Kiva HQ
April 14, 2021
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva Coordinators Nargiza Rajabova and Fazilat Beknazarova, who are currently based in Tajikistan and work with Micro Deposit Organization (MDO) Humo. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role within Humo.
Nargiza Rajabova: I have been...
Kiva HQ
April 1, 2021
The joy of laughter unites the world, so it makes sense that there’s a day dedicated to tricks and pranks on all seven continents! Not every culture celebrates a good practical joke on April 1st, but you might be surprised at just how many do...
Today, give someone a good surprise. Read about the traditions around the world, then surprise a borrower by funding their Kiva loan!
...
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
September 2, 2020
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva Coordinator Horton Caguingin, who is currently based in the Philippines and is working with our Field Partner Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc (ASKI). Established in 1986, ASKI is a non-profit dedicated to promoting and developing “micro and small-to-medium enterprises and the delivery of social services.” Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit...
Kiva HQ
Kiki Bryant’s lending journey is an all-too-familiar tale. Like many U.S. borrowers, she was hesitant to apply for a small business loan and felt she was unqualified.
“I, like a lot of Black female creators and entrepreneurs, have a little bit of imposter syndrome,” said Kiki. “So, when I was approved, I was overjoyed. And then when I got funded in a frickin’ hour? I was like… woah.”
Kiki was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. A creative soul from a young age, she wrote and illustrated her first...
Kiva HQ
At any given moment, Kiva’s website hosts thousands of borrower profiles and loan requests from all corners of the globe. As a result, many of these profiles require translation and editing before they can be made visible to the public. This is where the Review and Translation Program (RTP) steps in.
RTP is composed of about 420 volunteers that review, translate and edit loans on a daily basis in order to see them fundraise on the Kiva site. These individuals typically review at least 16,000 loans per month. Their skills are so appreciated and in 2020...
Kiva HQ
Throughout 2020, two things became clear to us at Kiva:
2020 Results and Learnings: Our work in the U.S. is more critical than ever. Few organizations can make scalable, small-dollar loans at zero interest, zero-fee.
2021 Path Forward: We require hundreds more national and regional partnerships to deliver on the scale needed to end financial exclusion here at home.
2020 Results
...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
Meet Kiki Bryant, a Chicago-based entrepreneur who writes and illustrates children’s books. The adventurous star of her stories? Lollipop Lola, a young Black girl being raised by two LGBT+ Black women, who was inspired by Kiki’s own daughter.
“I think that there are a lot of products out there that are heavily utilized by Black users that aren’t necessarily made for us. So it feels good to be creating things that are for us, as opposed to...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
We went into 2020 with a great plan—the chessboard was laid out, and we knew our next 30 moves. Then COVID-19 hit, and every piece on the chessboard moved. With your unwavering support, we were able to pivot our plans to make a difference in this new reality.
Kiva HQ
Thank you, Kiva community, for sticking with us this year. Discover your impact, and hear from Kiva team members, in the video below!
Donate today to support...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
December 1, 2020
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva’s Protocol Product Manager Rachel Chang, who is currently based in Taiwan. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role at Kiva.
I started at Kiva back in the summer of 2014 as an intern on the Product Team. I had just graduated from UC Berkeley and was studying...
Kiva HQ
November 24, 2020
The holidays are here, and we know you want to shop small to support entrepreneurs this year. Check out this list of Kiva U.S. borrowers with shops you can buy from today!
And don’t forget that you can buy from international Kiva borrowers at the Kiva Store.
Spices from Sana — California
Chilli, pepper, cardamom… Sana’s Diaspora Co. has all the spices you need to make delicious meals this...
Kiva HQ
In partnership with the government of Sierra Leone, Kiva is on the ground building the country's first blockchain-based national identity and credit system.
Learn more at kiva.org/protocol and support our work by donating at kiva.org/donatenow today!
Kiva HQ
October 5, 2020
At any given moment, Kiva’s website hosts thousands of borrower profiles and loan requests from all corners of the globe. As a result, many of these profiles require translation and editing before they can be made visible to the public. This is where the Review and Translation Program (RTP) steps in.
RTP is composed of about 430 volunteers that review, translate and edit loans on a daily basis in order to see them fundraise on the Kiva site. These individuals typically review at least 16,000 loans...
Kiva HQ
This story comes from Lev Plaves, Kiva’s Senior Investment Manager for Refugees & Displaced Populations.
____
Lebanon is a country that has been close to my heart, personally and professionally, for over a decade. I loved my first visit in 2009 as a tourist and one of the things that excited me most about joining Kiva in 2012 was the opportunity to oversee our lending in Lebanon. Over the past eight years, I have been inspired by the work our three Field Partners are doing in the country and more than a dozen visits to Lebanon have made...
Kiva HQ
The following is an interview with Kiva Investment Manager Kendra Thorogood, who manages a portfolio in Eastern Europe and Central/Southeast Asia. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role at Kiva.
I’m currently a Kiva Senior Investment Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia...
Kiva HQ
Next week, join Black Girls Code and Kiva to learn how coding and technology are being used to help small business owners around the world! This event is open to all who register and will include a discussion panel alongside a live Q&A session.
This event will explore the intersection of tech and entrepreneurship with Black Girls Code organizers and Kiva changemakers, including Amber Gibson-Mora (VP of People and Places), Vijaya Bhandari (Senior Software Engineer), Michelle Dick (Senior Front End Software Engineer), Vy Thai (...
Kiva HQ
July 20, 2020
At any given moment, Kiva’s website hosts thousands of borrower profiles and loan requests from all corners of the globe. As a result, many of these profiles require translation and editing before they can be made visible to the public. This is where the Review and Translation Program (RTP) steps in.
RTP is composed of hundreds of volunteers that review, translate and edit loans on a daily basis in order to see them fundraise on the Kiva site. These individuals typically review at least 16,000 loans...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
The following is an interview with Kiva Labs Partnerships Manager Michelle Schenck, who manages a portfolio in Africa and the Middle East. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role at Kiva.
My career has always focused on Africa, though I initially focused on wildlife conservation and volunteered with the Jane...
Kiva HQ
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva Investment Manager Lina Ramirez, who manages Field Partners Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Since you’re based internationally, we imagine that there are many different perspectives that you can offer the Kiva community. What is your daily life in Colombia like, and how have things changed since COVID-19...
Kiva HQ
Worldwide, microfinance institutions (MFIs) serve 140 million low-income people, 80 percent of whom are women, amounting to $124 billion in credit portfolios as of 2018. While MFIs provide crucial support to those beyond the reach of traditional banks and financial institutions, these numbers under-report the impact of microcredit on the poor: non-MFIs such as cooperatives, fintechs, and pay-as-you-go businesses are also important players within the microfinance movement.
The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic downturns represent the latest threat to face...
Kiva HQ
In times of crisis, gender often becomes sidelined as a secondary concern. But as with other social, political, and economic crises of the past, the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply gendered implications.
Public health emergencies, particularly in the developing world, often disrupt gender-based violence prevention services, sexual and reproductive healthcare services, and other programs that support women and girls. Women are also more likely to be engaged in informal, low-wage, and migrant work, resulting in large and...
Kiva HQ
Today, on Juneteenth, we celebrate and recognize the end of formal slavery in the United States.
With Kiva’s core mission centered around removing systematic barriers for underserved communities, today serves as a reminder that we still have a long way to go.
We are committed to becoming an organization that reflects and respects the diversity of the local communities where we work and serve. With this in mind, we will continue to do the following:
Formalize resource groups dedicated to...
Kiva HQ
“They are free to farm now.”
Those were the succinct but thought-provoking words our driver, Eddie, uttered as we entered and passed by some of the communities living in the outlying areas of the Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
Located in southwestern Uganda, the settlement was established in 1958 and is now populated by over 100,000 people. Covering 71.3 square miles, the settlement is home to refugees of 10 different nationalities, including Congolese, Rwandan, Burundian, Somalian Ethiopian, and Eritrean individuals and families....
Kiva HQ
This week, we spoke with Neely Evanoff, the Capital Access Manager for the Kiva Hub in Salt Lake City. In our interview, Neely detailed the relationship between the International Rescue Committee and Kiva U.S. and the work they've done together.
Tell us about how Kiva U.S. became connected with the IRC!
We partnered with the IRC to teach business classes to refugee women at the IRC’s microenterprise program and developed a relationship with their staff.
IRC...
Kiva HQ
April 14, 2021
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva Coordinators Nargiza Rajabova and Fazilat Beknazarova, who are currently based in Tajikistan and work with Micro Deposit Organization (MDO) Humo. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role within Humo.
Nargiza Rajabova: I have been...
Kiva HQ
April 1, 2021
The joy of laughter unites the world, so it makes sense that there’s a day dedicated to tricks and pranks on all seven continents! Not every culture celebrates a good practical joke on April 1st, but you might be surprised at just how many do...
Today, give someone a good surprise. Read about the traditions around the world, then surprise a borrower by funding their Kiva loan!
...
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
September 2, 2020
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva Coordinator Horton Caguingin, who is currently based in the Philippines and is working with our Field Partner Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc (ASKI). Established in 1986, ASKI is a non-profit dedicated to promoting and developing “micro and small-to-medium enterprises and the delivery of social services.” Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit...
Kiva HQ
Kiki Bryant’s lending journey is an all-too-familiar tale. Like many U.S. borrowers, she was hesitant to apply for a small business loan and felt she was unqualified.
“I, like a lot of Black female creators and entrepreneurs, have a little bit of imposter syndrome,” said Kiki. “So, when I was approved, I was overjoyed. And then when I got funded in a frickin’ hour? I was like… woah.”
Kiki was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. A creative soul from a young age, she wrote and illustrated her first...
Kiva HQ
At any given moment, Kiva’s website hosts thousands of borrower profiles and loan requests from all corners of the globe. As a result, many of these profiles require translation and editing before they can be made visible to the public. This is where the Review and Translation Program (RTP) steps in.
RTP is composed of about 420 volunteers that review, translate and edit loans on a daily basis in order to see them fundraise on the Kiva site. These individuals typically review at least 16,000 loans per month. Their skills are so appreciated and in 2020...
Kiva HQ
Throughout 2020, two things became clear to us at Kiva:
2020 Results and Learnings: Our work in the U.S. is more critical than ever. Few organizations can make scalable, small-dollar loans at zero interest, zero-fee.
2021 Path Forward: We require hundreds more national and regional partnerships to deliver on the scale needed to end financial exclusion here at home.
2020 Results
...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
Meet Kiki Bryant, a Chicago-based entrepreneur who writes and illustrates children’s books. The adventurous star of her stories? Lollipop Lola, a young Black girl being raised by two LGBT+ Black women, who was inspired by Kiki’s own daughter.
“I think that there are a lot of products out there that are heavily utilized by Black users that aren’t necessarily made for us. So it feels good to be creating things that are for us, as opposed to...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
We went into 2020 with a great plan—the chessboard was laid out, and we knew our next 30 moves. Then COVID-19 hit, and every piece on the chessboard moved. With your unwavering support, we were able to pivot our plans to make a difference in this new reality.
Kiva HQ
Thank you, Kiva community, for sticking with us this year. Discover your impact, and hear from Kiva team members, in the video below!
Donate today to support...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
December 1, 2020
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva’s Protocol Product Manager Rachel Chang, who is currently based in Taiwan. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role at Kiva.
I started at Kiva back in the summer of 2014 as an intern on the Product Team. I had just graduated from UC Berkeley and was studying...
Kiva HQ
November 24, 2020
The holidays are here, and we know you want to shop small to support entrepreneurs this year. Check out this list of Kiva U.S. borrowers with shops you can buy from today!
And don’t forget that you can buy from international Kiva borrowers at the Kiva Store.
Spices from Sana — California
Chilli, pepper, cardamom… Sana’s Diaspora Co. has all the spices you need to make delicious meals this...
Kiva HQ
In partnership with the government of Sierra Leone, Kiva is on the ground building the country's first blockchain-based national identity and credit system.
Learn more at kiva.org/protocol and support our work by donating at kiva.org/donatenow today!
Kiva HQ
October 5, 2020
At any given moment, Kiva’s website hosts thousands of borrower profiles and loan requests from all corners of the globe. As a result, many of these profiles require translation and editing before they can be made visible to the public. This is where the Review and Translation Program (RTP) steps in.
RTP is composed of about 430 volunteers that review, translate and edit loans on a daily basis in order to see them fundraise on the Kiva site. These individuals typically review at least 16,000 loans...
Kiva HQ
This story comes from Lev Plaves, Kiva’s Senior Investment Manager for Refugees & Displaced Populations.
____
Lebanon is a country that has been close to my heart, personally and professionally, for over a decade. I loved my first visit in 2009 as a tourist and one of the things that excited me most about joining Kiva in 2012 was the opportunity to oversee our lending in Lebanon. Over the past eight years, I have been inspired by the work our three Field Partners are doing in the country and more than a dozen visits to Lebanon have made...
Kiva HQ
The following is an interview with Kiva Investment Manager Kendra Thorogood, who manages a portfolio in Eastern Europe and Central/Southeast Asia. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role at Kiva.
I’m currently a Kiva Senior Investment Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia...
Kiva HQ
Next week, join Black Girls Code and Kiva to learn how coding and technology are being used to help small business owners around the world! This event is open to all who register and will include a discussion panel alongside a live Q&A session.
This event will explore the intersection of tech and entrepreneurship with Black Girls Code organizers and Kiva changemakers, including Amber Gibson-Mora (VP of People and Places), Vijaya Bhandari (Senior Software Engineer), Michelle Dick (Senior Front End Software Engineer), Vy Thai (...
Kiva HQ
July 20, 2020
At any given moment, Kiva’s website hosts thousands of borrower profiles and loan requests from all corners of the globe. As a result, many of these profiles require translation and editing before they can be made visible to the public. This is where the Review and Translation Program (RTP) steps in.
RTP is composed of hundreds of volunteers that review, translate and edit loans on a daily basis in order to see them fundraise on the Kiva site. These individuals typically review at least 16,000 loans...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
The following is an interview with Kiva Labs Partnerships Manager Michelle Schenck, who manages a portfolio in Africa and the Middle East. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in your current role at Kiva.
My career has always focused on Africa, though I initially focused on wildlife conservation and volunteered with the Jane...
Kiva HQ
The following is a transcript of an interview with Kiva Investment Manager Lina Ramirez, who manages Field Partners Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Since you’re based internationally, we imagine that there are many different perspectives that you can offer the Kiva community. What is your daily life in Colombia like, and how have things changed since COVID-19...
Kiva HQ
Worldwide, microfinance institutions (MFIs) serve 140 million low-income people, 80 percent of whom are women, amounting to $124 billion in credit portfolios as of 2018. While MFIs provide crucial support to those beyond the reach of traditional banks and financial institutions, these numbers under-report the impact of microcredit on the poor: non-MFIs such as cooperatives, fintechs, and pay-as-you-go businesses are also important players within the microfinance movement.
The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic downturns represent the latest threat to face...
Kiva HQ
In times of crisis, gender often becomes sidelined as a secondary concern. But as with other social, political, and economic crises of the past, the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply gendered implications.
Public health emergencies, particularly in the developing world, often disrupt gender-based violence prevention services, sexual and reproductive healthcare services, and other programs that support women and girls. Women are also more likely to be engaged in informal, low-wage, and migrant work, resulting in large and...
Kiva HQ
Today, on Juneteenth, we celebrate and recognize the end of formal slavery in the United States.
With Kiva’s core mission centered around removing systematic barriers for underserved communities, today serves as a reminder that we still have a long way to go.
We are committed to becoming an organization that reflects and respects the diversity of the local communities where we work and serve. With this in mind, we will continue to do the following:
Formalize resource groups dedicated to...
Kiva HQ
“They are free to farm now.”
Those were the succinct but thought-provoking words our driver, Eddie, uttered as we entered and passed by some of the communities living in the outlying areas of the Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
Located in southwestern Uganda, the settlement was established in 1958 and is now populated by over 100,000 people. Covering 71.3 square miles, the settlement is home to refugees of 10 different nationalities, including Congolese, Rwandan, Burundian, Somalian Ethiopian, and Eritrean individuals and families....
Kiva HQ
This week, we spoke with Neely Evanoff, the Capital Access Manager for the Kiva Hub in Salt Lake City. In our interview, Neely detailed the relationship between the International Rescue Committee and Kiva U.S. and the work they've done together.
Tell us about how Kiva U.S. became connected with the IRC!
We partnered with the IRC to teach business classes to refugee women at the IRC’s microenterprise program and developed a relationship with their staff.
IRC...
