The Kiva Blog has moved!

Attention Kiva fans and loyal readers! The Kiva Blog has officially moved from Blogger to the Kiva website. Starting now, there will be no new updates on kivanews.blogspot.com.

To get your fix, head over to kivablog.kiva.org, where we'll be publishing more posts on all of our awesome partners and projects -- and how you can lend to make a difference.

Here's the link to reset your RSS feed.

Thanks so much for reading! And, as ever, send any questions you have blog@kiva.org.

Investing in girls is paying off BIG in Uganda (thanks to BRAC!)

We're passionate about empowering young women to reach their full potential.

Last year Kiva started offering loans to girls through BRAC Uganda's Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents (ELA) Program. In addition to credit for older participants to become entrepreneurs, this program includes training in life skills, support groups and clubs, business development training and more. Today, more than 1,000 ELA clubs reach over 40,000 woman.

So we were thrilled to spot a recent post on BRAC's blog about some of the incredible impact results from the ELA program. Full results from a study conducted by independent researchers from the London School of Economics can now be found online, but we had to share at least a few:
12.6% INCREASE in condom use among sexually-active ELA participants.

28.6% DECREASE in fertility rates among two-year participants.

83% DECREASE in participants' reports of having sex unwillingly after one year.
As BRAC so eloquently states, this is a clear marker in how the program is positively influencing girls' relationships to men.

35% INCREASE in likelihood that an adolescent girl in the program would be engaged in an income-generating activity.

This is some pretty remarkable, irrefutable evidence that programs focused on empowering young women make a big difference.

For a more comprehensive summary by World Bank researcher Markus Goldstein, click here. Or read more about BRAC's takeaways from the study here.

Kiva's beyond excited to see results like these from a third-party impact study, and is proud to play even a small role in ELA's success in Uganda.

A quick, related story from our neck of the woods, as reported by Kiva Fellow Julie Kriegshaber:

Julie met Shamim, a shy 16-year old in the ELA program (pictured above), during her fellowship in 2012. Having forgotten some of the necessary documentation for her loan, Shamim had to return home and had Julie to tag along. It turned out she was living in an informal orphanage run by a local pastor.

In addition to running a small clothing sales business, she was responsible for her two younger siblings and watching over a few of the other children at the orphanage. By the time Julie left, she was in complete awe of how much Shamim had to juggle on a daily basis on top of running a growing business -- and of everything BRAC Uganda was doing to help thousands of girls just like her.

Have questions about Kiva's partnership with BRAC Uganda? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

Making fireworks in Nicaragua, literally

This is a guest post from Bob Harris, author, adventurer, Kiva super lender, and captain of the incredible Friends of Bob Harris lending team. Stay tuned for a series of posts from Bob chronicling his travels around the world meeting Kiva borrowers.

I’m about to help a new friend blow up some stuff in Nicaragua. 

This really isn’t what I originally set out to do here. But it seems like a good idea now. Mostly because Luis Alberto is so pleased about it. 

Luis Alberto and I are standing on a deserted rural road flanked by barbed wire, marking the edges of dry empty fields. Just a 20-minute ride from the bustling streets of León, the only sounds here are the rustling of dry leaves, the occasional bark of a distant dog, and metallic hammering from a nearby tin-roofed work site. 

This quiet strip of pavement is a perfect place to light a fuse, plug our ears, and giggle.

Luis Alberto blows things up for a living. He and his employees make fireworks, and his business has been financed in part by Fundación León 2000, the local Kiva partner. They’ve loaned Luis the equivalent of $850 to buy gunpowder, coal, sulfur, nitrate, and assorted kablowie necessities. Fundación León 2000, in turn, has financed Luis’s loan through Kiva. I’ve chipped in $25 here.

A phone camera photo of Luis and Bob.

Meanwhile, I’ve spent sizable chunks of the last few years traveling around the world to visit borrowers in Bosnia, Lebanon, Cambodia, and so on, writing a book about Kiva and microfinance while meeting as many loan recipients as I can. That’s why I’m here. (You can find more about the book on my site if you’re interested.) 

Here in Nicaragua, a Fundación León 2000 loan officer has kindly led me to Luis Alberto’s door in a working-class quarter of León, and Luis’s family has immediately welcomed me with cold drinks, family photos, wedding pictures, and stories.* 

We’ve talked about business as well: the fireworks trade has high periods around holidays, so depending on the calendar, Luis Alberto may have eight, ten, maybe a dozen men working for him. (Knock-on job creation like this can be a positive side effect of many microloans, not always apparent in a Kiva profile.) At the time of my visit, he employs about a half a dozen men, all at a work site safely far from any residential area. Would I like to see it? 

So now, trying to return his trusting spirit, I’ve followed Luis Alberto to his outdoor explosives-making workshop along this rural Nicaraguan road. As he places a single three-walnut-sized firework on the ground, my inner Cub Scout kicks in, compelling me to check the wind direction, raise my arms to warn nonexistent traffic, and scan the ground worriedly for some kind of makeshift ear protection. (Look! Two squirrels! That should work!) 

I’m also hoping that this one demonstration will be the only kaboom that I hear. The manufacturing work is all done by hand, with people sitting between bins filled with various powders, fuses, and kaboom-containers, creating each firework with assembly-line repetition: grab one of these, scoop some of this into there, mash it down with this metal thing, and repeat.

In skilled hands, each firework takes about 45 seconds to make. The guys are friendly and eager to demonstrate the process for their skittish American visitor. Tengo miedo un poco, I manage to summon from my gringo-watching-telenovelas Spanish. I’m a little afraid. This brings only friendly laughter — it’s perfectly safe, they tell me. I should try it myself and see! Um... okay. 

The results, in my hands: grab one of these, scoop some of this into there, drop that thing by accident, spill the powder back into the bin, get some of it on my pants, grab one of these again, and so on. Five minutes later: one firework and all ten fingers. A moral victory. 

Now I’m dripping in sweat from the heat. And I’ve only been out here for maybe an hour, tops. These men work up to ten hours a day, but they have dreams and families to work for, so there it is. 

As with nearly every client and business I’ve visited in these travels, I can barely imagine the patience and physical endurance involved. All I can map it to: when I was growing up in Ohio, my dad spent his entire adult life doing manual labor to support our family. He’d work in a warehouse, take third shift, lay sod in the hot sun, whatever was necessary. It’s hard to look at these workers in Nicaragua—or anywhere I’ve visited—and not see at least some resemblance. And my dad obviously had things a lot easier, given a minimum wage, occupational health and safety regulations, and so on. 

One of the cruelest stereotypes about economic struggle is that it’s caused by a lack of hard work. Just one day in the field with microlending clients should be enough to convince anyone otherwise. 

Finally, out in the street, ready to demonstrate the results of all the handiwork, Luis Alberto has the happy grin of a teenager. He’s 63 years old, mind you, and he speaks to his employees more as a father than as a boss. But when he’s about to light a fuse, he has the same smile he must have had when he was a kid. 

Finally: match, fuse, ba-BAMM! We giggle like ten-year-olds. For one gorgeous instant, language, age, religion, and nationality disappear. It’s only one moment, sadly, and a Beavis and Butthead one at that. But this was hardly the only such moment of connection. 

On my arrival at Luis Alberto’s home, recall, the discussion was immediately of things that matter everywhere: work, love, marriage, age, death, hope for the children, pride in small victories. I bet you feel connected to all of that, too, even through a computer, wherever you are. 

I can’t change the birth lottery, any government, nor the slightest whim of the global economy. I don’t pretend for one second that my $25 loan or the afternoon I spent counting and re-counting my fingers (Ten? Yes!) with Luis Alberto, by themselves, had any great effect on his life. 

But I can and do feel grateful to be able to help this gentle, funny man to create great effects in his own life, to provide a home for his family and employment for those around him. 

And after visiting clients from Kenya to the Philippines, when I look at the Kiva website and scan through the thousands of photos and stories, I can only feel excited for more. 

* Incidentally, I don’t volunteer to clients that I’m a lender. An indebtedness vibe would not only feel kinda gross, but factually inappropriate, what with pre-disbursed funds and the likelihood that some other Kiva lender would have invested in the loan if I hadn’t. I’ll admit that I’m a lender if anybody asks, but almost nobody does, and it seems a lot friendlier, simpler, and more accurate just to say that I’m an American interested in their lives. This is certainly true. 

Bob Harris has had a diverse career as a TV writer (Bones, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), occasional TV personality (The National History Bee, Mostly True Stories), and AP award-winning radio humorist. An author whose previous books range from a chronicle of his thirteen Jeopardy! appearances (Prisoner of Trebekistan) to a pocket summary of more than 30 conflicts around the world (Who Hates Whom), Bob has also contributed numerous travel pieces to ForbesTraveler.com. He holds an honors degree in electrical engineering and applied physics from Case Western Reserve University.

As a Kiva lender, Bob has made more than 5,200 loans. Bob's upcoming book about microfinance and Kiva, The International Bank of Bob, will be released on March 5th. For more, visit www.BobHarris.com.

© 2013 Bob Harris

Kiva Insights Call recap: Premal Shah and Matt Flannery take on lender questions

Kiva hosted its second quarterly Insights Call last Thursday to discuss a wide range of topics from major accomplishments in 2012 to future goals of Kiva Zip. 

Representatives from Kiva included Matt Flannery, Co-Founder and CEO; Premal Shah, President; Michelle Kreger, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives; and Brandon Smith, Community Marketing Coordinator.

We also asked representatives from our most active lending teams to join us, so we’re thrilled that lenders from teams like Nerdfighters, Milepoint, Late Loaning Lenders and Kiva Friends were able to join us and ask questions. Together, they explored loan inventory and shortages, charitable tax status in countries outside of the U.S., green loan lending, and more.

A big thank you to everyone who was able to join us for the call and for those of you who watched the live feed online. If you missed it, check it out below!



Kiva hosts Insight Calls quarterly. If you would like to participate in the next one, send us an email at blog@kiva.org.

Kiva SOUP for Social Entrepreneurs: Connecting local business owners to the Detroit community

Kiva Detroit joined forces this month with Detroit SOUP, a local organization that hosts monthly dinners to fund micro-grants for creative projects, to host the first ever Kiva SOUP for Social Entrepreneurs. Kiva Detroit, organized locally by Michigan Corps, selected four social entrepreneurs to present their ideas throughout the evening. At the end, attendees voted for which to support.

“The big intent of all of this is to continue building more connections within the community between people and entrepreneurs,” said event organizer Elizabeth Garlow. “We wanted to give these entrepreneurs a new network of supporters and champions for their business.”

Aware of the valuable work Detroit SOUP had been doing over the past three years, Kiva Detroit/Michigan Corps was eager to partner with them to better integrate both programs into the Detroit community. Of the record breaking 320 attendees, about 80 percent were new to the Detroit SOUP venue and process, and they all had a tough decision to make when it came to the four presenters. 

Each entrepreneur had only five minutes to describe to the audience how their business would benefit the community, followed by five minutes allotted for questions. 

First up was Amanda from Always Brewing Detroit, a pop up coffee shop that she hopes to turn into a permanent community space that features local food, art, and performances in addition to excellent coffee. As a special treat, Amanda served coffee at the event for attendees to sample. 

Next up was Sebastian, a student from Wayne State University who turned his dreams of opening an environmentally sustainable barbershop/salon into a reality called the Social Club Grooming Company.

From top left: Sebastian, Elias, Katie, Amanda

The third presenter was Katie from Motown Freedom Bakery, which produces allergy-friendly sweets and treats. A lifelong allergy sufferer herself, Katie plans to spread these delicious baked goods to all of Detroit and brought in a sampling for Kiva SOUP attendees to enjoy. 

The final presenter was Elias, who after years of financial hardship, is opening his own Pro-Windshield Repair franchise in Detroit. 

Each presenter was chosen by the Kiva Detroit Advisory Council from a pool of applicants that had been nominated to apply for a Kiva Detroit loan. The Council looked at a number of factors during their deliberations including the impact of the business on the Detroit community, the type of loan required, and the specific funding needs detailed by the applicant.

In the end, it was Amanda from Always Brewing Detroit that won the $1,770 grant for her growing business. She seemed to have struck a chord with the Kiva SOUP audience by offering a business that filled a gap in the area. 

“Amanda talked about how she was not just building a brick and mortar space, but how she was building a community, and that Always Brewing Detroit was about bringing people together in a very underserved area of the city where there are no other community gathering spaces. She is building a space where people can come together not just for coffee but for conversation, art, and live music,” said Garlow. 

With the money, Amanda plans to buy new espresso machines for her permanent coffee shop that will open its doors to the Detroit community in February. 

All four business owners are now well on their way to fulfilling their goals. In addition to receiving the grant, Amanda is also in the process of applying for a Kiva Zip loan. Elias, Sebastian, and Katie were able to fundraise for their own Kiva Zip loans during the event while promoting their businesses and getting support from the community.

Organizers from Kiva Detroit found that the event was a great way to find and engage more people who are interested in lending to entrepreneurs on Kiva. They have already received over 50 requests for a repeat event and experienced a surge of activity on the Kiva Detroit site and on the loan sites for the individual presenters. 

“It was phenomenal to see the community respond so positively to all of [the presenters],” Garlow recalled, “people were very enthusiastic and supportive.”

Be sure to visit Sebastian, Katie, and Elias on their Kiva Zip loan sites to learn more about their businesses:

Sebastian (The Social Club Grooming Company)
Katie (Motown Freedom Bakery)
Elias (Pro-Windshield Repair) 

Have questions about Kiva Detroit or Kiva Zip? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

Week in Review: Kiva Zip Update

It has now been just over one year since Kiva Zip launched its pilot phase! Since its inception, 126 borrowers have already fully paid back their loans and another 359 are currently in the process of paying back. 

Kiva Zip is currently only serving borrowers in Kenya and the United States, and differs from the original Kiva model in that lending is done directly from the lender to the borrower, eliminating the partner organizations that serve as the middleman in the traditional model. 

Because of this different lending strategy, the clients that Kiva Zip serve sometimes have different qualifications. Kiva Zip’s intentions are to provide borrowers with access to financial services that they would not otherwise be qualified for. This means that borrowers are not always necessarily living in poverty, but may need capital for a start-up that a bank would not provide them. 

Currently in the pilot stage, ‘trustees’ have taken the place of Field Partners. Trustees endorse borrowers after determining that their character and finances would make them a good candidate for a Kiva loan. While trustees never touch the money like a normal microfinance institutions would, Kiva Zip disburses the loans directly to the borrowers at a 0% interest rate. 

A central goal of Kiva Zip is job creation, and on average, every Kiva Zip loan creates 3 jobs. Zip is projected to help over 500 businesses in 2013, yielding 1,500 jobs in just one year! 

Huffington Post recently featured an article highlighting Kiva Zip and some of their favorite Zip borrowers. Below are a few more excellent examples.

Seth Gold, a 22 year old entrepreneur from North Carolina, received a $5,000 loan on Kiva Zip to start his clothing company, Bamboo Apparel. Not only is the clothing environmentally friendly, but uses a one-for-one model. For every Bamboo Apparel product purchased, another is donated to an orphanage around the world!



Ludia is a widowed mother of three living in Sare, Kenya. A Zip loan of $600 allowed her to build a store in which to sell her energy saving stove liners. Having the shed will allow her to build up her inventory and provide a better life for her children. 

Mary used a loan of $150 to buy a deep frier and add utensils to her restaurant in Nakuru, Kenya. Her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for cooking motivated her to open Imani Cafe, and she hopes that one day she can grow her business and create more job opportunities in her town. Mary was able to pay back her loan in just 3 months.

We have been thrilled with Kiva Zip’s progress thus far, especially considering that we are still in the pilot phase. Kiva is hopeful that at its full potential, Zip will be able to reach many more borrowers and continue to further Kiva’s mission of connecting people through lending to alleviate poverty.

You can find current fundraising Kiva Zip loans here!

Have questions about Kiva Zip? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

What's New on Kiva 1/27 - PHP update, a tidier basket and more

PHP Upgrade

Our main programming language is PHP. We recently performed a major upgrade from version 5.2 to 5.4. The upgrade was a long process that involved a lot of our engineers. It will all be worthwhile as 5.4 offers many benefits over 5.2 and allows us greater flexibility with our development. 

Basket Credit Tidy Up

To help readability and reduce confusion, we've modified the placement and logic of the "Available Kiva Credit" that appears on the My Basket and Review & Pay pages. We previously displayed the user's total available Kiva credit that they had prior to completion of the transaction, regardless of whether any/all of that credit was being applied to the current basket.

The new implementation does two things:

1) Moves this information to the left side of the page. Because the information is not relevant to the specific transaction, it did not make sense to have it in line with the order total / transaction details.

2) Rather than show the Total Available Kiva Credit, we now only show the remaining Kiva credit that has not been applied to the transaction.

Estimated Repayments Graph

You can visualize the estimated repayments to your portfolio with the Estimated Repayments Graph. We have now added the ability to see how much of your repayment will be promotional credit such as Bonuses, which will be returned to the promotion’s sponsor upon repayment.

Have questions about Kiva site improvements? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

New Field Partner: Planting trees and helping the poor earn money with KOMAZA

Kiva loves promoting products that support the poor and preserve the planet. A huge part of this goal is preventing deforestation in developing countries. That is why we’re so happy to introduce our newest Field Partner, sustainable tree farming enterprise KOMAZA.

KOMAZA was founded in 2006 to convert drylands into productive family tree farms in Eastern Kenya. The organization equips local farmers with the supplies and training they need to plant fast-growing trees on their unused land. This generates income for their families and creates a sustainable wood supply for local markets.

About 50% of people in Kenya live below the poverty line or are unable to meet their daily nutrition requirements. One of the reasons for this high poverty rate is population growth -- over the last 30 years the population of the country has almost tripled, putting more pressure on the country’s resources.

Most of the poor living in rural areas include farmers, farm laborers and unskilled or semi-skilled workers and households headed by women. They cannot grow enough food to survive and choose to supplement their incomes by cutting down indigenous trees to sell as charcoal.



Desperate farmers are cutting down trees to bring money home.

How does KOMAZA help the poor?

KOMAZA in Swahili means “encourage growth, promote development.” This organization starts by improving the skills of local farmers by training them in creating and maintaining small tree farms. After the harvest, the organization transforms farmers’ trees into a variety of products like firewood, sawn lumber, floorboards and more. This allows them to sell the wood to a wide range of customers.


Shena Mumba is 81 years old and is a KOMAZA farmer. He lives on a large compound with 12 of his 17 children. He became a KOMAZA farmer in 2008, when he planted half an acre of eucalyptus trees that grew fast. Shena's family is enthusiastic about KOMAZA and has planted five sustainable tree farms that grow back after harvest. They plan to spend money earned from the sale of the trees on his children's school fees.

Today, KOMAZA has created over 130 jobs in rural areas, planted more than 660,000 trees and impacted the lives of about 2,860 farmers in Kenya. The organization is prepared to plant tree farms for an additional 5,000 farmers this coming planting season.

Where does Kiva come in?

Since KOMAZA does not require any money from farmers before their first successful harvest (usually after the 6th year of a 10-year loan), KOMAZA must secure upfront funding to finance tree farms. Kiva is more than happy to help the organization expand its impact, support reforestation and help even more families generate more income.

If you are interested in preserving the environment through preventing deforestation and helping poor families escape the cycle of poverty, this partner is the right choice for you!

SUPPORT KOMAZA BORROWER TODAY! We’re sorry if they’re all funded, but please check back soon for more!

Have questions about KOMAZA? About Kiva’s work in Kenya? Email us at blog@Kiva.org.

Images courtesy of KOMAZA.

38 Kiva Fellows head out around the world!

After an intensive 5-day training course here at Kiva HQ, our 20th class of Kiva Fellows is heading out into the field!

Altogether, 26 Fellows are traveling to our partner organizations in 31 countries on 5 continents around the world. On top of that, 12 Fellows from the previous classes are heading to new assignments to keep Kiva running smoothly.

For the next 4 months, they'll work closely with our partners to support their operations, improve the Kiva lending experience, and help us reach more borrowers. They're truly on the frontier of Kiva to innovate, expand, develop and deepen our connections to the field.

And they couldn't be better prepared. Our intensive training armed them with the knowledge and objectives to make a real difference. And each Fellow is pursuing their own project to fuel Kiva's mission and develop impactful loan products tailored to borrowers' needs.

Building on the successes of the 486 Fellows before them, this new class of Kiva Fellows will draw on considerable experience and talent to expand the reach of microfinance. We can't wait to hear and read all about their adventures on the Fellows Blog.

QUICK PLUG: Applications for the next class of Kiva Fellows are now being accepted and are due SUNDAY, JANUARY 27. Apply here. As you see below, you'd be in incredible company.

Meet our amazing 20th class of Kiva Fellows!

Amy Barth – Roaming Nairobi 

A Wesleyan graduate, Amy works at Google on the politics and issue advocacy team, which takes her to D.C. every few weeks. But past experience volunteering after the Tsunami in Thailand inspired her to work internationally in social enterprise. She'll be working with great social impact partners like Sanergy.

Davinia Cogan – HUMO & IMON International, Tajikistan 

After 4 years working in investment management in Australia, Davinia spent time living around the world in Sydney, Paris, Kampala and London. She decided to put her finance skills to good use in Uganda training social entrepreneurs and farmers. She has also worked with USAID in Rwanda on microfinance programs for coffee growers. She studied international business and finance at the University of Sydney and has her master's in international relations.

Dimitri Zakharov – Roaming Azerbaijan 

Born in Moscow, Dmitri graduated from the NYU Stern School of Business and worked at S&P Capital IQ, a financial technology company in New York. On the nonprofit side, he served as director of fundraising and administration for the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project in Bangalore, India. In Azerbaijan, he will be working with socially-driven partners like Aqroinvest.

Duda Carsoso – Kiva Zip, Kenya 

Duda was exposed to financial disparities at a young age growing up in Brazil. She moved to the U.S. to attend the University of Notre Dame, after which she spent time teaching third grade in Ghana and consulting for a financial services firm. After working for Habitat for Humanity in Alaska, she decided to apply her business skills to doing good.

Esther Honig – Fondo Esperanza, Chile 

Esther is already a Kiva alum, having interned in the Public Relations department. She recently graduated from Mills college with degrees in Spanish and journalism, and is excited to contribute remarkable stories of Kiva borrowers she meets in person before launching a career in journalism.

Felipe Moreno – Kiva Zip, Kenya 

Born and raised in Colombia, Felipe earned his degree in business administration from the University of Salamanca. After that, he worked for a bank in Spain at the height of the country's financial crisis, participated in several entrepreneurship projects in the Netherlands, and volunteered as an English teacher at a monastery in Nepal. His life goal is to become a mass recruiter of social entrepreneurs, starting with a fellowship with Kiva Zip.

Fred-éric Bergheimer – CAURIE, Senegal 

Born is Paris and raised in Benin, Fred has degrees in management, sustainable development and law. Since then, he's worked as a project manager for an insurance company, overseeing its sustainable development strategy, and is excited to learn even more as a Kiva Fellow.

Jada Tullos Anderson – KADET, Kenya 

A graduate of Texas A&M, Jada worked for John Deere and volunteered for the Red Cross for several years. After earning her master's in environmental management from Duke University, she's excited to apply her analytical skills to explore and develop financing opportunities for farming and off-grid energy solutions.

Jeffrey Nelson – Friendship Bridge & ADICLA, Guatemala 

After graduating from Wheaton College, Jeff created financial literacy curriculums for inner-city high schools and served as a program strategic for FundaVida, an NGO based in Costa Rica. Most recently, he worked on an environmental conservation campaign with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Jonathan Fung – SEDA, Vietnam 

After graduated from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, Jon traveled through Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, and South America. He currently works in the advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers, supporting organizations in program development, performance improvement and project management.

Katie Krummel – Roaming Uganda 

Katie majored in business administration and finance at USC with an emphasis in international relations. After graduating, she worked as a financial statistician for Capital Group Companies in emerging markets and debt strategy. She's interested in sustainable development and deploying new technology to promote financial inclusion. She's be working with great partners like BRAC Uganda.

Leo Della-Moretta – Roaming Ecuador 

A former captain in the U.S. Army, Leo has lived in ten countries on four continents. He is a veteran of the warns in Iraq and Afghanistan and also served as a peacekeeper with the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai, Egypt. He's interested in how access to capital can improve economic security around the world. He graduated from the University of Kansas where he studied political science and international relations.

Liz Vidyarthi –Media Fellow, East Africa 

As Kiva's first ever Media Fellow, Liz is charged with collecting video and photography content showcasing many Kiva partners' amazing work throughout East Africa. She currently works as communications director for TNTP, a national education nonprofit, but has spent the last ten years helping organizations tell compelling stories. She is a graduate of Georgetown's School of Foreign Service and the London School of Economics.

Louise Ronnerdahl – Urwego, Rwanda 

A native of Stockholm Sweden, Louise studied international business at the University of Stockholm before starting a career in management consulting and investment banking in London. In particular, she has been helping clients respond to the challenges of sustainable transformation. Today, she is based in Nairobi helping countries generate youth employment and bring entrepreneurship to vulnerable communities.

Mario Ariza – Vision Finance Company & Amasezerano, Rwanda 

After spending his teenage years in Ghana and Egypt, Mario went to college in Virginia. Most recently, he has been working at an investment bank back in Ghana, where he implemented a pension fund for fishermen. He is interested in learning more about market-based solutions to economic development.

Matt Bastone – Nicaragua

A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Matt worked as a CPA with Deloitte serving clients in a wide variety of industries, and developing expertise in forecasting, modeling, strategic planning and process implementation. After his fellowship, he is interested in starting a career in microfinance.

Meagan Sutton – South Pacific Business Development, Samoa 

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Meagan worked in applied anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago and later got her master's in international studies at DePaul. For her thesis, she lived in northern India and interviewed Tibetan refugees. Since then, she has worked in human rights and international development, and currently supports business development for one of the largest fuel-efficient cookstove enterprises in West Africa.

Michelle Schenck – Maharishi Institute & Zoona, South Africa & Zambia 

After earning degrees in zoology and conservation biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Michelle volunteered with the Jane Goodall institute in Uganda and conduct research in Gabon. She went back for her master's degree in geography and African studies, and has spent the four years since working in financial operations and compliance.

Paul Ricketts – Roaming Mexico 

Paul has traveled extensively, working and studying in Beijing and Paris, and spending a lot of time in Peru. He graduated from Stanford with a bachelor's in international relations before spending three years at a high-growth professional services startup. He's interested in the power of technology to create social mobility and a level playing field. He'll be working with partners like biodigester company Sistema Biobolsa and accounting software maker Frogtek.

Precy Kwan – BRAC Sierra Leone & BRAC Liberia, Sierra Leone & Liberia 

Precy has worked for KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she acquired expertise in financial auditing and risk management. While pursuing her degree in business administration from the University of Western Ontario, she studied in both Cuba and Brazil. Passionate about poverty alleviation, she hopes to gain a better understanding of how the financial sector can improve people's lives.

Rachel Lewis – KosInvest, Kosovo & Albania 

After graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in international relations, she worked in the retirement plan division for a mutual fund specializing in Islamic investing. She has spent the bulk of her career promoting financial literacy and helping people and businesses navigate the complex landscape of retirement savings. She is currently earning her MBA.

Rick Beck – Tuba Rai Metin & Tanaoba Lais Manekat, East Timor & Indonesia 

While working in the design and manufacture of electrical distribution equipment, Rick has traveled to more than 100 countries. Most recently, he solo-cycled 4,300 kilometers from Malta to Dublin. He has had a great time working within different cultures and is looking forward to applying his managerial skills to assisting Kiva partners in this post-conflict region.

Rob Rout – Fundacion Paraguaya, Paraguay 

Growing up in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean cultures, Rob earned his degree in romance languages and his MBA. He has worked in marketing intelligence at several large multinational technology companies. Now he is interested in giving back through a new career in the nonprofit sector.

Stasi Baranoff – WSDS, India 

With a degree in global studies from UCLA, Stasi traveled throughout Southeast Asia and North Africa with Semester at Sea. Since graduating, she followed her passion to Buenos Aires where she worked with a local NGO to fight human rights abuses within the prison system. She is very interested in promoting sustainable change to improve lives in developing communities. She recently completed her master's in international relations in London, publishing a dissertation on microfinance and women's empowerment.

Sulin Lau – Kiva Zip, United States (New York City) 

Sulin comes from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She worked for 10 years in advertising brand management, and for the last three for a leading telecom company in e-commerce, social media, market research and customer experience. She is especially interested in how mass-adoption of technology is changing the way people behave and interact with brands around the world.

Taylor Whitfield – Kiva Zip, United States (Washington D.C.)

Born and raised in Silicon Valley, Taylor studied abroad during college in Ghana, where she also volunteered at an NGO for street girls. She also met a widowed woman and launched a fundraising campaign to build her family a house. Since then, she has traveled through Colombia, Ethiopia and Turkey. Most recently, she has been working at the Department of Public Health in San Francisco and a local free clinic.

And an extra-special thank you to our returning fellows (read all about them here):

Abhi Adhikari – Hope Ukraine & ACM, Ukraine
Anna Forsberg – Kiva Zip, United State (Minneapolis)
Eduarda Carmo Vaz – Hluvuku, Mozambique
Eileen Flannigan – Kiva Zip, Kenya
Irene Fung – VisionFund Indonesia & YSBS, Indonesia
Jame Imai – Roaming Mongolia
Juan Barbed – ID Ghana & WAGES, Ghana & Togo
Katrina Shakarian – Kiva Zip, Kenya
Rachel Davis – Kiva Zip, Kenya
Rose Larsen – ASPIRE & FUNDAPEC, Dominican Republic
Shy Jamal – Kiva Zip, Kenya
Taline Khansa – Ameen & SMT, Lebanon & Sierra Leone

To learn more about the Kiva Fellows Program, please visit our information page. We're currently accepting applications for the 21st class of Fellows, who will begin their fellowships in June 2013.

Apply today! The deadline is THIS SUNDAY, January 27.

Closing agriculture's gender gap

Empowering women and creating opportunities for farmers are two of Kiva's top priorities. So it's exciting to note that almost two-thirds of agriculture loans on Kiva benefit female borrowers.


Sangita on her poultry farm in Nepal. 

Most of us probably wouldn't think of agriculture as a female-driven sector. But in the developing world, women comprise 43% of the agricultural labor force. In fact, about 79% of women who consider themselves economically-active in developing countries identify agriculture as their primary source of income.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations just published a fascinating infographic, The Female Face of Farming, that effectively illustrates the influential role women play in the industry.

Looking at these statistics, it's easy to see that rural economies would cease to exist without women. At the very least, they would be unrecognizable. Yet despite their substantial impact on the industry, women continue to receive only a fraction of the compensation and resources men do for the same work. Whether it's rights to land ownership, credit, inputs, or even just training and information, there's a huge gender disparity.

Take for example the share of male and female agricultural land holders in developing regions. The FAO's graphic below shows that on average only about 10% of agricultural land is owned by women, which is a major gap given that women do almost half of the work. 

This gender gap isn't just bad news for women -- it negatively affects all family members. According to the infographic, a $10 increase in a woman’s income would yield the same results as a $110 increase in a man’s income in terms of improving child health and nutrition.

Notably, when positive changes do occur and women are empowered, they end up modeling gender equality to future generations. If a daughter grows up in a home where her mother is respected and justly compensated for her work, her future actions and mindset will be significantly different than if her mother worked grueling hours for unequal pay and had no influence on family decisions. Similarly, if a son is brought up by a mother who contributes equally to family income, he will likely show more respect for women in his own actions. This is how women's empowerment happens -- through small changes passed from generation to generation.

While today it's still true that women farmers yield about 20-30% less than men, this can be attributed to inequalities in resources and accessibility. If women were given equal access to resources, it's assumed that they could reach the same yield levels, boosting global agricultural output by 2.5 to 4%. While this may seem small, it's estimated that this increase could reduce the number of undernourished people in the world by 12-17%.

On one hand, it is incredible to think that something as simple as equal access to resources across genders has the potential to so significantly decrease the number of hungry people in the world. Yet it is also disheartening that certain discriminatory traditions are so rooted in some developing countries that they inhibit their own growth.

Here at Kiva, we strongly believe in the power of women and their impact on the world around them. Since Kiva’s beginnings in 2007, over 66,000 women working in agriculture have been featured on the site.

Take for example, Chum, a mother of three from Cambodia who took out a $750 loan from Kiva to purchase more ducks for her duck egg business. Chum earns about $5 per day while her husband earns $1 per day working as a policeman. Chum’s 3 children are students and the extra income she now generates from her increased inventory allows her to pay for her children’s education and provide her family with greater financial security.

Kiva is thrilled to have connected our lenders so many strong, influential women like Chum. If you're interested in promoting economic development and women's empowerment (not to mention food security) click here to search for fundraising female agricultural loans!

Check out the FAO's Female Face of Farming infographic for more information and interesting statistics on the subject.

Have more questions about women in agriculture? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

Featured Volunteer: Hugo Reyes dedicates his time and skills to Kiva

"Kiva works to break the cycle of poverty, and I hope to see more people get involved in making loans." -- Hugo Reyes, Kiva volunteer

City: Williamsburg, Virginia

Language: Spanish

Team: Los Habaneros

Time with Kiva: 3 years

Outstanding contributions to Kiva:
Hugo has not only been a former Team Leader for Los Habaneros, but he's a consistent, reliable translator for the Review and Translation Program. He's set a personal goal of translating a total of 3,000 loans by his birthday in January -- a reachable goal that we don't doubt he'll accomplish!

Here's a short Q&A with this remarkable volunteer:

How did you find out about Kiva?

I heard about Kiva through a PBS podcast. They told the story of a woman in Africa who needed a new peanut grinder. Like many Kiva borrowers, she couldn’t get support from normal banking institutions, but because of a Kiva loan, she was able to get a new grinder. I started lending on Kiva, and often wondered how the loans got to the Kiva website. I found out that I could volunteer as a translator and started translating in September 2009.

Why did you choose to volunteer your time with Kiva?

Kiva is different from other charitable organizations because they’re not giving handouts. They’ve created a loaning program and what I like about it is that along with the loans, Kiva’s Field Partners oftentimes provide training and education. This allows borrowers to learn for the first time how to manage their business. I loved being a volunteer Team Leader, and have been inspired to transfer some of what I did for Los Habaneros to my daily professional work. I’ve even started a Kiva account for my office and we’ve pooled money to make a few loans.

What is your favorite partner or region?

I have a soft spot for Mexico (and all of Latin America) because my family is from there. I’ve translated for and also made a number of loans to Mexican borrowers.

Tell us about a memorable profile you have encountered.

One of the first loans I translated was for a woman in Bolivia. The simple description consisted of short sentences, but they were very clear and concise. This woman lost her home, barn and livestock when flood waters rushed through, and she barely made it out herself as she grabbed whatever she could. The story was so tragic and very touching.

Where is your favorite place in the world to travel?

I like to travel to different parts of Europe, and of course to Mexico to see family. There was a long period in which I didn’t get back to Mexico, and I think becoming a Kiva translator played a part in why I started making a yearly trip there in recent years. When I travel, I like to stay away from resorts and touristy spots. Everyone wants to use their English with you and I like to get away from that and really experience the culture of a place.

Tell us an unusual or surprising fact about yourself.

I have an on-going project to create a room in my house for model trains and railroading. The models are so detailed that if you take a close-up picture of them, you wouldn’t be able to tell if it was the real thing or not from the picture. 

Photo provided by Hugo Reyes, volunteer translator.

Interested in volunteering for Kiva? Check out our opportunities at kiva.org/volunteer.

Kiva Innovations: Loans that preserve our forests while helping farmers turn a profit

While it's not normally considered a development issue, deforestation impacts millions of lives around the world -- and stands to affect generations to come.

The devastation of our earth’s forests is no small matter, with the World Resources Institute estimating that over 80% of the world’s forests have been destroyed. We've been losing around 5.2 million hectares of forest per year (based on data from 2000 to 2010). The facts speak for themselves: we are irreversibly damaging our environment, and the consequences include loss of habitat for animals, increased droughts, and global warming -- just to name a few. 

In Kenya, this problem is especially acute, as demand is high for wood commodities that are essential to a wide variety of industries. Kenya remains largely a net importer of wood, and as a result, faces insufficient levels of locally sourced wood. 

Unsustainable forest harvesting is one of the primary methods for sourcing wood in Kenya, and many farmers rely on the income generated from chopping down indigenous trees. Only about 1.7% of Kenya's land is covered by forest – well below the internationally-accepted minimum of 10%. But traditional practices, driven by profit and survival, continue to intensify the destruction. 

A KOMAZA farmer planting Eucalyptus.

Kenya and Eucalyptus 

Eucalyptus, a sustainable wood species, was first introduced to Kenya in 1902. Today, it's estimated that the Eucalyptus industry contributes approximately 16.4 billion Kenyan shillings to the national economy (excluding non-traded domestic and small-scale businesses), which represents around 1% of Kenya’s total GDP. 

Of the over 100 Eucalyptus species found in Kenya, only 20 are recommended as suitable for planting. Accordingly, the continued growth of Eucalyptus trees within the country has reignited a debate about the plant’s impact on the environment, particularly the effects it has on the hydration of soil. 

When Eucalyptus is managed poorly 

The negative perception of Eucalyptus comes from the alleged large quantity of water required for growth. According to the experts, however, this is not true for all Eucalyptus varieties and applies only to a select few species, especially if they're not cultivated in the correct conditions. When properly managed, Eucalyptus poses no serious threat to local environments and, in fact, requires considerably less water than other crops like cotton, coffee, bananas and sunflowers. 

Large scale plantations are the norm for growing wood for this demanding market, and these farms can disrupt and negatively impact ecosystems and local communities. Small-scale commercial forestry has been promoted in the past, but this strategy can be economically unviable without sufficient economies of scale at the local level.

In many cases, farmers do not have the guidance or expertise to correctly assess and prepare their land for the non-destructive planting of Eucalyptus. Instead, they continue to use unsustainable planting practices. 

When Eucalyptus is managed correctly 

Sustainable farming has been defined by the OECD as “agricultural production that is economically viable and does not degrade the environment in the long run." Sustainable techniques in farming have gained attention internationally, and Eucalyptus farming best practices are now taking root in Kenya.

Komaza farmers harvesting Eucalyptus.

Best practices specific to Eucalyptus include: 

- Ensuring that plantation areas are suitable for Eucalyptus (i.e. not close to a water source).

- Managing the plantation as a longer-term crop, and not depleting minerals through constant rotation.

- Using locally-appropriate Eucalyptus species to yield best results.

The qualities of Eucalyptus make it suitable to be used as: 

- Sustainable wood source with rapid regeneration rates.

- Raw material for power transmission poles for rural electrification programs.

- An alternative source of affordable energy for the tea, tobacco, lime, cement and other industries.

- High quality fibre for pulp and paper.

Harnessing the good with KOMAZA 

A non-profit innovator in Kenya’s forestry industry, KOMAZA is Swahili for “promote development, encourage growth.”

KOMAZA works with rural families to grow trees as a cash crop. Targeting arid and semi-arid lands with marginal or degraded soils, the socially-driven company provides farmers with tools and hands-on training to grow woodlots on their unused land. Once the trees reach maturity, KOMAZA sells families' harvests as high-value wood products to generate more income and create a sustainable wood supply to decrease deforestation.

The organization has searched for the most suitable Eucalyptus species, which are ecologically sustainable, resilient to drought, and provide a regular income to smallholder farmers. The result of the search is a hybrid plant of the Eucalyptus Grandis and Eucalyptus Camaldulensis, which requires lower levels of water than other common species.

Prior to planting, Komaza conducts a site assessment to ensure the correct conditions are in place for the Eucalyptus species. As part of the planting process, Komaza ensures farmers maintain a minimum buffer of 100 meters from any water source or wetlands and only plant where the depth of the water exceeds 30 meters. KOMAZA leverages a rural-based farmer extension network to regulate planting and implement microforestry best practices.

With the right resources and correct techniques, Eucalyptus is helping to provide farmers with a sustainable livelihood. 

Kiva is on the lookout for partners interested in offering financing for small-scale, sustainable tree farming. With the right loan products, we could make a major difference in how forests are grown, used, and honored for years in the future.

This post was contributed by Eileen Silva, the research and communications intern on Kiva's Strategic Initiatives team. Stay tuned for more on how Kiva is tackling the world's biggest challenges.

Why are there so few loans on Kiva?

We've been getting questions from many of you about the unusually low number of loans on the Kiva site for the past week. Currently, there are fewer than 100 loans on the site, when typically lenders can find over 1,000 borrowers looking for support. 

We call this "low inventory," and we realize it can be frustrating because it may mean that you can't find the exact type of loan you like the fund. In Kiva’s world, this is both good news and bad news.

The good news is that borrowers are getting funded! The not-as-good-news is that our lenders may not find the borrowers they're looking for, and therefore have a less-than-good experience with Kiva. And, because we want to make sure that we're consistently helping as many borrowers as possible, we don't like to see loan posting slow down.

What causes low inventory?
Every month, our partner organizations post loans to Kiva to help the borrowers they work with get funded. Some partners post more than others, and the numbers vary based on a whole host of factors.

At the start of January, there were upwards of 1,500 loans on the site. But between all the new lenders redeeming their holiday Kiva Cards and new year's enthusiasm, very few are left. Additionally, January tends to be a slower month for our partners as they take a break after posting a lot of loans to meet holiday demand.

What does this mean for borrowers?
Low inventory is a sign that more borrowers are getting funded to achieve their goals. Fewer loans are expiring, and our partners are getting the support they need to reach even more borrowers and continue offering non-financial services like business training, health care and more.

So, this is nothing to be worried about?
Correct! Current low inventory is not indicative of anything wrong at Kiva or at our partner organizations. A new, big batch of loans will be posted in early February, just like every month. So if you're waiting to fund someone from a particular country, or in a certain sector, stay tuned. New loans are on the way!

Have more questions about low inventory? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

Join the Kiva Insights call with Matt Flannery and Premal Shah

Join us on Thursday, January 24 at 10 a.m. PST for our latest Kiva Insights call, a quarterly video conference between lenders and Kiva staff, featuring: Matt Flannery, Co-founder and CEO; Premal Shah, President; Michelle Kreger, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives; and representatives from our most active lending teams.

These calls are an amazing opportunity to interface directly with Kiva's management, and we're thrilled to involve our top lending teams this time around. 

Not a member of a lending team? Check them out on our Community page. You can get to know your fellow lenders, rally around a loan you'd like to fund, and even suggest a question for the call!

We'll kick things off with a reflection on 2012, including our milestones, biggest learnings, and new ventures like clean energy, higher education and sanitation. We'll then take a look ahead to 2013 and open it up for a question and answer session between lenders and Kiva staff.

To join the call, tune into our YouTube Channel on Thursday, Jan 24 at 10 a.m. PST. We'll see you then!

Click to add Kiva Insights to your Google Calendar:

Week in Review: Microfinance helps spread clean energy to rural areas

Today there are 1.6 billion people living without electricity. If we agree that access to electricity is fundamental to economic development, that number is very disheartening.

Triple Pundit put out a very interesting article this week highlighting how microfinance specifically can help bring sustainable energy to the quarter of the world’s population that lives without it.

Traditional energy infrastructure has been highly centralized as it is the most efficient option for urban areas. While they’ve worked great in those environments, these electricity grids often fail to reach people in more remote areas, thus causing mass migrations and overcrowding in cities.

While we can attempt to address the issue of actually getting electricity out to rural areas, it becomes a moot point when you consider many people may be unable to afford the energy at all, even if it were accessible.

This is where microfinance comes in.

The article highlights Nicaragua’s Off-grid Rural Electrification Program, PERZA. PERZA subsidizes the installation of energy efficient systems in rural areas and then kicks it up a notch with a microfinance plan. Rural residents are provided with small business loans so they can generate extra income to actually utilize the new energy.

Although this is just one specific program, it is a refreshing reminder of the relevance and power of microfinance. Combining access to energy, promotion of clean energy, and business development is an impressive feat.

Currently you can filter Kiva loans by those that promote sustainable, earth-friendly lifestyles in addition to those that serve residents in rural areas. We are so thrilled to be able to promote green practices as well as target hard to reach borrowers.

An example of a Kiva field partner that incorporates both of these attributes is Solar Sister. Via Solar Sister, Kiva lenders can provide women entrepreneurs with loans to purchase solar-powered lamps for resale in rural communities throughout Uganda.

Mary received a loan of $300 to purchase and distribute portable solar lanterns.  

We're excited to bring on even more partners this year that will provide financing for clean energy products such as solar lanterns, clean stoves, and more!

Have questions about what Kiva is doing in the clean energy space? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

Apply to be a Kiva Fellow by January 27!

Want to see the world and do good?

Since 2007, Kiva has sent over 400 Kiva Fellows to more than 60 countries around the world to work directly with our Field Partners and witness the power of microfinance firsthand. Kiva Fellows play an integral part in Kiva’s operations, as they build key relationships with our partners, develop sustainable practices, and share their experiences with the Kiva community.



The Kiva Fellowship is a 4 to 12 month volunteer position, and is designed to further Kiva’s mission as well as provide fellows with a unique and invaluable personal experience.

Abhishesh is currently serving as a Kiva Fellow in Kyrgyzstan where he’s found a strong enthusiasm for starting small businesses. Abhishesh recently attended Kyrgyzstan’s first ever “Startup Weekend” event, where he gave a presentation about Kiva and entrepreneurship to about 80 young entrepreneurs and many more investors and influential members of Kyrgyz society. 

Abhishesh presenting at Startup Weekend in Bishek.

Another current fellow, Anna, is serving in the capital city of Senegal and decided to personally explore the relationship between microfinance and fertility rates in the region. Anna coordinated several informal discussion groups with local women where she was able to get a better understanding of the issue from their perspective.

Anna leading an outdoor discussion group.

Ranging from 21 to 60 years old, past Kiva Fellows have come from all places and backgrounds. You can browse through the bios of past fellows to learn more about them or click here to read more of their interesting stories.

Applications for the next class of Kiva Fellows must be submitted by Sunday, January 27, 2013. We encourage you to get started today!

If you have any questions, send them our way at fellows@kiva.org.