Kiva Fellow Julie Ross - Making a Difference

[Guest]

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[fredr1c]

Thanks to a nice across the pond heads-up from Peter S, I was able to attend Kiva Fellow Julie Ross' pre-departure fundraiser in Washington, D.C. Monday evening.  Julie is due to get on a plane for Tanzania on July 23rd, where she'll be working with east African Kiva partner MFIs for a period of six to nine months.  Her first assignment will be with BRAC in Tanzania.  She needed to raise nearly $2,000 just for her airfare to Dar Es Salaam, so friends opened up their home for an evening of celebration, well-wishing and fundraising on Julie's behalf.

When I arrived a little after 6 p.m. I could see that things were already going well.  The fundraising collection basket was overflowing with checks, and there was a laptop available for donors to make contributions on line.  Some of Julie's ex-coworkers -- fellow staffers from the Capitol Hill office of a Congressman for whom Julie had been the Scheduler and  Office Manager -- were enjoying a nice vibe generated by good friends come together for a good cause. 

There was a lot of love in the house.  Folks are sorry to see her go, but they're also completely supportive of her desire to help others as an agent of Kiva.

Julie is everything you might expect a Kiva Fellow to be.  She's warm, outgoing, and extremely enthusiastic about Kiva's mission and her part in it. 

She explained to me that she'd spent a lot of time looking for a way to make a difference, and had considered all kinds of charitable and volunteer work, including the Peace Corps.  In the end, Julie felt that becoming a Kiva Fellow would be the best way for her to give of herself with maximum positive impact.

This speaks very well both for Kiva.org, and for the high-quality individuals who are attracted to the Kiva Fellowship Program.

What was Julie's reaction to hearing she'd been accepted as a Kiva Fellow?

"...the day I was accepted as a Kiva Fellow I put in my notice to quit my job.  I had my last day on the Hill just over two weeks ago and have been spending my time since then training at Kiva, fundraising, researching, and preparing for the move."

Capitol Hill's loss is Kiva and east Africa's gain. :-D

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Julie actually exceeded last night's fundraising goal of $1,971.30 -- she raised $2026.00!

But she still has other unfunded needs that some of us could help her meet, so if you'd like to be a part of Kiva Fellow Julie Ross' efforts on Kiva's behalf in east Africa, visit Julie's Kiva Fellowship blog and make a donation!

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Julie at her fundraiser

[saabnet]

But she still has other unfunded needs that some of us could help her meet, so if you'd like to be a part of Kiva Fellow Julie Ross' efforts on Kiva's behalf in east Africa, visit Julie's Kiva Fellowship blog and make a donation!

Thanks for the great write up, Fred. When you make a donation to Julie, you can write a note (see the "add a note" link at your PayPal checkout) to Julie. So, I asked her, if she ever found time to do it, to stop by KivaFriends while in Africa to let us know how it is going!

-Scott

p.s. I like that she lists out what she needs help with in her blog: To help me with accommodations, a helmet to use on the back of motorbike taxis, transportation to and from the office, or Swahili language instruction...

[Kay]

Thank you so much, Fred.  I'll certainly be donating to Julie, and I only wish I could have gone to her fundraiser!

[JulieR]

Fred--thank you for this extremely kind write-up!  I'm so thrilled that you were able to be there.  It was a great night and it has been so much fun getting so many people involved in Kiva and this process.  I'm hoping I've converted some of my friends into KivaFriends.  Keep an eye out for them.  I can't thank all of you enough for the outpouring of support you've shown.  As Scott requested, I'll be checking in while I'm away to let you know how it all looks from the ground and I'll be keeping up on what you're all seeing from your various corners of the world.  Kiva really does connect people--it's fantastic!

Thank you all again--I can't tell you how much it means to know you're all looking out for me!

[fredr1c]

Kiva Fellow Julie Ross has arrived safely in Tanzania!

You can read about her journey from D.C. to Dar Es Salaam here:

http://kivafellowjulie.wordpress.com/

You can also read about and perhaps make a contribution towards her unfunded fellowship needs here:

http://kivafellowjulie.wordpress.com/donate/

Fred

[fredr1c]

More news from Kiva Fellow Julie Ross.

She relates her experiences during her first two weeks (including her first week at work) in Tanzania here:

http://kivafellowjulie.wordpress.com/

...and she made her first entry over on Kiva's Kiva Fellows blog, talking about the cultural differences at work within BRAC's Tanzanian operations:

http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/08/05/three-languages-and-nothing-to-say/

[reb-mar]

Fred,

Thank you for bringing this thread to our attention again. Being a "KIVA FELLOW" is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many people. I can only imagine the experiences she will have to tell us about!

                     Thanks again!

                             Rebecca   

[JulieR]

Fred, thank you for sharing my blog with the Kiva Friends! 

So far I'm having a fascinating experience in Tanzania and a good adjustment to the culture and the work.  I've been here nearly three weeks (hard to believe!) and I'm working on figuring out the inner-workings of BRAC Tanzania and their partnership with Kiva.  I'll share more  as I go, but for now I just wanted to drop you all a note to thank you for following my trip and the stories of all of the Kiva Fellows!  We all really appreciate your support!  Thank you also to those of you who have contributed to my fellowship.  I am very grateful!

Thanks for everything!  I'll be in touch soon!

All best,
Julie

[fredr1c]

Kiva Fellow Julie Ross has posted more about her work with BRAC in Tanzania in her blog (with a matching entry over at the Kiva Fellows blog).  In addition to providing microfinance opportunities to borrowers by partnering with Kiva and others, BRAC in Tanzania is also empowering its women employees:

"BRAC, then, is not only providing poor people with access to capital, but it is creating jobs (several hundred throughout the country) for Tanzania’s brightest young women.  As it does so, BRAC is promoting the country’s stability and future success from multiple levels of affluence, helping women from all backgrounds work to earn a living."

You'll also find links to her Tanzanian photos down the right side of the page.

Julie will be leaving from Dar Es Salaam within days for three weeks of work at BRAC locations in the Dodoma, Shinyanga, and Mwanza regions of Tanzania.  She'll be working with staff to implement and improve Kiva's processes at those locations.