Based on its long-standing positive reputation countrywide, FUNDAPEC has partnered with nearly every university in the DR, enabling students to attend school wherever they want, from agricultural La Vega to the hectic capital, Santo Domingo.... Continue Reading >>
Stories tagged with Dominican Republic
Based on its long-standing positive reputation countrywide, FUNDAPEC has partnered with nearly every university in the DR, enabling students to attend school wherever they want, from agricultural La Vega to the hectic capital, Santo Domingo.... Continue Reading >>
After a couple of months in the capital of Santo Domingo, I headed to La Romana to visit a more rural branch office of Esperanza, one of Kiva’s partners in the Dominican Republic. For a little less than two weeks, I worked with the exceptionally welcoming La Romana staff to conduct a Borrower Verification (BV), an audit to ensure that Kiva partners administer your loans with the highest integrity.
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The big avocado tree marked the beginning of the small property and the little pig tied at the bottom, circled it left and right like a restless guard. Juana opened the big... Continue Reading >>
by Rose Larsen | KF20 | Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic may be a small island nation in the Caribbean, but it has a quickly growing economy based on a shift from exports of sugar, coffee and tobacco to services like telecommunications and tourism.
However, according to a study done by the OECD in 2012, this economic growth has been limited by deficits in human capital – more specifically, the education levels of workers are insufficient.
This problem stems from the low quality of primary and secondary...
Continue Reading >>by Rose Larsen | KF20 | Dominican Republic
One of my first tasks upon arriving in the Dominican Republic was to visit 10 borrowers, chosen at random from all of the borrowers with ASPIRE (Kiva’s partner MFI), to verify data and find out how they are doing on their loan. This was an exciting but challenging introduction to daily Dominican life, as I navigated Santo Domingo and the surrounding areas via shared taxis, public buses, motorcycles, the metro and my own feet. I traversed bustling neighborhoods in the center of Santo Domingo, small towns in...
Continue Reading >>Ah yes, the chicken bus. Aptly-named for the high number of chickens that utilize its services, whether in a cage, with a string tied around their legs or simply held tightly by their caretakers. Chicken buses (or camionetas, at least here in Guatemala) are the primary form of inter-city transport throughout Central America.
Generally obsessed with public transportation both as a hobby and a necessity (Kiva Fellows really get around), I decided to write a follow-up to the post I published during my last Fellowship about public transportation in Santo Domingo...
Continue Reading >>Compiled by David Gorgani | KF17 | Dominican Republic
The KF17 Fellows are heading home. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, many of KF17′s Fellows have already ended their service and many more will be ending theirs within the next few days. Through retrospective contemplation on what we have and haven’t accomplished in the past four months, through appreciation for what we have...
Continue Reading >>David Gorgani | KF17 | Dominican Republic
Today marks the 51st anniversary of the assassination of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, the strong-handed dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. Otherwise known as El Jefe (the boss), El Benefactor, El Chivo (the goat) and La Chapita (bottle cap), Trujillo was known for his deep egocentrism. Here are some examples of Generalissimo Trujillo’s... Continue Reading >>Compiled by Michael Slattery | KF17 | Togo
Despite the often upbeat tone of fellows’ posting on the blog, I’ll be the first to admit that the position entails some universal hardships. There is the occasional social isolation that leaves you Saturday night at home with a book and bottle of the local plonk, despite apparently leading a life of swinging exoticism and sun-drenched adventure. There’s is a lot of driving around, waiting, driving some more, and then getting told some tall tales by people who look at you like you’re definitely one of those foreign imbeciles that...
Continue Reading >>Compiled by Allison Moomey | KF16 & KF17 | Bénin
Now there comes a time in every Kiva fellow’s life when… he or she begins contemplating, analyzing, and trying to make sense of the past few months’ experiences. We’ve learned how to navigate busy streets, seen joyful faces, and witnessed...
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