Have you ever been consumed by passion when creating something? So much so that it gives you an unexplainable feeling that makes you want to keep on doing that very thing over and over?

For Wayan from Indonesia, Balinese wood carving does just that for him.  
 

"Balinese wood carving touches me very deeply. I have learned a variety of arts in Bali, such as gamelan dance, but carving a piece of wood gives me an incomparable sensation," says Wayan. 

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In The Light in the Heart, Roy T. Bennit wrote: “Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.”

Meet Zhumabubu, a 64-year old single mother living in Chuy, Kyrgyzstan. She has 7 children who live in different cities, including her youngest who has learning disabilities and still lives with her at the farmhouse.

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At 73 years old, Estanislao has one of the most important jobs of humankind. As a farmer, he provides us nourishment by growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants for us to eat. 

He also provides employment to his community in Sensuntepeque, El Salvador and is the sole breadwinner in his family of 7. 

How did he do it? 

He focused on growth, adapted to change and asked for help when needed. 
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This piece comes from Luke Seidl, Kiva’s Senior Investment Manager of Small & Growing Businesses.

Introducing Cycle Connect

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kiva Social Enterprise team has reached out to all of the 85 businesses we’ve supported to check-in and understand their situations. We want to share this particular story of one loan recipient, which illustrates the type of businesses...

Rain pummeled the roof and windows of the truck as we came to a halt and surveyed the scene before us. A raging river, some 400 meters across and extending in either direction far beyond eyesight, roared - where a few hours ago there had been an easily passable stream. The dirt road we had been bumping along had turned to mud. Thick forest enveloped the surrounding mountains, blotting out the clouds from which the rain poured down. There was no way we would make it across the river, and there were no other roads out of town. So we hunkered down in the truck and we waited.

Ayer, la actriz y activista Sofía Vergara anunció su alianza con Kiva y estará contribuyendo al fondo de Respuesta Global del COVID-19. Veanlo!







Únete al movimiento con Sofia y Kiva! Infórmate más sobre el Fondo de Respuesta Global del COVID-19 y has una contribución hoy!

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At Kiva, we’ve been making changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to new and difficult economic problems across the world.

Kiva expresses much gratitude and appreciation for our fellows, volunteers and interns who put in the countless hours to make an impact in our community and the world. With International Volunteer Week coming to a close, we not only commend our volunteers this week but also every day.

Kiva borrowers located in the United States go through a "private" fundraising period before their loan is published on the website for lenders to contribute. In this period, they'll reach out to their community of customers, friends and family to contribute to their loan as a form of "social underwriting." 

This can seem intimidating at first, but most borrowers are surprised at how willing people are to support them! CEO of Fresh to Def Collective and Kiva borrower Hope Lehman talks about her experience with the private fundraising period. She’s a borrower who felt...

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.