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Showing 1-25 of 51 results
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Sweet Deliciousness
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 4 May 2012
Compiled by Michael Slattery | KF17 | Togo Despite the often upbeat tone of fellows’ posting on the blog, I’ll be the first to admit that the position entails some universal hardships. There is the occasional social isolation that leaves you Saturday night at home with a book and bottle of the local plonk, despite apparently [...]
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Update from the Field: World Happiness, Food Aid + When Beauty and Poverty Collide
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 17 April 2012
Compiled by Allison Moomey | KF16 & KF17 | Bénin Now there comes a time in every Kiva fellow's life when... he or she begins contemplating, analyzing, and trying to make sense of the past few months' experiences. We've learned how to navigate busy streets, seen joyful faces, and witnessed trials in the lives of clients.
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Public Transportation in Santo Domingo
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 13 April 2012
David Gorgani | KF 17 | Dominican Republic I’m one of the few Fellows that has been able to cheat and head home mid-fellowship. I've got a good excuse though - I’ve been invited to explore the grad schools to which I’ve been admitted.
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Update from the Field: Non-Financial Services, Employment Discrimination + The Dark Side of Sustainable Tourism
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 2 April 2012
Compiled by Chris Paci | KF16 & KF17 | Ukraine It’s been a busy week here on Kiva Stories from the Field! Most of our KF17 fellows have been in the field for two months by this point, and they’ve been drawing on their wealth of on-the-ground experience to unpack some of the more complex and [...]
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The Many Services Provided by an MFI
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 29 March 2012
David Gorgani | KF 17 | Dominican Republic Just like any form of international development, microfinance has its flaws.
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Update from the Field: Tropical Business Trips, Less Exhilarating Fellow Roles + Education Inspiration
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 26 March 2012
Compiled by Allison Moomey | KF16 & KF17 | Bénin Kiva Fellows have been busy checking items off their workplans. From borrower verifications to loan officer trainings to collecting borrower stories, each fellow's workplan is a diverse set of tasks dealing with both the glamorous and less-exciting aspects of a Kiva-partner relationship.
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Training Kiva’s MFI Field Partners
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 21 March 2012
David Gorgani | KF 17 | Dominican Republic I hate to burst all of your bubbles, but despite their significance there’s a lot more to a Kiva Fellowship than Borrower Verifications, and this post is to tell you about another deliverable: the almost-as-sexy Loan Officer Training!
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Update From The Field: Inspiring Field Partners, Cultural Adjustments + Girl Scout Cookies (No Wait, That’s Not Right)
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 5 March 2012
Compiled by Chris Paci, KF16 & KF17, Azerbaijan It's the beginning of March, and by now, most of KF17 has been out in the field for several weeks. We've settled in at our field partners, gotten to know some of our new coworkers, and started to dig a little deeper into the societies of the countries we now call home.
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Modernity in the Dominican Republic: La Capital vs. El Batey
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 1 March 2012
By David Gorgani, KF17, Dominican Republic In Santo Domingo, locally referred to simply as “La Capital,” it is an understatement to say that luxuries from back home are readily available.
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To Kiva Fellow or not to Kiva Fellow. Eso e’ la pregunta.
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 21 November 2011
By Robert Gradoville, KF16, Peru Should I become a Kiva Fellow? I imagine a lot of the Stories From The Field blog followers have considered applying to the Fellowship, or have wondered what the comparison is between the Kiva Fellows Program to similar volunteer or development programs abroad. This may include the Peace Corps, overseas research grants, overseas workshops on topics in development, Fulbright Fellowships, Rotary Scholarships, and possibly service-learning trips if you are currently students. The list goes on and on.
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Things to do in the Dominican Republic
Blog: Pommie Travels - 4 November 2011
Several years ago I went to the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean on a cheap all-inclusive package deal. It [...]
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The Pros and Cons of Microfinance – A View From The Field (Part 2)
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 24 May 2011
This is the second of a three-part article on ‘The Pros and Cons of Microfinance - A View From The Field’. The first part concentrated on the pros. The second will focus on the cons. Most of the cons described below demonstrate one thing; microfinance assists on a micro level but is unable to affect macro-level influences. The latter are the main reason that people are impoverished in the first place.
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The Pros and Cons of Microfinance – A View From The Field (Part 1)
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 23 May 2011
The article will be published in 3 parts. The first will concentrate on the pros of microfinance, the second on the cons, and the third on what I perceive to be the best conditions for successful microfinance.
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Ponce de Leon – Damn Deadly Vagabond
Blog: Vagobond.com - 23 April 2011
It might be pushing it to call Ponce de Leon a vagabond since he was a career soldier, but in terms of dreams and adventure, certainly he fits the bill as someone who not only traveled broadly, but was foolish enough to chase the fountain of youth.
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Update from the Field: Videos, Epic Commutes + Going Beyond Microfinance
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 28 February 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa Another week, another incredible range of dispatches from around the world.
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Video Blog – The Life Of A Kiva Fellow
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 21 February 2011
by Nick Hamilton, KF14 When it comes to blogging, a new pastime of mine, I often go a bit heavy on the word count. Not this time. This is a video blog and so I’ll let the video do the talking.
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Bayahibe,Dominican Republic
Blog: Pommie Travels - 30 January 2011
How’s this for a beach! Powder white sand that squeaks under your feet, palm trees swaying in the breeze, clear turquoise waters as warm as the bath tub and bright blue skies…sometimes you think it’s only possible in Photoshopped holiday brochures.
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Voodoo Doctor in the Dominican Republic
Blog: Pommie Travels - 30 January 2011
I thought I’d share with you this photo of a Voodoo doctor or ‘witch doctor’ in the Dominican Republic. I went on the Monster Truck Safari a few years back and they took us to this voodoo doctor, who has supposedly been consulted by famous celebrities. People come from all over to see this man [...]
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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!
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The Making Of A Kiva Christmas Song
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 19 December 2010
A couple of weeks ago I found myself without internet for three days. Determined not to let this beat me (internet is often pretty essential for a Kiva Fellow) I tried to think of ways to stay productive. Naturally, the first idea that came into my head was to write a Kiva Christmas song.
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Loan Officers – Kiva’s Unsung Heroes
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 13 December 2010
Before beginning my placement as a Kiva Fellow, I tended to view the Kiva model simply in terms of members lending to borrowers and borrowers paying back. It was hard to envisage the intricacies of an MFI’s operations and what goes into facilitating a loan. In my eyes the MFI was the middle man; an amorphous mass that made things happen. Of course, the simple fact is that without MFIs Kiva would not exist.Of course, the simple fact is that without MFIs Kiva would not exist.
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A Picture Paints 1,120 Words
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 29 November 2010
By Nick Hamilton, KF13, Dominican Republic and Haiti Having spent a lot of time speaking with borrowers during the week, I decided to spend Friday in the office. Kiva Fellows are required to complete an extensive list of ‘deliverables’ and I was aware that I still had a lot to deliver. I had just begun [...]
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Great Expectations, Unexpected Revelations
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 16 November 2010
When Kiva asked whether I’d consider a Fellowship in the Dominican Republic, my first instinct was to head to Google. I’d never been to the Caribbean and knew very little about this small country. After my initial search, Google asked whether I’d like to view some images of the DR and lured me in with 4 or 5 thumbnails. Each contained something that doesn’t exist in my country (the UK): the sun. I don’t think I got past the first page of pictures.
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Sancocho: the most impressive meat stew ever
Blog: Midwesterner in Mexico - 18 August 2010
One of my MBA class friends here in Mexico City is married to a woman from the Dominican Republic. For Rodolfo’s birthday last year, his wife made an amazing Dominican creation known as Sancocho de las Siete Carnes. John and I were invited to the Gran Sancochada (as apparently one calls the event at which [...]
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Baseballs and candy (a very special repayment meeting)
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 2 August 2010
by Magdalena Malinowska, KF11 Dominican Republic It started at 10 am on a Thursday in Monoguayabo, a dusty industrial neighborhood of Santo Domingo. But first I had to get there and that took a long while, but it was worth it because the Luz de Madre Group’s meeting turned out to be unforgettable. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the series of unthinkably beat up vehicles well beyond their expiration dates still serving as daily transport for hours at end.
