, and I thought I would lay the process out here so they will be more appreciated

(I have also inserted one of my video journals here rather than below to pique your interest, so please click the “read more” button after you’re done watching!)

... Continue Reading >>


Nov 4, 2009 MN Mongolia

By Jane Lim, KF9 Mongolia

Today my envy of other Kiva fellows faded because I finally, finally got to meet Kiva borrowers.

There is a certain sadness that most of these borrowers have. For some it’s buried deep beneath stoicism and the victories of subsequent success, but for others it’s brimming at the surface, and you get the feeling that one more slight push would send them into the chasm. When I take their photos, they never smile – and I’ve thought of asking them to, but I don’t want to if there’s nothing to smile about. The...

Continue Reading >>


Oct 17, 2009 MN Mongolia

by Jane Lim, KF9 Mongolia

notable quotes from recent reads…

“Ulaanbaatar is possibly the coldest capital city in the world.“ - Michael Kohn, Lonely Planet Mongolia, p14

as a testament to the point above, it snowed on wednesday for the first time since summer… and it’s only early october.

“The Mongols loved competitions of all sorts, and they organized debates among rival religions the same way they organized wrestling matches… Their debate ranged back and forth… No side seemed to convince the other of anything...

Continue Reading >>


Oct 12, 2009 MN Mongolia

by Jane Lim, KF9, Mongolia

here’s where i’m at:

i wanted to write a before and after just so you can hear my drawn breath of anticipation / trepidation in between…

before: 9:30am EST on Friday, Oct 9th i realize no one knows a lot about Mongolia… therefore i can make up absolutely anything and people will believe me. haha

case in point. (some of the following are actually true)

  • there is a mongolian mythical creature called the Mongolian Death Worm which is purportedly found in the Gobi Desert, grows up...
    • Continue Reading >>