Introducing Kiva
June 2014
- KIVA FELLOWS BLOG -
For the next three to four months I will have the opportunity to work in Nairobi, Kenya as a Kiva Fellow, learning more about the operations of two local partner organisations; SMEP and Sanergy. By way of introduction, here's a little more info about Kiva and the Kiva Fellows Program.
"Our mission is to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty."
- Premal Shah, President, Kiva
As you'll see if you visit Kiva.org, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity for borrowers all around the world. Kiva's unique strength is its focus on connecting individuals and conveying personal stories, and its website is filled with profiles of real entrepreneurs hoping to grow their businesses and improve their lives. In addition, Kiva's 0% capital makes it more likely the very poorest members of society can be reached, and allows Kiva's partners to continue to innovate and iterate, generating novel and tailored solutions. Since its inception in 2005, Kiva has facilitated more than $570 million in loans, and now works with over 250 partner organisations in 75 countries. Here's a recap of everything Kiva achieved last year:
If you're interested in finding out more about Kiva and making your first loan, click here!
And now a little on how my fellow Fellows and I will be working to support Kiva's mission...
Last week was Fellows Training Week at Kiva HQ and a chance for all of us to meet before we headed off to our respective corners of the globe. In a nutshell, the role of a Kiva Fellow is to act as Kiva's eyes and ears on the ground; strengthening relationships between Kiva and its partners, supporting their growth, unearthing potential problems and inefficiences, and arguably most importantly; meeting borrowers and experiencing the reality of their day-to-day lives. We all converged on San Francisco for an intensive week of presentations, tutorials and training, and the importance of, and support for, the Fellows Program was evident from the outset. We met an amazing number of Kiva staff, spanning every area of the organisation, and I relished the opportunity to share one-on-one conversations with engineers, portfolio managers, risk directors, marketing and communications specialists, not to mention Kiva's CEO and co-founder, Matt Flannery, and President, Premal Shah.
By the end of the week we had all received a thorough grounding in Kiva's operations, including the flow of funds, risk assessment and due diligence processes, Kiva's front- and back-end software, business development strategy, marketing and communications strategy, photography and videography training and much, much more. As Jacob, VP of People, described the week's deluge of information, it was like "drinking from a fire hose". Nevertheless, I think I speak for all the Fellows when I say we left feeling energised, inspired and empowered.
I'll be posting updates here regularly throughout my fellowship as I negotiate the inevitable trials and tribulations that are sure to arise, but I also encourage you to explore Kiva's website, visit the Kiva Fellows Blog and follow all of us as we collectively traverse the globe!
