JD is responsible for ensuring that Kiva maintains and grows its core commitment to the disadvantaged beneficiary of its internet platform. He leads the development and execution of Kiva's social performance strategy, which entails measuring, providing judgment on and communicating the social performance of Kiva's operations including its MFI Field Partners and new product initiatives. After growing the Kiva Fellows Program into a critical contributor to Kiva's success and one of the largest and most sought after networks of microfinance volunteers in the world, he gladly accepted the challenge of developing the social performance practice at Kiva. JD brings over fourteen years of leadership and program development experience both in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Prior to Kiva, he built robust systems to achieve $3M as Director of Resource Development at ACCION International, served with the U.S. Peace Corps in a poor, rural region of Bulgaria, and held senior roles at a variety of early stage companies during periods of rapid growth. JD holds a BA in Russian Language and Comparative Literature from Washington University in Saint Louis.
Fellows Blog Posts by JD Bergeron
by Grace Nattoolo , Kiva Coordinator at Pearl Microfinance in Uganda
I know and believe so, that many have been wondering about Grace, and her blog postings. Yes, I have taken some months without blogging but good enough, the interesting stories about the clients’ businesses and social lives still appear on the website for you to read and fund if possible.
Once again, I would like to commend all the fans of Kiva for the wonderful job of supporting and in turn spreading the word.
During my previous visits to the women and men...
Continue Reading >>By JD Bergeron, Kiva Fellows Program Director
Perhaps a few of you noticed in the sidebar to the right that Kiva Stories from the Field recently passed 250,000 views. Started in summer 2007, the blog was intended to promote the work of Kiva Fellows in the field and to provide a view into the daily lives of these incredible, generous people doing their part to promote Kiva’s mission of connecting individuals through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.
This blog has seemingly inspired a number of other social enterprise blogs and Kiva is quite...
Continue Reading >>I have always wanted to write something about our transport system and the huddles involved for one to get to work early and let it be printed in the papers but again part of my mind said why not for us here! Eeh before I forget, taxi are the matatus we use here in Uganda, while ‘Maaso awo’ means find the next stage for me to get off.
As a Kiva Coordinator, Pearl Microfinance, the work I do involves a lot of movements with so many hardships, but if all this is to be added on to the messy taxis, traffic jams and the rude taxi operators especially the conductors, then my day will be...
Continue Reading >>For the alleviation of poverty in Uganda, Microfinance Institutions are in the pilot seat by providing micro loans to the poor. The areas of operation depend on an Institution’s Vision and Mission, and like at Pearl Microfinance, financial services are provided to the economically active population of Uganda sustainably.
MFIs’ operations can not go on without the recognition of credit officers, a position that requires a lot of dedication, hard work and trust. The credit staff should have good people skills for if not, institutions would lack who to lend the money to or worse still...
Continue Reading >>This is a blog from Grace Natoolo, the Kiva Coordinator at PEARL Microfinance, as part of an occasional series on reflections from the field. Grace worked most recently with KF6 Bill Brick to continue to grow PEARL’s partnership with Kiva:
WORKING WITH A KIVA FELLOW
Working as a Kiva coordinator for a Microfinance Institution is an interesting and fulfilling obligation especially for one that has the interest and capacity to do so. In most cases we get the chance to do what we are supposed to do, interact with clients, take photos, write stories, and make these...
Continue Reading >>A week ago, Regina Jose, Hluvuku’s client in Mozambique, received a brand new wheelchair to replace her broken one!!! KivaFriends donated it, and with the help of many people it was bought, transported from South Africa to Mozambique and delivered to her!!
Regina was so happy with her new wheelchair that she even cried! Now she will be able to resume her activities and will go to church on Sundays, something she described as her favorite activity. As I wrote in my last blog, it took just over one month since my first journal about Regina to get all this done. One of Regina’s lenders...
Continue Reading >>Here’s an update from Kiva Partner Development Specialist, Daniel Kahn, about his visit to Nicaraguan field partner Asociación de Desarrollo y Promoción Humana de la Costa Atlántica (ADEPHCA)
http://kivanews.blogspot.com/2008/07/getting-to-know-our-field-partners_08.html
To see loans currently fundraising from ADEPHCA on Kiva.org, please click here.
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