Thursday, August 2, 2012

Super star Kiva Coordinators: Making Kiva possible around the world

Kiva is all about connecting lenders and borrowers to alleviate poverty. But there are a lot of other people who make these connections possible. One of the major unsung heroes in the process is the Kiva Coordinator. Called KCs, these extraordinary individuals are the point people at our Field Partners who work with loan officers to gather photos and stories, and post them on Kiva for the global community to support.

We couldn't be more grateful for all the extra-mile work KCs do to serve the Kiva mission. So we'd like to take a moment to thank some of our superstars who have really gone above and beyond to make sure clients  are well-represented on Kiva and are getting the funding and services they need to change their lives.

Below, meet these KCs and hear from them about why they love their work.

Christophe Nduwayo, Burundi



We have not been able to send a Kiva Fellow to Burundi in a long time due to security concerns, so KCs there are pretty much on their own. Christophe, who started in January, immediately took on this new role with a positive mindset. He learned extremely fast and pretty much taught himself the ropes.

Kiva: Why have you been so successful?

ChristopheI try to fully understand all of the numbers Kiva provides for my institution, so that I am well informed and able to explain things to my colleagues (my superiors and also my staff) in case they have questions.

Rubidia Marquez, El Salvador


Rubidia has always been an exemplary Kiva Coordinator. She is easy and fun to work with, obviously committed to her job, and enjoys being part of the overall social mission of Kiva and PADECOMSM. She is dedicated to her clients and is always looking to improve and do the best job she can.

Rubidia’s favorite part of her job is learning and sharing her clients’ stories. This is reflected in her excellent borrower profiles. PADECOMSM offers commissions to motivate staff and minimize inconsistencies in their profiles, but Rubidia believes that the promise of close personal attention to clients is what distinguishes the institution.

Rubidia’s recipe for success for Kiva Coordinators “is to devote yourself to your work, communicate the lives of the clients through your writing...and maintain excellent communication with business personnel and with Kiva.”

Nazira, Kyrgyzstan


Nazira is great at her job – extremely responsive, very engaged in the Kiva program and works hard to make sure Kiva clients’ profiles really tell their life stories while educating lenders about what life and business is like in Kyrgyzstan.

Kiva: What do you enjoy most about being the Kiva Coordinator for Bai Tushum?

Nazira: Bai Tushum & Partners is a socially-responsible company providing support to socially-vulnerable populations. As a Kiva Coordinator, I am glad that I can bring the help and care of Kiva lenders to people who are in need of a little funding to work and live. 

Kiva: What was it like to start working with Kiva?

Nazira: In some moments -- especially at the beginning -- I had to be persistent and sometimes stubborn in order to implement such an innovative project as Kiva. Because Kiva is a unique project for Bai Tushum, nominations of two loan officers on the basis of work in 2010-2011 in the category of "Best Loan Officer in Kiva social project " motivated more officers to work to attract customers for Kiva funding.

We look forward to bringing you more stories of the people who help make Kiva possible around the world. Have questions about our trusty Kiva Coordinators? Send them to blog@kiva.org.