Fellows Blog

Stories from the field

Stories tagged with Ecuador

Dec 12, 2016 EC Ecuador
Destruction in Chamanga, Manabi, Ecuador October 12, 2016


On April 16, 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake destroyed much of Manabí, Ecuador. The death toll was more than 600, with nearly 13,000 injured. Additionally, more than 26,000 people were forced into shelters or tent communities after losing their homes. But only weeks after the devastating disaster, Fundación ESPOIR had already sprung into action.



The newly homeless were sheltered in tents donated by the Chinese government... Continue Reading >>
Dec 12, 2015 EC Ecuador
Nestled in the northern city of Ibarra, a new Kiva partner, CACMU (Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Unidas), offers an impressive line of products to the community. The result of 3 organizations coming together 14 years ago, CACMU now offers financial services all over northern Ecuador.

I recently joined CACMU in Ibarra, and have witnessed firsthand their dedication to their social mission. To reach clients in impoverished, rural communities, they created a “servimovil” roving branch office, which visits a different town each day. For borrowers who have poor credit, they... Continue Reading >>
Nov 11, 2015 EC Ecuador
San José de Chimbo, my Ecuador Mountain Home

The sun comes on strong.  At 6:30, when my alarm sounds, it's still pale and grey outside, but by 7:30, when I get out of the shower, I have to draw the drapes lest my little third-floor hotel room overheat.  The heavy yellow fabric turns the room golden while I dress.  Dance music fills the building as the receptionist begins cleaning.  I leave my key, bid her good day, and walk downstairs to the street, past the taxi drivers' union and the... Continue Reading >>
Feb 2, 2015 EC Ecuador
Are guinea pigs better served as pets or meals?  This is one question I never thought I would have the opportunity to answer.  

It was a sunny Tuesday here in Ecuador and the loan officers and I were headed to go meet with a Kiva borrower to discuss how her business of raising chickens was doing.  Along the way, my stomach began to growl.  I expressed to the loan officers that I was hungry and they asked me what I wanted to eat.  I told them that I wanted to try more of the local food in Ecuador.  They immediately smiled and said had the same idea -... Continue Reading >>
Dec 12, 2013 GO Global Update

For much of the world, food is fuel.  But far more than mere sustenance, food draws us together. It slows our pace and brightens each day.  Calling upon all five senses, cusine...

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Nov 11, 2013 EC Ecuador
In the United States, during these months a traditional holiday meal usually includes a roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, salad, and lots of dessert. For the US holiday of Thanksgiving, this menu is so traditional that many do not even consider being able to fully celebrate Thanksgiving unless there is turkey involved. As most countries have their traditional holiday meals, right now in Ecuador many areas preparing for their traditional feast as the December holidays are right around the corner. Instead of fattening up turkeys like in the US, many small farmers in Ecuador are... Continue Reading >>
Nov 11, 2013 EC Ecuador
Many of the Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs) that Kiva partners with include poverty alleviation in their mission statements. To fulfill this mission, many MFIs realize that administering micro-loans needs to be combined with other supplemental support activities to be able to sustainably bring people out of poverty. Some services that MFIs offer can range from financial management courses, community development projects, business planning for new entrepreneurs, health insurance packages for entire families, just to name a few. They understand that the roots of poverty are much more than... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013 EC Ecuador

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with a grandmother named Angelita.  She has been using micro-finance for the last 15 years.   I thought she would have some interesting things to say about micro finance.
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Apr 4, 2012 KH Cambodia

Compiled by Allison Moomey | KF16 & KF17 | Bénin

Kiva fellows enjoy some time off during springtime holidays. Kiyomi enjoys a Semana Santa beach vacation in Mexico.

Springtime has arrived and fellows around the world are celebrating the resfreshing new life springing from the ground. From millions of tulips in Turkey to smelling family members and friends in Mongolia, fellows have been busy embracing the unique cultures of their host countries. Join Isabel...

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Mar 3, 2012 BJ Benin, DO Dominican Republic, EC Ecuador, LR Liberia, WS Samoa

Chris Paci | KF16 & KF17 | Azerbaijan

The fellows of KF17 have jumped into their Kiva work with both feet, visiting borrowers and meeting their new coworkers at their host field partners. (Photo of a Béninois borrower by Allison Moomey, Benin)

It’s the beginning of March, and by now, most of KF17 has been out in the field for several weeks. We’ve settled in at our field partners, gotten to know some of our new coworkers, and started to dig a...

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