A borrower in Iraq. We obscure the identities of many of our borrowers in conflict zones for their protection. Few people question the morality of micro-lending. But when it comes to making loans to borrowers in conflict zones, my first question is, "Is it moral?" More on this later. First, I think it's important for people to understand the realities of conflict zones. What is war? Aside from violence and destruction (which has a lengthy history of thought and regulation), war is defined by Clausewitz as “just an extension of...
Continue Reading >>Leo Della-Moretta is a former Captain in the US Army where he served as an Infantry and Logistics Corps officer. He has lived in 10 countries on four continents, speaks Spanish fluently, an adequate amount of Italian, and basic French with a horrible accent. Leo attended college at the University of Kansas where he studied Political Science and International Studies. Upon graduation he entered the US Army and is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has served as a peacekeeper with the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai, Egypt. In between his trips to the Middle East Leo lived in Europe where he grew to love smelly cheese and developed an aversion to ice in his drinks. He is interested to see how Kiva's capital distribution system can improve the economic security of people around the world and is particularly interested to see it's positive effects on women's empowerment. He will be attending an MBA program in Europe in the fall of 2013.
Fellows Blog Posts by Leo Della-Moretta
Jun 6, 2013
Global Update
Kiva Fellow and author Leo Della-Moretta in his former life. As a combat veteran, volunteering for Kiva in Ecuador is a dramatic shift from my previous professional experience. The driving factor for me to volunteer is the desire to help build something. All soldiers work and fight to protect their nations, their families, and their friends, but the reality is that we often do so by destroying people and things. In contrast, Kiva is an institution that is enabling people around the world to build their communities and improve their lives. It's also believed to...
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Apr 5, 2013
Global Update
My favorite magazine in the world is Esquire magazine, primarily for the interviews that they publish. When I learned that Bob Harris was publishing a book on his experiences in micro-finance called “The International Bank of Bob,” I saw my chance. The challenges to getting a coherent interview to take place were many. 1: As much of a fan as I was of the “Esquire” style interviews, I am just that, a fan and not a journalist. 2: Trying to... Continue Reading >>
Mar 9, 2013
Ecuador
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with a grandmother named Angelita. She has been using micro-finance for the last 15 years. I thought she would have some interesting things to say about micro finance. Continue Reading >>
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with a grandmother named Angelita. She has been using micro-finance for the last 15 years. I thought she would have some interesting things to say about micro finance. Continue Reading >>
Feb 19, 2013
Ecuador
One of the little known facts about micro finance is that it is heavily dependent upon information technology. Even though loan sizes are small the amount of transactions necessary to properly account for all of the transactions can, in the aggregate, easily exceed a million transactions a year for a given institution. Recently I had the opportunity to work with Ivonne Balsecca.
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