One year on...

[Guest]

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[Ramón]

Almost silently, I passed the "1 year on Kiva" mark a few weeks ago. Time to do some inventory...

- First loan was to Rosalba Zambrano, who owns a clothing store in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Yes, she paid back in full and on time!
- Total loans in a year-- 60. Way more than the "once every 2 weeks" promise I made.
- Total loaned-- $1,500. Total paid back-- $778
- Average loan size-- $719.58
- I loaned $25 to every loan
- Country distribution: 5-Bolivia, 8-Dominican Republic, 9-Ecuador, 4-Guatemala, 2-Haiti, 6-Honduras, 6-Mexico, 2-Nicaragua, 5-Paraguay, 13-Perú.
- Snapshot of loans status: 3-In Need, 0-Raised, 42-Active, 14-Paid Back, 0-Defaulted, 1-Refunded


My experience.
Before this, I was never very active in the NGO or charitable "circuit". However, in Kiva I found something that I can believe in, not because I am giving something, but because I am simply enabling people to fend for themselves. I'm not doing the work for them-- just temporarily providing the means to make that extra step.
Kiva has turned out to be a GREAT PLACE TO BE. Some highlights:
- directly exchanging emails with MFI officers like Dr. Kendall Mau (Prisma/Honduras, Nicaragua) and Luis Crespo (Mifex, Ecuador) about loans, etc.
- meeting with MFI experts in Perú while visiting family
- organizing a stay-over for Michelle Kreger from Kiva with my wife's family high in the Andes in Puno, Perú, while she was on a business trip
- becoming a Spanish volunteer translator for Kiva
- hanging my office wall at work full with pictures of the businesses I am investing in
- seeing a quote of me in the Kiva Calendar-- in the month of my birthday!

Unfortunately, due to the crazy schedule I am running at work, I haven't been as active on Kivafriends as I would like to be. I still have 2 more trips coming up before Christmas (to Florida and London). Hopefully, there will be a lull after that, but with baby #2 due mid-March, I doubt that it become any less busy anytime soon.

I kept my promise of investing 2x a month for a year-- as stated on my Kiva profile. What now? As long as it makes sense, I will continue to invest 2x a month into Kiva. I found a great community that I feel proud to be a member of. Thanks to you all!

--Ramón
Belmont, MA, USA.
Kiva Lender Since 24 November 2006.

[KivanSteven]

Thanks Ramón for your update and checking in on us all.  Congratulations on sticking to your goals, Im sure it can be inspiring to some of the newcomers here that have yet to set an agenda or ideal on how, when, and where they desire to loan their money.  I passed the one year mark as well in early November and its the best thing Ive ever come across thus far...after a couple re-loans and almost simultaneously finding KF, safe to say I am a die-hard supporter, probably to a fault.  But here we can always take comfort in knowing we arent the only one.

[QueenOfHearts]

Congratultions Ramon on your accomplishments....and best of luck in March....thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to update us....we miss you and look forward to a time when life is more serene for you.

Queen

[AccountAbility]

Congratulations, Ramón.

We joined Kiva and made our first loans one year ago today.  Since that time we have made a total of 63 loans, with 15 having paid back in full.  The loans are for varying amounts and are distributed over 23 different countries, with the largest percentage to the Ukraine and next to the Dominican Republic.

We have not had any refunds nor defaults, though we have 3 through W.E.E.C. which are more than a bit overdue.

We/I joined Kiva Friends in the first week of its operation, March 27.  While we have not made any official Kiva invites (through their system) we have introduced Kiva to dozens of people in this last year, some of who are now lenders.  A bunch of others came kicking and screaming into a higher consciousness and greater understanding of micro-enterprise and microlending.

Dan

[wind5001]

Ramón,

thanks for starting this thread and I look forward to Feb. 22, when I will have my first year completed!! I really miss your posts here, but I know you're busy, so I try to understand and be patient (which sure isn't easy for me!)...I miss my Dutch friend...

Dan,

congratulations, also. I like the "Invitee"-section at Kiva. A friend of mine was smart enough to insert my name there, so now I have a direct link to her portfolio, which is really nice...

Steve,

congrats...it's nice to see the steep curve of involvement!! You really got into lending frenzy lately...

[valandderek]

Congratulations to Ramon, Dan and Steve on your anniversaries and for all that you have achieved over the last year.     

Here's a question!  How do you think things will look a year from now?  What significant changes do you expect to see in the coming year?



Val and Derek

[KivanSteven]

Next year things will look even better growthwise than this remarkable year, especially concerning loaned $$...if all goes right that should be a trend that continues well beyond next year as well...did anyone receive the new Kiva newsletter Friday night?  I was very surprised and it was pretty nice...other than eventual loan requests coming from El Salvador, it didnt provide any info I myself or most of you didnt already know, but it was very welcome...I only wish they might be more specific when discussing future expansion efforts and changes...only because it would give us even more to discuss, speculate on, and ring through the washer.  I hope the newsletters continue quarterly and are not just an end of the year sort of deal.

[howard]

What newsletter? Where do I find it? Should be a good read.

[KivanSteven]

I can forward it to you if you didnt receive it, but in order to be on the recipient list you probably have to check mark the "send me news from Kiva" box.  In order to get there, go to kiva.org....access your portfolio, click on "my account" and at the bottom of the page you should see a box for this option, then simply save the changes...this newsletter is all I have received in the last 14 months so dont expect much unless they start making a habit of these newsletters, but I wouldnt think thats the case, at least not now...if you want me to forward you the newsletter just PM me your email address and Id be glad to.

[wind5001]

Steve,

I didn't receive a newsletter, but I have the "send me news" box ticked...I wonder what that was...can you please forward it?

Thanks
Oli