What a journey it has been. On Aug 24 I flew to SF with such anticipation and determination for a life changing experience. I wasn’t disappointed. SF was a week of total emersion in Kiva. It was inspiring to be among such an amazing group of younger people with a passion for alleviating poverty in the world. The average age of a Kiva Fellow at that point was 29. With youth and limited funds they couch surfed, stayed in hostels, mooched off of friends. My hotel was well below the standard Kathleen and I have become accustomed to. I was determined to immerse myself in the...
Continue Reading >>Ron grew up in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province on the east coast. He graduated from Dentistry at Dalhousie University in Halifax and practiced for 25 years in Richmond, BC, on the west coast. Through the school of hard knocks he learned the importance of good business management and financial planning. That motivated him to learn more about these subjects. He took management seminars and received a certificate in financial planning from the Canadian Institute of Financial Planning. He retired from dentistry and started a consulting business helping individuals and small business owners with money management and financial planning. From 1999 to 2012 he was a director of a company (CDSPI) which provides financial solutions for dentists across Canada. He organizes and mentors a financial planning study group for people in his own community of Delta, B.C. Ron’s goal with this group and his clients is to empower them to be more financially responsible. This dovetails perfectly with Kiva’s mission to help people pull themselves up by their own boot straps. The Kiva fellowship is a great opportunity to apply this philosophy using his experience.
Fellows Blog Posts by Ron Beaton
Nov 8, 2013
Global Update
Anin could be a typical 24 year old in Canada. She is working at a job totally unrelated to her university degree in Agroforestry. Moving to Kalimantan or Sumatra where the jobs are is not an option for her partly because her parents want her to stay on Java. The thing she likes about PT Ruma where she works is its mission and believes it is making a social impact in the villages of West Jakarta. Like so many Indonesians I have met, they love their country and want to make it a better place. So for now, she is finding purpose in her work. Anin accompanied me for some of the Borrower... Continue Reading >>
Anin could be a typical 24 year old in Canada. She is working at a job totally unrelated to her university degree in Agroforestry. Moving to Kalimantan or Sumatra where the jobs are is not an option for her partly because her parents want her to stay on Java. The thing she likes about PT Ruma where she works is its mission and believes it is making a social impact in the villages of West Jakarta. Like so many Indonesians I have met, they love their country and want to make it a better place. So for now, she is finding purpose in her work. Anin accompanied me for some of the Borrower... Continue Reading >>
Oct 19, 2013
Indonesia
We can all remember an incident in our lives that resulted in a significant, unexpected change of direction. Maybe it was meeting your spouse, maybe a temporary or summer job which opened your eyes to a career you never thought of for you. For me it was taking a course in my senior year with students in first year dentistry, a career I never considered. What I learned from them led me to apply and the rest is history. Sartoyo’s parents are farmers and live in a small village west of Cilacap. They wanted their youngest son to have an education with the hope of a better... Continue Reading >>
We can all remember an incident in our lives that resulted in a significant, unexpected change of direction. Maybe it was meeting your spouse, maybe a temporary or summer job which opened your eyes to a career you never thought of for you. For me it was taking a course in my senior year with students in first year dentistry, a career I never considered. What I learned from them led me to apply and the rest is history. Sartoyo’s parents are farmers and live in a small village west of Cilacap. They wanted their youngest son to have an education with the hope of a better... Continue Reading >>
Sep 27, 2013
REDUCING POVERTY BY CREATING OPPORTUNITY As part of my original application to become a Kiva Fellow I wrote in my motivation statement the following. “As a volunteer, I would look forward to working in the front lines, directly with the people whom Kiva wants to help. It would provide an opportunity for me to have a positive impact face to face rather than making loans in front of a computer.” This week that wish came true. I will share with you three stories from our field visits. Continue Reading >>
REDUCING POVERTY BY CREATING OPPORTUNITY As part of my original application to become a Kiva Fellow I wrote in my motivation statement the following. “As a volunteer, I would look forward to working in the front lines, directly with the people whom Kiva wants to help. It would provide an opportunity for me to have a positive impact face to face rather than making loans in front of a computer.” This week that wish came true. I will share with you three stories from our field visits. Continue Reading >>