Rwanda | Kiva

Stories tagged with Rwanda

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 Global Update

The view on sub-Saharan Africa is changing. No longer do stories of tribal wars, starving children and endemic diseases dominate the updates from the region. A new, more hopeful and optimistic picture is emerging; a reality of solid GDP-growth, more widely practiced reasonably free and fair elections, and a wealth of natural resources that range from oil and gas to diamonds and rare minerals.

Mar 3, 2013 Rwanda

A result of entrepreneurial success - a cow like this is worth $800

In a post-conflict country like Rwanda, the level of innovation and entrepreneurship, especially amongst women, continues to amaze me. Urwego Opportunity International has more than 50% female borrowers. Many women, post-genocide, embarked on the entrepreneurial route as a way of supporting their families and move towards a more prosperous future. I am curious to hear their stories, and how their lives have improved as a... Continue Reading >

Mar 3, 2013 Global Update, Rwanda

The latest buzzwords in development nowadays seem to revolve around impact evaluation. Donors and lenders have become more concerned with how their money is being spent. And rightfully so: waste and bureaucracy have forced the development community to take a look in the mirror and rethink how they spend their precious dollars.

Billions of dollars are poured into development each year, and much of it goes to the periphery. My private school education in Ghana and Egypt, for example, was courtesy of American taxpayers funding agricultural development projects that... Continue Reading >

Feb 2, 2013 Global Update

Kiva Fellow ready to explore the world!

When I write this, I have just arrived in my new hometown for the next four months, Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Slowly I am getting used to being in one place for more than two consecutive weeks after having spent the past few months travelling over three continents to twelve countries with... Continue Reading >

Feb 2, 2013 Rwanda

Kigali's Weather and Climate: Not as dull as you'd think! By Mario Ariza

Kigali is in the mountains. Way up in the mountains. As high as Denver, Colorado even. But without any of the flat plains - except for the slim valleys snaking between the hills where there aren’t any houses presumably because of the looming threat of flooding.

Car engines roar as they try to make it up some of the hills. Only the most skilled manual transmission drivers can make it 50 Kigali-miles without stalling out. Even automatic transmission cars tend to stall on hills like these. At first, I wondered to myself why this... Continue Reading >

Feb 2, 2013 Rwanda

Rwanda – how it became such an inspiring act of modern rebirth By Louise Rönnerdahl

On the plane to Kigali for my Kiva Fellowship at Urwego Opportunity International, I realise that my knowledge of Rwanda, the country of a thousand hills, is limited to the famous mountain gorillas and the tragic history of genocide in 1994.

I have little idea of what the people and the country will be like. Wary of the fact that everyone over 19 years old must have a significant story, I approach the city and its people with cautious optimism. I should not have been worried. Everywhere I go, gracious, smiling and incredibly polite people...