India | Kiva

Stories tagged with India

May 5, 2013 Azerbaijan, Chile, Guatemala, Kenya

Kiva works with over 193 Field Partners in 68 different countries. As Kiva Fellows, we have the privilege of working directly with these partners in their offices. You can bet that the definition of "office" ranges pretty wildly across the globe, from cubicle hell to patios with mountain views. We wanted to open the door (no pun intended) to our offices and work lives to show you what they are like--the good, the bad, and the "that's interesting".

Why... Continue Reading >

Apr 4, 2013 India

If you can't beat 'em....

This past weekend I celebrated Holi for the first time. Holi is known the world around as the Festival of Color for the rainbow of powders that can be seen on every person who sets foot outside their homes during the holiday.

Leading up to Holi, I’ll admit I was pretty excited. It would be nice to see Imphal go a little crazy. I would ask my colleagues at WSDS what I should expect to see, imagining pure mayhem in a typically... Continue Reading >

Mar 3, 2013 India

Ima Market is a noteworthy fixture in the city of Imphal. Located mere meters from Kangla Palace, the most noteworthy historical site in the city, it’s the hub of basically all commodity trade in Manipur. Walking or driving toward it is actually fairly difficult, as it attracts so many customers that the area surrounding it becomes congested at any time of day with rickshaws, autorickshaws, cars, mopeds, and pedestrians all competing for road space.

The marketplace is lauded as the largest... Continue Reading >

Dec 12, 2012 India

Kiva’s Investment in Non-Traditional Loan Products By Irene Fung

By Irene Fung | KF19 | India

Water and Sanitation may not be the first issue that people associate with Kiva. Entrepreneurs scoop up most of the headlines in micro-finance, but when it comes to alleviating poverty, other less publicized loan products are equally important. In fact, Kiva is committed to increasing peoples’ access to financial services to facilitate the development of water and sanitation, a key development challenge.

India has felt this challenge acutely with 67% of the rural households lacking any access to sanitation facilities. In Odisha, India...

Nov 11, 2012 India

Chai Breaks in Odisha & Manipur (Part II) By Eileen Flannigan

By Eileen Flannigan | KF19 | India

Eileen and Irene are both fellows in India. Eileen is living in Imphal, Manipur and Irene is in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. While in conversations with one another, we have been struck by how different the cities are. We’ve compiled these observations to share with you our experiences of the rich and diverse culture of India. Eileen’s profiled in Part 2 below, while Irene is featured in Part 1.

Relax, get comfy with a cup of chai...

Nov 11, 2012 India

Chai Breaks in Odisha & Manipur (Part I) By Irene Fung

By Irene Fung | KF19 | India

Eileen and Irene are both fellows in India. Eileen is living in Imphal, Manipur and Irene is in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. While in conversations with one another, we have been struck by how different the cities are. We’ve compiled these observations to share with you our experiences of the rich and diverse culture of India. In Part I, we start with Irene in Odisha and continue with Eileen in Part 2.

Top 3 things that you always notice while roaming your neighborhood.

1. Inner City Cows. As people familiar with India...

Aug 8, 2012 India

Is Microfinance a boon or bane..? My learnings from the field By Suneetha Kanchustambham

I always wondered how far microcredit actually helped alleviate the lives of the poor especially after the SKS Microfinance crisis in Andhra Pradesh. There has been a lot of criticism that this industry was full of profit motivated rather than socially focused players. So, I always wanted to understand what would make micro finance perform stronger socially.The reason I say my fellowship was rewarding is because I had all these questions answered through my eyes and ears in the process of being Kiva’s Eyes and Ears on field.

Two weeks back I was juggling between profile...