blogsherpa | Kiva

Stories tagged with blogsherpa

Jun 6, 2013 Chile

A Kiva borrower in Talca, Chile

These days, Silicon Valley culture can be found many miles south of northern California. The fever around innovative startups has crossed the border, spreading to nearly every country in the Americas.

From Rio de Janeiro to Bogota, Latin American cities are trying to generate that startup environment that’s proven so effective at reinvigorating the business market and attracting foreign investors.

One of the first cities, with arguably the most interesting and innovative program so far,... Continue Reading >

May 5, 2013 Mongolia

What Green Means in Mongolia By Jane Imai

a massive silver statue of Chinggis Khan looms 40m high on a snowy spring morning at Tsonjin Boldog, east of UB

Spring may have arrived in Mongolia, but for two Kiva staff who visited me in April, winter gave one last hurrah and dumped the largest snowfall I’ve seen since being here (a whopping 2 inches!).

If you’ve had a chance to read some of my past blog posts, you’ll already know that winter in Mongolia is a big deal—even for a Canuck like me....

May 5, 2013 Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Global Update, Guatemala

We've collected a few of our favorite (and cutest) photos of mothers, grandmothers and their children from the circle of Kiva borrowers around the world.

We hope that you make a this a special day to remember your mothers and any other women who cared for you like a mother!

P.S. A Kiva Card makes a great last-minute gift!

Mother and daughter CAURIE borrowers,...

Apr 4, 2013 United States

A Kiva Zip Entrepreneur in Chicago By Abhishesh Adhikari

By: Abhishesh Adhikari

One of the best parts about my Kiva Fellowship has been the opportunity I get to meet and interact with entrepreneurs. During the 4 months that I spent in Kyrgyzstan, I helped Bai Tushum (Kiva’s partner MFI) launch a new Startup Loan Product and met a wide variety of entrepreneurs all across that country. After I got back from Kyrgyzstan in January, I have been working on a new Kiva project called Kiva Zip, trying to expand it here in Chicago.

Kiva Zip is a new initiative to make interest-free, small business loans to entrepreneurs in...

Apr 4, 2013 Mongolia

Of Baby Animals and Borrowers in Selenge By Jane Imai

Spring has arrived in Mongolia! That means warmer weather (afternoons creeping closer and closer to the double digits)… and, of course, baby animals!

I had the opportunity to travel to Selenge ...

Apr 4, 2013 Dominican Republic

What I Learned from Borrower Visits: 4 Dominican Experiences By Rose Larsen

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...

Apr 4, 2013 Global Update

In early February, I interviewed female borrowers in rural Guatemala. Fresh in the field, I was intimidated by seasoned farmers, leathered hands, and weathered grins. My pleated khakis seemed out of place. We bounced through conversation enjoying the novelty of unfamiliar company.

... Continue Reading >

Apr 4, 2013 Indonesia, Timor-Leste

Usually when I've been in places that I declare to be "artificial" I am thinking of a Disney theme, or a place like Cabo San Lucas or Cancun - southern California or Florida transported to Mexico - a place which bears little resemblance to what it would be like if it weren't for the tourist dollars it was created to attract. Of course, Las Vegas is the archetype for turning a desert into a sweet water oasis, of sorts.

The Jesus statue from the hills above Dili.

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Apr 4, 2013 Chile

49 years ago marks the anniversary of the original 9/11, when in 1973 the widely supported nationalist regime of Chilean President, Salvador Allende was overthrown by militant leader Augusto Pinochet.

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Apr 4, 2013 Global Update

Bob in Cambodia

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... Continue Reading >

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