Fellows Blog

Stories from the field

Stories tagged with Nicaragua

Nov 11, 2014 NI Nicaragua
A severe drought has affected Nicaragua during 2014 on what is thought to be the worst in the last three decades. In response, rural communities have started managing their natural resources better and designed strategies to implement a change in rural Nicaragua.

During one of my visits to a borrower I found an inspiring story of a group of women having training sessions on food preparation and cooking tips. They mainly work with three native products that grow abundantly in central Nicaragua: Pejibaye, Yuca, Quequisque.

...
Continue Reading >>
Oct 10, 2013 NI Nicaragua
Loan officers are ambassadors in their communities; they are the liaisons between their employers, the Microfinance Institutes, and the borrowers. They are responsible for identifying responsible clients, ensuring they repay their loans on time, and fostering ongoing relationships with them. Inevitably, they are most in tune with the borrower’s behaviors and needs, which makes their work invaluable to the MFI’s performance.
 
It’s tough work. Pana Pana, the new MFI partner I work with in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua, has 11 loan officers currently serving... Continue Reading >>
Aug 8, 2013 CR Costa Rica, SV El Salvador, GO Global Update, GT Guatemala, HN Honduras
This August, I completed 7 months on the road in Central America with Kiva!  I had once ignorantly assumed homogeneity among Central American countries, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover differences in each city, region, and country that I have visited. From climate, to cuisine, to culture, to colloquialisms, I found myself amazed at the variety and distinctions. 

So, here are 5 lessons learned and my Top Ten Favorites from my time in the Central America.

... Continue Reading >>
Aug 8, 2013 NI Nicaragua
During my fellowship in Nicaragua I had the pleasure of working with an exciting new Kiva partner named Tecnosol.  Tecnosol is the Central American leader in the sale and installation of decentralized renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, hydro, and biogas.
 


Mural outside Tecnosol's office in Managua, Nicaragua

There is a high demand for renewable energy products in Nicaragua, especially among remote populations that are unreached by the country’s electric infrastructure.  Despite the need, however, Nicaragua’s vast... Continue Reading >>
Jul 7, 2013 NI Nicaragua
For the past three months I’ve had the pleasure of working with an exciting new Kiva partner.  PAC (Association for People in Community Action) is an agriculturally focused economic development organization in Nicaragua.  They specialize in rural productive value chain integration by offering their clients three primary services: loans, technical assistance, and access to markets.
 
PAC's Logo

 
Loans
PAC offers microcredit to meet a variety... Continue Reading >>
May 5, 2013 NI Nicaragua
Riding a motorcycle in a developing country is, well, eventful to say the least.  The term “road hazard” takes on a whole new meaning.  Horse drawn carts, herds of cattle, stray chickens – the possibilities are endless.  The first time I had the pleasure of experiencing a motorcycle ride in Nicaragua was the day I met Claudia.

Trying to look tough...not sure I pull it off in my preppy Kiva polo
 
 
The purpose of my adventure was to meet with multiple... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013 NI Nicaragua

When I started my fellowship in Managua I was advised by many people to find a trusted taxi driver.  Although much of the crime in the city is non-violent, petty-theft and street crime is frequent – especially when getting from point A to point B. 
 
So, I asked around, and after trying about 15 numbers without any luck I finally came across a driver by the name of Jesús.  For the past four weeks Jesús has taken me to and from work, and it’s been a blast getting to know him.  He always has a smile on his face, has a great... Continue Reading >>
Feb 2, 2013 NI Nicaragua
Mural outside Tecnosol's office in Managua, Nicaragua



For a moment, think about what you do in a normal, everyday, 24-hour time period.  Take a second; no rush. 
 
Got it?  Now imagine it without electricity. 
 
I’m guessing a significant portion of your everyday activities would suddenly become impossible, extremely less efficient, or flat-out uncomfortable.  Sure, you could probably go without some of the not-so-necessary first... Continue Reading >>
Jan 1, 2013 SV El Salvador, NI Nicaragua

When I hear the words “Christmas” and “end of the year” my mind quickly thinksabout Christmas trees, baby Jesus, cold, family, presents, snow and many more. When I ask the people from Centroamerica whatcomes to their mind with these same words they mostly answer the same, the only thing they change is they don´t say cold neither snow, and they normally include beach or river instead of them.

1st January in Rivas, Nicaragua

After tough 3 months of work in El Salvador with Fundación Campo, Padecomsm and Integral I have just taken deserved holidays. Destination: South of...

Continue Reading >>
Sep 9, 2012 NI Nicaragua

He is named Global Young Leader by the World Economic Forum and is on the Forbes 40 under 40 list.
It is easy to become impressed, maybe intimidated by a person that holds such accolades. But Premal Shah, president of Kiva, is the last person to become intimidated by. However, impressed? Yes, highly. And he was coming my way to Nicaragua.

Premal Shah’s lender page on Kiva. Note that he made over 300 loans.

The only time I...

Continue Reading >>

Pages

LendingOnKiva