Fellows Blog

Stories from the field

Stories tagged with Peru

Dec 12, 2009 PE Peru

By Sheethal Shobowale, KF9, Peru

Counterfeit money is a very serious topic in Peru.  There is so much false money floating around that it is extremely possible that at some point or another, you will try to buy some fruit from the woman selling fruit on the corner and she will return your bill or coin exclaiming, “falso!” (false!)

This has happened to several of my friends during my time in Cusco.   One friend tried to pay for our salsa class with a 5 soles coin.  Then someone else paid with a larger bill and got his coin...

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Dec 12, 2009 BO Bolivia

By Suzy Marinkovich, KF9

“Coca is green, not white like cocaine.”  – Evo Morales

The Chapare, the Yungas, the DEA, USAID, cocaine, drug trafficking, alternative crops, forced eradication, Evo Morales.

These are the buzz words constantly attached to Bolivian articles on the both domestic and foreign-aided drug war against cocaine production.  While tough to get the facts on cocaine production by country, suffice it to say Bolivia is one of the world’s biggest cocaine producers along with the likes of Peru and Colombia.  To put it in perspective, Bolivian...

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Dec 12, 2009 PE Peru

By Sheethal Shobowale, KF9, Peru

I had the pleasure of attending Asociación Arariwa’s 25th anniversary celebrations. In true Peruvian form, the celebrating lasted two weeks with lots of fanfare – a parade, music, dancing, eating and of course, Cusqueña (Peruvian beer) and sweet Peruvian wine.

Just for some background on the organization, there are three divisions of Asociación Arariwa -

  • ARARIWA PROMOCIÓN – Whose mission is to support rural development, strengthen production systems, fortify...
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Nov 11, 2009 PE Peru

By Josh Wilcox, KF9 Peru

While Kiva Fellows work diligently with their host microfinance institutions to implement the Kiva processes, verify borrowers, and write insightful journals on the impacts of the loans, it is easy to miss the other behind-the-scenes projects that microfinance organizations are crafting in their lair.

Those of us from the developed world often do not realize that we are not the only ones brainstorming and designing how microfinance will evolve, determining...

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Nov 11, 2009 PE Peru

By Bryan Goldfinger, KF9, Peru

Throughout my “roaming” fellowship, I’ve had a lot of time to think; hours-long bus rides, walks, taxi trips, plane rides, time alone, time surrounded by others but when I felt alone, time spent just waiting, you get the idea. One theme that seems to consistently find its way into my thoughts is movement.

Being dubbed a “roamer,” movement is somewhat inherent in my role. Each new week promises a new microfinance institution (MFI) branch and most likely a new city. Each day promises the visit to new borrowers...

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Nov 11, 2009 PE Peru

Suzy Marinkovich, KF8 Peru & KF9 Bolivia

One of the most exciting things about being a Kiva Fellow is the opportunity to tell the untold stories of those so remote, so rural, and so ignored by the media.  When there are six billion humans sprinkled across the world, the media has the unenviable task of picking and choosing stories that deserve local, national, or even global attention.  As a result, we hear about unimaginable tragedies plaguing certain parts of the world — and often only the most painful and shocking stories are...

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Nov 11, 2009 PE Peru

By Josh Wilcox, KF9 Peru

Taking a brief recess from borrower profiles and repayment schedules at Kiva’s MFI pilot partner Caja Rural one weekend in Ica, Peru, I escaped to visit the small town of Huacachina, the “oasis of America”, located just a few miles outside the sandy metropolitan hub of Ica. Having become famous for its natural lake enclosed by sand dunes, the tiny city of about 115 people has become an immensely popular tourist destination not only for its aesthetic appearance but also the sandboarding and dune buggies.

For those unfamiliar, sandboarding is...

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Oct 10, 2009 PE Peru

By Sheethal Shobowale, KF9, Peru

In Cusco, Peru, Halloween is celebrated in full force.  It kinda feels like home (side note: home for me is Brooklyn, New York).  Back in New York, I usually put some pumpkins on my stoop and make some curried pumpkin soup. This year, Cynthia McMurry (Kiva’s Field Support Specialist in South America) and I are going to carve a zapallo and make some soup.  So it will feel like home!

Here are some photos from Halloween in Cusco -

I’ll add more over the weekend when I see people dressed up and out trick ‘o...

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Oct 10, 2009 BO Bolivia

By Suzy Marinkovich, KF 8/9

As you may have seen, over the past couple of months Kiva has seen its first loans expire on the site.  Currently, I am in my eighth week of working with a brand-new Kiva partner, CIDRE, an MFI specializing in agriculture and livestock loans in Bolivia.  I mention this because I’ve noticed a significant portion of the loans that have expired or are close to expiration are from MFIs in Bolivia. I realize my opinion is skewed by having spent only a handful of days at Kiva headquarters followed by 5 months at two Kiva partners in South America.  As...

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Oct 10, 2009 PE Peru

By Shereef Zaki, KF9, Perú

Cultural issues surrounding privacy can be one of Kiva’s biggest challenges regarding implementation in the field. Not everyone wants their photo publicized and many hold suspicions when it comes time to sign a waiver. But I think the biggest challenge for Kiva is far more prosaic. The act of getting to a borrower can be an ordeal in and of itself, and things just got more ‘adventurous’ at my MFI.

EDPYME Alternativa has created a new loan product – called Capital Semilla or Seed Capital – destined specifically for clients who will become...

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