Kiva HQ
If you’re not a fan of getting soaked, this New Year celebration may not be the one for you. Songkran is a Thai...
Kiva HQ
With the smell of warm spices and herbs wafting out its open doors, Cafe el Patio sits nestled in a bustling plaza in Fruitvale, Oakland. Allan is the man behind the counter, the kitchen and the cafe itself. He jokingly described his role, “I am the front end, back end, in the kitchen, everything is all me.” Allan is a Kiva borrower and Cafe el Patio is the brainchild of the Bay Area native.
Fresh out of university, Allan struggled to secure a job. “After months and months of applications [to no avail] and driving for Uber and...
Kiva HQ
Aref arrived in the United States as a refugee 2 years ago. Born in Sudan, raised in Saudi Arabia and educated in India, he now calls San Francisco home. Though trained as a financier, Aref found his passion and livelihood when he opened Z Zoul Cafe serving the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.
When he first started, the space where his cafe is located was in dire condition. Aref explained, “I had to clean it myself. It was all full of...
Kiva HQ
Lights, Camera, Action? - Holiday lights pictures from around the world
NatGeo showcases extraordinary pictures from individuals around the world, proving that holiday lights shine across cultures and religions.
Kiva HQ
Tucked away in La Cocina, a San Francisco kitchen incubator, is a woman living out her American dream. Her name is Nafy Flatley, and she came to the United States 10 years ago from Senegal, armed with a promise to her mother to bring back a degree and one to herself to live out her dreams.
The inspiration behind her move to the U.S. is not what you might expect.
“In Africa, we watch a lot of soap operas,” Nafy explained. “One that really influenced me was Beverly Hills 90210. And I’m seeing all of these kids at age 14, 16, working, driving cars, living...
Kiva HQ
Catherine successfully started and grew a farming business with the help of a Kiva loan to purchase cows and goats. She now sells milk, and uses the manure from the animals to improve yields on her coffee crops.
The income from her business has brought stability to her life and has allowed her to put her children in private school She...
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Kiva loves to celebrate its interns and the meaningful work that they accomplish every day. Halfway through the internship cycle, we sat down with a few of them to hear about their work and how their time at Kiva has impacted them. Read below to hear what Kiva interns have to say about their experiences.
What project have you enjoyed working on most so far?
I’m really passionate about the refugee crisis, I expressed this to my manager and she works closely with...
Continue Reading >>
Jordan
In today's busy world, a simple act of kindness from a stranger can go a long way. For Kiva lender Elisabeth, her act of kindness changed the lives of 3 families in Guatemala and her own.
Elisabeth was first intrigued by the idea of lending in 2007, after seeing a story about Kiva on TV. After making 5 loans, she picked the Las Gemelas group in Guatemala, lending to a woman named Paulina, who was working to improve the lives of her twin girls, Candy and Maria. A picture of those 2 little girls donning bright red shirts touched Elizabeth's heart so much that she decided to...
Kiva HQ
Kiva loves to celebrate its interns and the meaningful work that they accomplish every day. Halfway through the internship cycle, we sat down with a few of them to hear about their work and how their time at Kiva has impacted them. Read below to hear what Kiva interns have to say about their experiences.
What led you to Kiva?
Before Kiva, I interned at Proximity Designs - it’s a social enterprise back in Myanmar. And I found out that Proximity...
Kiva HQ
In Denmark, there is a tradition where if you remain unmarried...
Kiva HQ
As we all work towards a better and brighter future, these are findings that offer a glimpse into life in the past. From an energy efficient Egyptian pigment to a 1700-year-old ancient sock, these 5 anthropological findings remind us that though we have a long road ahead of us, we have also come a long way as innovators.
Egyptian blue: The energy efficient ancient pigment
Neanderthals and fire: Our distant cousins...
Kiva HQ
By Premal Shah, President & Co-Founder, Kiva
Every now and then, a truly game-changing partnership comes to life and shows us what’s possible when a company and its employees are committed to doing good in the world. Kiva’s partnership with Hewlett-Packard is just that.
In 2013, Kiva and Hewlett-Packard launched Matter to a Million, a groundbreaking 5-year global employee engagement partnership. The partnership concept was simple: set up a $7 million fund to provide each of Hewlett-Packard’s 275,000+ global...
Kiva HQ
An exciting new partnership between Kiva, Sierra Leone and U.N. agencies is set to bring a nationwide digital identification system to the people of Sierra Leone that is designed to provide citizens with formal identity and control over their own credit information.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio announced the initiative, which could be a promising new model for global financial inclusion, during his address to the Sept. 27, 2018, U.N General Assembly.
The centerpiece of the partnership is the new Kiva Protocol, which...
Kiva HQ
From inside a small juvenile detention center in Ontario, Canada, a group of young men have lent more than $2,000 to Kiva borrowers around the world. Their own circumstances are challenging, but they’ve embraced the opportunity to help others, with the assistance of one dedicated volunteer.
Hilda Van Netten, a long-time Kiva lender, volunteers with the art program at Brookside Youth Centre. Brookside is a secure juvenile detention facility for...
Kiva HQ
Hello everyone! My name is Barani, and I am the current Content & Partnerships Intern at Kiva. I was born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar and I thought I’d share a bit about my hometown!
Myanmar is a country of nearly 53 million, that is nestled between India and China. Yangon, its former capital, is a vibrant city known for its crumbling colonial buildings, amazing food and the famous Shwe Dagon Pagoda. Being one of the fastest growing cities in South East Asia, there is definitely no shortage of things to do, sights to see or foods...
Kiva HQ
As technology brings us ever closer together, we are bearing witness to the collective power of the crowd- not only to fund dreams, ideas and initiatives, but to accomplish tasks and create new products.
At Kiva, we simply could not have the impact we have in the world without the global corps of volunteers who help make it happen. We have to be smart about how we organize and leverage Kiva’s talented volunteers.
Kiva’s very own Apryl Gibson explains the technical solutions Kiva has created, in hopes that other organizations can learn from them...
Kiva HQ
It is common knowledge that the key to a good day is to have a great breakfast! And great breakfasts come in many shapes, colors and flavors. This week’s Links We Like presents you with the different types of breakfast from 5 countries around the world.
Ghanian Breakfast: From Milo to fufu, there’s something for everyone
Fish and rice: Japan’s love of omega-3s
Feta, anyone?: Greek Mediterranean breakfasts...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
An activity some parents do with their kids called “Save, Spend, Share” or, when done Kiva-style, “Save, Spend, Lend” teaches children about the importance of being thoughtful with money. For this activity, kids spend a third of their allowance, save a third, and use the last third to donate or lend to a good cause. In this podcast "Inspired Money: Give a Little, Help a Lot," Kiva’s Global Engagement Manager, Jessica Hansen talks about the value of capturing the altruistic spirit that lies in all of us to use our money, not only wisely, but to positively impact...
Kiva HQ
All over the world, Review and Translation Program (RTP) volunteers dedicate their time and skills to ensure that the tens of thousands of loans that come in from Kiva’s Field Partners are edited or translated into English from Spanish, French, Portuguese and Russian.
In the past nine months, RTP volunteers have reviewed 168,816 loans, averaging over 18,750 loans per month. They enjoy being involved in the process from reviewing the original loans to seeing them fundraise on Kiva!
This month we celebrate nine of our incredible volunteers. Sara, Miranda...
Kiva HQ
These days, we are often bombarded about how technology harms more than help. Here are 5 links that we love, to remind us that technological innovation can be a good thing.
The 2018 iPhone Photography Awards: Amazing photos without the fancy camera
AI technology: How it could help protect water supplies
3D technology: How it's saving World Heritage Sites
Kiva HQ
Drive an hour north-west from Nairobi, Kenya, and you’ll come to the famous Hell’s Gate National Park and the beautiful town of Naivasha. This lakeside retreat was the setting for the first-ever Kiva Labs Innovation Conference, which brought together nearly 100 leaders from Kiva’s African Field Partners.
Part of the larger Kiva Labs program, a 5-year initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the KLIC conference’s goal was to facilitate intra-organizational learning and innovation.
...
Kiva HQ
At the age of 6, Rebecca was already intent on making the world a better place. She founded the lending team Westfield Youth for Kiva while still in elementary school, and then went on to found an affiliated Kiva Microfinance Club at her middle school. Her team has now funded $39,000 in loans, making it #6 on the list of Kiva’s highest lending youth teams.
Today, Rebecca is 15 and vividly...
Kiva HQ
Janice, has a passion for service and getting others jazzed about doing good. As the captain and founder of the Kiva lending team Women United, she successfully invited more than 50 friends and family to lend with her on Kiva and has helped grow the team to more than 700 members.
Their focus? Empowering women through education, business and home improvement loans.
“By focusing on girls and women, the Women United team can aid in spurring economic progress, expanding markets, and improving health and...
Kiva HQ
When we work together we can make monumental change, and Kiva lending teams are proof of this every day. Members of Kiva teams join forces to create impact, share loans they are passionate about and get competitive in the name of doing good.
In 2017 alone, 50% of loans made on Kiva were attributed to a team, with the top 10 teams lending $20.9 million to Kiva borrowers! So if you’d like to get more involved with Kiva and connect with other lenders, join one of our more than 35,000 lending teams today.
Check out some of Kiva’s...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
If you’re not a fan of getting soaked, this New Year celebration may not be the one for you. Songkran is a Thai...
Kiva HQ
With the smell of warm spices and herbs wafting out its open doors, Cafe el Patio sits nestled in a bustling plaza in Fruitvale, Oakland. Allan is the man behind the counter, the kitchen and the cafe itself. He jokingly described his role, “I am the front end, back end, in the kitchen, everything is all me.” Allan is a Kiva borrower and Cafe el Patio is the brainchild of the Bay Area native.
Fresh out of university, Allan struggled to secure a job. “After months and months of applications [to no avail] and driving for Uber and...
Kiva HQ
Aref arrived in the United States as a refugee 2 years ago. Born in Sudan, raised in Saudi Arabia and educated in India, he now calls San Francisco home. Though trained as a financier, Aref found his passion and livelihood when he opened Z Zoul Cafe serving the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.
When he first started, the space where his cafe is located was in dire condition. Aref explained, “I had to clean it myself. It was all full of...
Kiva HQ
Lights, Camera, Action? - Holiday lights pictures from around the world
NatGeo showcases extraordinary pictures from individuals around the world, proving that holiday lights shine across cultures and religions.
Kiva HQ
Tucked away in La Cocina, a San Francisco kitchen incubator, is a woman living out her American dream. Her name is Nafy Flatley, and she came to the United States 10 years ago from Senegal, armed with a promise to her mother to bring back a degree and one to herself to live out her dreams.
The inspiration behind her move to the U.S. is not what you might expect.
“In Africa, we watch a lot of soap operas,” Nafy explained. “One that really influenced me was Beverly Hills 90210. And I’m seeing all of these kids at age 14, 16, working, driving cars, living...
Kiva HQ
Catherine successfully started and grew a farming business with the help of a Kiva loan to purchase cows and goats. She now sells milk, and uses the manure from the animals to improve yields on her coffee crops.
The income from her business has brought stability to her life and has allowed her to put her children in private school She...
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Kiva loves to celebrate its interns and the meaningful work that they accomplish every day. Halfway through the internship cycle, we sat down with a few of them to hear about their work and how their time at Kiva has impacted them. Read below to hear what Kiva interns have to say about their experiences.
What project have you enjoyed working on most so far?
I’m really passionate about the refugee crisis, I expressed this to my manager and she works closely with...
Continue Reading >> Jordan
In today's busy world, a simple act of kindness from a stranger can go a long way. For Kiva lender Elisabeth, her act of kindness changed the lives of 3 families in Guatemala and her own.
Elisabeth was first intrigued by the idea of lending in 2007, after seeing a story about Kiva on TV. After making 5 loans, she picked the Las Gemelas group in Guatemala, lending to a woman named Paulina, who was working to improve the lives of her twin girls, Candy and Maria. A picture of those 2 little girls donning bright red shirts touched Elizabeth's heart so much that she decided to...
Kiva HQ
Kiva loves to celebrate its interns and the meaningful work that they accomplish every day. Halfway through the internship cycle, we sat down with a few of them to hear about their work and how their time at Kiva has impacted them. Read below to hear what Kiva interns have to say about their experiences.
What led you to Kiva?
Before Kiva, I interned at Proximity Designs - it’s a social enterprise back in Myanmar. And I found out that Proximity...
Kiva HQ
In Denmark, there is a tradition where if you remain unmarried...
Kiva HQ
As we all work towards a better and brighter future, these are findings that offer a glimpse into life in the past. From an energy efficient Egyptian pigment to a 1700-year-old ancient sock, these 5 anthropological findings remind us that though we have a long road ahead of us, we have also come a long way as innovators.
Egyptian blue: The energy efficient ancient pigment
Neanderthals and fire: Our distant cousins...
Kiva HQ
By Premal Shah, President & Co-Founder, Kiva
Every now and then, a truly game-changing partnership comes to life and shows us what’s possible when a company and its employees are committed to doing good in the world. Kiva’s partnership with Hewlett-Packard is just that.
In 2013, Kiva and Hewlett-Packard launched Matter to a Million, a groundbreaking 5-year global employee engagement partnership. The partnership concept was simple: set up a $7 million fund to provide each of Hewlett-Packard’s 275,000+ global...
Kiva HQ
An exciting new partnership between Kiva, Sierra Leone and U.N. agencies is set to bring a nationwide digital identification system to the people of Sierra Leone that is designed to provide citizens with formal identity and control over their own credit information.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio announced the initiative, which could be a promising new model for global financial inclusion, during his address to the Sept. 27, 2018, U.N General Assembly.
The centerpiece of the partnership is the new Kiva Protocol, which...
Kiva HQ
From inside a small juvenile detention center in Ontario, Canada, a group of young men have lent more than $2,000 to Kiva borrowers around the world. Their own circumstances are challenging, but they’ve embraced the opportunity to help others, with the assistance of one dedicated volunteer.
Hilda Van Netten, a long-time Kiva lender, volunteers with the art program at Brookside Youth Centre. Brookside is a secure juvenile detention facility for...
Kiva HQ
Hello everyone! My name is Barani, and I am the current Content & Partnerships Intern at Kiva. I was born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar and I thought I’d share a bit about my hometown!
Myanmar is a country of nearly 53 million, that is nestled between India and China. Yangon, its former capital, is a vibrant city known for its crumbling colonial buildings, amazing food and the famous Shwe Dagon Pagoda. Being one of the fastest growing cities in South East Asia, there is definitely no shortage of things to do, sights to see or foods...
Kiva HQ
As technology brings us ever closer together, we are bearing witness to the collective power of the crowd- not only to fund dreams, ideas and initiatives, but to accomplish tasks and create new products.
At Kiva, we simply could not have the impact we have in the world without the global corps of volunteers who help make it happen. We have to be smart about how we organize and leverage Kiva’s talented volunteers.
Kiva’s very own Apryl Gibson explains the technical solutions Kiva has created, in hopes that other organizations can learn from them...
Kiva HQ
It is common knowledge that the key to a good day is to have a great breakfast! And great breakfasts come in many shapes, colors and flavors. This week’s Links We Like presents you with the different types of breakfast from 5 countries around the world.
Ghanian Breakfast: From Milo to fufu, there’s something for everyone
Fish and rice: Japan’s love of omega-3s
Feta, anyone?: Greek Mediterranean breakfasts...
Continue Reading >> Kiva HQ
An activity some parents do with their kids called “Save, Spend, Share” or, when done Kiva-style, “Save, Spend, Lend” teaches children about the importance of being thoughtful with money. For this activity, kids spend a third of their allowance, save a third, and use the last third to donate or lend to a good cause. In this podcast "Inspired Money: Give a Little, Help a Lot," Kiva’s Global Engagement Manager, Jessica Hansen talks about the value of capturing the altruistic spirit that lies in all of us to use our money, not only wisely, but to positively impact...
Kiva HQ
All over the world, Review and Translation Program (RTP) volunteers dedicate their time and skills to ensure that the tens of thousands of loans that come in from Kiva’s Field Partners are edited or translated into English from Spanish, French, Portuguese and Russian.
In the past nine months, RTP volunteers have reviewed 168,816 loans, averaging over 18,750 loans per month. They enjoy being involved in the process from reviewing the original loans to seeing them fundraise on Kiva!
This month we celebrate nine of our incredible volunteers. Sara, Miranda...
Kiva HQ
These days, we are often bombarded about how technology harms more than help. Here are 5 links that we love, to remind us that technological innovation can be a good thing.
The 2018 iPhone Photography Awards: Amazing photos without the fancy camera
AI technology: How it could help protect water supplies
3D technology: How it's saving World Heritage Sites
Kiva HQ
Drive an hour north-west from Nairobi, Kenya, and you’ll come to the famous Hell’s Gate National Park and the beautiful town of Naivasha. This lakeside retreat was the setting for the first-ever Kiva Labs Innovation Conference, which brought together nearly 100 leaders from Kiva’s African Field Partners.
Part of the larger Kiva Labs program, a 5-year initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the KLIC conference’s goal was to facilitate intra-organizational learning and innovation.
...
Kiva HQ
At the age of 6, Rebecca was already intent on making the world a better place. She founded the lending team Westfield Youth for Kiva while still in elementary school, and then went on to found an affiliated Kiva Microfinance Club at her middle school. Her team has now funded $39,000 in loans, making it #6 on the list of Kiva’s highest lending youth teams.
Today, Rebecca is 15 and vividly...
Kiva HQ
Janice, has a passion for service and getting others jazzed about doing good. As the captain and founder of the Kiva lending team Women United, she successfully invited more than 50 friends and family to lend with her on Kiva and has helped grow the team to more than 700 members.
Their focus? Empowering women through education, business and home improvement loans.
“By focusing on girls and women, the Women United team can aid in spurring economic progress, expanding markets, and improving health and...
Kiva HQ
When we work together we can make monumental change, and Kiva lending teams are proof of this every day. Members of Kiva teams join forces to create impact, share loans they are passionate about and get competitive in the name of doing good.
In 2017 alone, 50% of loans made on Kiva were attributed to a team, with the top 10 teams lending $20.9 million to Kiva borrowers! So if you’d like to get more involved with Kiva and connect with other lenders, join one of our more than 35,000 lending teams today.
Check out some of Kiva’s...
Continue Reading >>
