- Page 1 of 2
- Next
Showing 1-25 of 38 results
-
Agdam, Nagorno Karabakh.
Blog: Leave Me Here - 27 March 2012
A deserted city in a country recognized by no one. In the Caucasus over summer, I traveled far east to Nagorno Karabakh – a controversial little ‘country’, recognized by no-one. Armenian culture wrapped-up inside Azerbaijan’s borders. Issued a do-it-yourself Visa sticker on the boarder, and told to pay at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs once [...]
-
Armenia uncovered
Blog: Leave Me Here - 22 December 2011
A land-locked travelers delight. I spent a quite a bit of time this summer in Armenia, nestled in the foothills of Southern Post-Soviet Russia, its a landlocked travelers delight. The food, the friendly locals, the rugged countryside, the semi-difficult but rewarding travel – its one of those places that you can really get alot out [...]
-
Update from the Field: Farewells, Mistaken Identities + Micro-Microfinance
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 2 May 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa We've officially hit the point in the Kiva Fellows cycle where the current batch says goodbye just as the latest group is getting their bearings at Kiva HQ. Fortunately, there are a number of posts this week to help us through the transition and cheer us up. If you're interested in a comprehensive image gallery of the hot designs for share taxis in Rwanda, we've got you covered.
-
New Beginnings
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 28 April 2011
By Caree Edson, KF14, Armenia I was having lunch with a colleague who wants to practice his English when he offered to take me out into the field to witness a day in the life of a regional manager. It was here that I realized that sometimes years worth of schooling happens in a single day on the other side of the world and there is no substitute for witnessing first-hand how and why microfinance works.
-
Share Taxis Around The World: The How, Why & Design
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 26 April 2011
By Adam Cohn, Kiva Fellow KF14, Kigali, Rwanda Share taxis around the world exhibit a variety of names, including Poda-Poda, Tro-Tro, Marshrutka, Jitney, Bemo, and Bush Taxi. Similarly, the colors and designs of the share taxis vary wildly, right down to this Justin Bieber minibus in Kigali, Rwanda.
-
Update from the Field: Earth Day, Celebrations + Exceeding Expectations
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 25 April 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky Kiva Fellows observed Earth Day by sharing projects initiated by their partner microfinance institutions and host countries and by celebrating Kiva.org's first batch of "Green Loans". The upbeat mood also extended to anniversary parties at MFIs in Jordan and Armenia, enthusiastic endorsements to travel to Colombia, and reporting on a great opportunity for Kiva clients in Mongolia. Fellows also visited with borrowers in the Philippines, South Africa, and Armenia, and took us on a typical commute in Mexico City.
-
Happy Earth Day from Kiva Fellows around the Globe!
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 22 April 2011
Compiled by Caree Edson, KF 14, Armenia One of the unfortunate sight-seeing adventures that you never sign up for when you travel (especially in developing countries) is the unseemly amount of trash cluttering the otherwise beautiful landscapes. In Armenia, it isn’t possible to see the horizon through the smog most days and the streets are covered in cigarette butts and litter. I found no exceptions to this as I inquired from other Kiva Fellows about the dire situation in their countries. Environmental education and reform are simply not a top priority in many countries.
-
Expectations
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 20 April 2011
By Caree Edson, KF 14, Armenia There were incredible stories of resiliency on the Kiva website that moved me to sacrifice my stable income, access to hot water and balanced nutrition, not to mention consistent contact with my friends and family back home for a few short months in pursuit of furthering my knowledge in the field of microfinance. In short, the reason I became a Kiva Fellow was to fulfill Kiva’s mission of “connecting people through lending to alleviate poverty”.
-
Update from the Field: April Fools, Terrible Coffee + Getting Attached
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 4 April 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa We hope you enjoyed our April Fools post on Friday! While we were entertaining ourselves pulling it all together, we also found the time to attend to some serious matters: coffee in Colombia is no joke (in a bad way), some borrowers are easier to locate than others, and oftentimes Fellows must say goodbye to people and places before they’re ready to.
-
“The Good Family”
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 3 April 2011
By Caree Edson, KF14, Armenia It was about noon on a gorgeous Spring day in Goris, Armenia when I showed up at the local SEF branch to meet the employees there. Goris is stunning in its natural beauty. The city center resides at the bottom of a bowl with caves and mountains towering on every side. The tiny, three-person staff of the SEF branch welcomed me with tea, brownies and chocolate (a custom I plan to take back home with me) and were thrilled for the opportunity to show me around. The only question was how many borrowers I would like to visit.
-
Special Update from the Field: Beaches, Safaris + Cambodian Glamour Shots
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 1 April 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa Kiva Fellows are nothing if not creative. We’ve gone to elaborate lengths to convince you that it can be hard to visit borrowers and that when we’re not trekking for miles, we’re doing elaborate calculations or dealing with databases and reporting. In truth, it’s all a front for an extended holiday from our regular lives. You thought our recent Carnival coverage represented a change of pace? Think again!
-
Update from the Field: Fun Facts, Field Visits + Back to Basics
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 21 March 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa For many Fellows, this week was about getting back to basics: the borrowers. In between fun facts about Kiva Fellowships, doing database detective work, and reflecting on the internal dynamics of Kiva's partner microfinance institutions, Fellows found themselves in the field again and again, much to their delight and often to the delight of borrowers.
-
New Horizons- A Fellow’s First Field Visit
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 19 March 2011
By Caree Edson, KF 14, Armenia While Kiva works with three microfinance institutions in Armenia, I have, thus far, only had the privilege to spend time with the staff at one. When I was offered an opportunity to do some Borrower Verifications for Nor Horizon (another partner institution), I jumped at the chance. Borrower Verifications, while requiring a lot of time and effort on the part of the fellows, are by far the best part of this journey.
-
Last Week in the Field: “Christmas”, Trekking, Adversity + Good Company
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 21 February 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa Members of the 14th class of Kiva Fellows have officially hit their stride. While we never know where the next dispatch will come from or what interesting topics the Fellows will cover next, we always know we'll be transported, entertained, and edified.
-
Expectations vs. Reality
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 29 January 2011
By: Abhishek Banerjee, KF13, Armenia As my fellowship at SEF International comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on my experience. I compare it to the expectations I had before arriving in Yerevan and to the experiences the other fellows have had in their respective countries. While I knew very little about Armenia before coming here, I had read everything (not much!) I could find. Some of my expectations were fully surpassed.
-
Kiva Fellows: Kicking off 2011 Around the World
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 1 January 2011
By Kiva Fellows, Various corners of the globe Around the world, Kiva Fellows are kicking off 2011 in all sorts of different ways. Here’s what a handful of KF13-ers are doing to ring in the New Year. Enjoy and Happy 2011!
-
No Place Like Home
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 26 December 2010
By Abhishek Banerjee, KF13, Armenia This is the first Christmas I will be spending away from home. Even though I left home at 18 and have spent a lot of time travelling on my own, I have always made it back in time for the holidays. This time around, I will be celebrating with a bunch of expats and some Armenians who find Christmas on December 25th to be amusing enough to get involved. You see, Armenians follows the Gregorian calendar and as such, Christmas falls on January 6th. As a result, December 25th is just another day for most Armenians.
-
Goodbye Mr. Socialism
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 10 December 2010
In 1991, the Soviet Union broke apart and Armenia re-established its independence. However, remnants of its Soviet history can be found throughout the country. Major infrastructure projects implemented under Soviet leadership still stand tall throughout the cities. One of the more interesting transformations across Yerevan has been the emergence of markets in former industrial or commercial buildings.
-
Devil is in the Execution
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 15 November 2010
By Abhishek Banerjee, KF13 Armenia Spending the last couple of days in the beautiful landscape of rural Armenia has left me in awe. It has also given me an appreciation for the role that loan officers play in often trying circumstances to get their job done.
-
The Cost of Clothing in Armenia
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 21 September 2010
By Vanick Der Bedrossian, KF12 - Armenia If I know anything about Armenia, it's that people here know how to dress up. On any given night, Yerevan's main opera square looks like a fashion show: beautiful women and handsome men are dressed up in nice clothes and are struting about, arm in arm. Until recently I had no idea how much clothing cost here, or even where it came from.
-
Angela’s 10th Loan In 10 Years…And Her First Time On Kiva
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 26 August 2010
By Vanick Der Bedrossian, KF12 - Armenia I recently travelled to the small Armenian town of Sevan to visit a Kiva partner's branch office. Armenians flock to Sevan throughout the year to enjoy either a lazy day at the beach, attend a wedding reception, or just to visit the Sevanavank monastery, which is nestled atop a scenic mountain overlooking the Sevan Lake.
-
Sharing my Desk with a Tractor…
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 11 August 2010
By Vanick Der Bedrossian, KF12 - Armenia "What in the world is a diesel earth tractor doing in my MFI's office!", I thought to myself as I walked into Nor Horizon Credit Organization's central office here in Yerevan, Armenia. Being a bit nervous on my first day at work, I did not ask.
-
Day 442: Dolphin In The Dole Queue
Blog: The Odyssey Expedition - 28 March 2010
Thurs 18th Mar 2010; The Caucasus – it’s where us whities get our rather daffy pigeonhole ‘Caucasian’, a term lampooned by Lewis Carroll in his nonsensical Caucus Race in which everybody wins a prize. I think. Sounds like modern schooling to me. I would say that when it comes to describing the breeds [...]
-
Holiday Greetings – KF9 on Christmas
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 25 December 2009
By KF9, All Over The World Merry Christmas! This holiday season Kiva Fellows are celebrating Christmas all over the world, in all sorts of different ways. Whether it be traveling, feasting, or working hard to bring you some additional Kiva magic over the holidays, it’s safe to say we’re all thankful to be serving as Kiva [...]
-
The Mayors of Microfinance
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 22 December 2009
By Brian Kelly, KF9, Armenia After making several visits to various borrower communities in the rural villages throughout Armenia, I started to notice a familiar figure emerge. Each village seemed to have a mayor. Not a mayor in the traditional, sash-wearing, top-hat donning, political scandal-causing sense, but a mayor of microfinance. In these villages usually there is [...]
