Fellows Blog

Stories from the field

Liz has over ten years experience as a television, film and event producer, creating compelling stories for TLC and ABC Family, and connecting filmmakers with resources for the HBO Comedy Festival. Liz has since pursued her love of photography, and has collaborated with her husband on projects since 2009. Liz's work is in the collection of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, has been shown at Foley Gallery in New York, and her portraits of musicians Ben Harper and the band Wilco have been published in the Fretboard Journal. In 2011, Liz took a year-long trip to 13 countries over four continents, where she was inspired by hardworking and enterprising people everywhere, especially women. During that trip, Liz and her husband created over 30,000 images and a series of photos and video from transportation - from a bamboo train in Cambodia to a desert Jeep in Egypt. Liz earned a degree in Economics from the University of Colorado, and is excited to apply that background and learn firsthand about the impact of microfinance. As a Kiva Media Fellow, she is thrilled to document Kiva success stories in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where she will be discovering the people of Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia for the first time.

Fellows Blog Posts by Liz Fish

Dec 27, 2013 KG Kyrgyzstan

I was in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for just under two weeks, meeting students who have received 0% interest Kiva loans through Kiva partner AUCA. AUCA is one of the top Universities in Kyrgyzstan, and all the student's I've met are thrilled to be a part of this unique American-style University. AUCA attracts students from all over Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia and from all different backgrounds.   
 
I met Almaz, who is an AUCA student on a full scholarship, so he doesn't have a Kiva loan. Almaz offered to take me...
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Nov 8, 2013 GE Georgia

I'm currently in Georgia, working with Kiva partner LLC Credo and photographing Kiva borrowers with successful start-up businesses here. Credo offers start-up loans to Georgians with the lowest incomes - families with small farms, and urban small businesses.  Credo has over 90 loans up on the Kiva site now - fund a loan to an entrepreneur in Georgia, or give a gift for the holidays! Credo recently took me to Lagodekhi Georgia to meet Kiva borrowers, and attend a Village Day.  Lagodekhi is in east Georgia, next... Continue Reading >>


Oct 12, 2013 UA Ukraine

I'm going where? Ukraine! Being Kiva Fellow is being flexible, and for me that meant both the fear and the thrill of going where I'd never thought I'd go - the former Soviet Union!  As a media fellow in Eastern Europe, I've been traveling and photographing Kiva borrowers in Southern Ukraine and Crimea - near the black sea - for about a month now.  I've met farmers who have taken out loans for greenhouses, drip irrigation and small motor tillers through one of Kiva's field partners here - ACM (Agro Capital Management). Many...

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