Fellows Blog

Stories from the field

Stories tagged with Rwanda

Oct 10, 2016 RW Rwanda
       When I began my Kiva fellowship,  I had so many questions on how microfinance works and does it really have an impact on people’s lives.   As I arrived in Kigali, the understanding of social impact was the first on my list to accomplish.  I wanted to know the Why of Kiva and how can I help to have an impact.  My MFI partner is Urwego Opportunity Bank, and I was excited to spend the next 4 months witnessing and telling their story of the work they do.  
 
     My first week I met with Agaba, the... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2016 RW Rwanda
The borrowers who I find most inspirational are the ones who go the extra mile to innovate in the hope of achieving a more sustainable income for themselves and their families. However, this commitment usually requires more up front capital than a Rwandan household has available.

That is where Kiva’s field partner Urwego Opportunity Bank comes into play, as it seeks out the innovative women of Rwanda. I had the pleasure of meeting two of their long terms clients – Laetitia and Delianne.

Laetitia invested in a cassava leaf grinder... Continue Reading >>
May 5, 2013 GO Global Update, RW Rwanda
Kerosene is the primary source of light for over a billion people on the planet. Its fumes can cause health problems for those that use it frequently (sometimes children, studying after dark), and the long-run costs can reach a quarter of a family’s income. To top things off, kerosene’s black carbon byproduct is a far greater threat to climate change than carbon dioxide (see article). Despite all these problems, its incrementally cheap price and ubiquity make it popular.
 
In light of this, numerous clean-energy organizations have stepped up to tackle this problem... Continue Reading >>
Apr 4, 2013 GO Global Update

The view on sub-Saharan Africa is changing. No longer do stories of tribal wars, starving children and endemic diseases dominate the updates from the region. A new, more hopeful and optimistic picture is emerging; a reality of solid GDP-growth, more widely practiced reasonably free and fair elections, and a wealth of natural resources that range from oil and gas to diamonds and rare minerals.

... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013 RW Rwanda
A result of entrepreneurial success - a cow like this is worth $800

In a post-conflict country like Rwanda, the level of innovation and entrepreneurship, especially amongst women, continues to amaze me. Urwego Opportunity International has more than 50% female borrowers. Many women, post-genocide, embarked on the entrepreneurial route as a way of supporting their families and move towards a more prosperous future. I am curious to hear their stories, and how their lives have improved as a result of hard work and... Continue Reading >>
Feb 2, 2013 RW Rwanda



On the plane to Kigali for my Kiva Fellowship at Urwego Opportunity International, I realise that my knowledge of Rwanda, the country of a thousand hills, is limited to the famous mountain gorillas and the tragic history of genocide in 1994.



I have little idea of what the people and the country will be like. Wary of the fact that everyone over 19 years old must have a significant story, I approach the city and its people with cautious optimism. I should not have been worried. Everywhere I go, gracious, smiling and incredibly polite people...

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Jan 1, 2012 RW Rwanda

By Kiva Fellows in Africa, KF16
Compiled by Tejal Desai, Sierra Leone

Ow de body! Are Sierra Leone and Rwanda still danger zones? What challenges do Ugandans most commonly face? Kiva Fellows from KF16 bring you another unique perspective from the diverse and vast continent of Africa! We patched together an overview of each of our placement countries that includes: basic socioeconomic stats, common stereotypes (and to what extent they are true or false), greatest challenges, most common loan products at our respective field partners, and the borrowers’ most common use of...

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Oct 10, 2011 KH Cambodia

Compiled by Kathrin Gerner, KF16, Rwanda

Kiva Fellows in East Africa

This week, you have no fewer than 14 new articles to choose from on the Kiva fellows blog: Let the fellows take you along on borrower visits across the world. Learn how Kiva field partners expand the reach of microfinance in Rwanda, fill the microfinance donut hole in Sierra Leone and improve social performance in Uganda. Find out what poverty is like in urban Tajikistan and rural Burkina Faso...

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Oct 10, 2011 RW Rwanda

By Whitney Webb, KF16, Rwanda

One of the biggest challenges of providing access to financial services to those living in poverty is the actual logistics of expanding the services into some of the most remote areas of the world. 92% of Rwandans live in rural areas. During my first field visit, I visited a small village near the border of Tanzania. After meeting several first time borrowers and hearing about their challenges and strong hopes for the future, we drove out onto the unpredictable mud roads.

... Continue Reading >>
Oct 10, 2011 RW Rwanda

By Kathrin Gerner and Whitney Webb, KF16, Rwanda

Praying Together: The Staff of Amasezerano at their Annual Trip

Before coming to Rwanda, we both had no idea what it meant to work for a Christian bank. Islamic banking, yes, that is something we had heard about before. But Christian banking?

To find out more, we interviewed the staff at our host microfinance institutions, Amasezerano Community Banking, Vision Finance Company and Urwego Opportunity Bank...

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