Kiva Fellow Quotes for a 2012 Calendar

[Guest]

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[waywardcats]

Please add quotes as you find them in this thread!  The kiva fellow quotes are a great way to highlight the work that they do.  So instead of trying to wade through hundreds of blogs in September, please leave the quotes as you find them.  Make sure you include the blog it comes from, to make sure information and names are accurate.

The question of whether Ghana will ever reach Canada has taught me two very important lessons. One is that I want to be involved with work that does not prescribe values to the recipients of this work. For this reason, I am proud to be volunteering for Kiva. From what I observe, the loans empower borrowers to make their own decisions without making any prescriptions. Second, whenever I feel culture-shocked or confused, I take a bit of comfort in the sheer fact that sometimes things are just different in Ghana. They are not better or worse, but just different. While this may be more evident while traveling and experiencing new cultures, I think there is room to apply this lesson in my day-to-day when I return to Canada. And I look forward to trying.

Prescriptions are not just for medicineBy Zerrin Cetin, KF12 Ghana

[waywardcats]

The real positive that I’ve witnessed so far is that microfinance gives borrowers a choice. One borrower I met used to work in a kitchen but, being asthmatic, the fumes from the stoves were having a degenerative effect on her health. She used her loan to set up a beauty salon and is now much happier as a result.

Great Expectations, Unexpected Revelations by Nick Hamilton, KF13, Esperanza

[waywardcats]

Through financial tools like a Kiva loan, we allow them to dream bigger, to begin to think past the day to day needs and to look toward the future. Perhaps, in a small way, as we give Kiva loans, we enable them to realize their own dreams.

Passport Series: Profile of a Lender and Borrower in Peru by Eric Burdullis

[waywardcats]

They live in a shanty of a house with a rutted dirt floor.  Little light enters her home and the furnishings are spare – a bed, a table, a couple of chairs, and most importantly her business equipment – two small freezers that she purchased with her loan.  She runs her business from her home.  It is quite simple.  She fills plastic bags with water, freezes them, and sells them to fishermen – that’s it.  But as simple as this is, she makes an adequate living that allows her to send her daughter to school.  With an education, her daughter’s economic future will likely be brighter.

My Favorite Small Businesses in Bali by Jerry Harter, KF13 Indonesia

[waywardcats]

An outsider might be quick to pity Javier and his seemingly desperate situation. However, after talking to him for five minutes, his optimism and hopefulness about his future plans quickly negate these thoughts. He speaks excitedly about his ability to pay back his loan, the loans he will take out in the future, and the things he will use the capital for (primarily his son’s healthcare, the purchase of livestock, and house renovations).

While Javier and his family will have to work hard to lift themselves out of poverty, their relationship with CIDRE assists them in doing so. In addition to the working capital they provide, CIDREs provision of financial services to Javier and his family gives them a sense of pride and inclusion. In short, microfinance provides hope.

Borrower Visits: Inspirational Stories and Important Lessons by Julie Shea KF13

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And I am just going to stick this picture in here to highlight it.  It would be a great one for the calendar, as would any from this post of pictures by KF Joanne Gan.

[Amy-in-PHX]

I would like to nominate a photo, too, from loan 267249, Sudaj Segovia and his son.  Sorry about the size; I tried to make it smaller but then it wouldn't preview.

[waywardcats]

...microfinance is not only empowering individuals from the developing world, but also giving their children the opportunity to dream, and to think big. I believe the real benefits of microfinance will be seen in future generations of children who were educated from the proceeds of these microloans.

Video blog: The heart of Kivaby Anna Cleal, KF13.

[waywardcats]

The beauty of microfinance is that it gives people at the wrong end of the income spectrum opportunities to step out of the poverty trap. It also provides women the confidence and security that comes from earning their own income, leading to greater gender equality.

by Mei-ing Cheok(?)

George Tokpo, Director of Operations, says, “When we empower women, they are able to provide their families. We acknowledge that women are more responsible when it comes to the upbringing of their children.” Mr Tokpo added that women make better clients, “Women are able to find jobs much more easily than men. They’re a lot more adaptable. If one business fails, they will pick something else up very quickly. This lowers the likelihood of defaults.”

As reported by By Mei-ing Cheok

Celebrating Women around the World! compiled by Mei-ing Cheok

[waywardcats]

Could be time to refresh the calendar.  If there are any budding designers within KivaFriends now is the time to step forward.
Christopher

I also wanted to ask for some help here in this thread if anyone is interested in contributing to the 2012 Kiva calendar in a meaningful way.  Due to life changes my time for browsing the Kiva Fellows blogs has shrunk and so I will be less likely to see good quotes to pull them out and post them.  If any of you read the Kiva Fellows blogs on a regular basis and would be willing to take the time to post your favorite quotes here on this thread I would be grateful, as would the volunteer team who puts the calendar together.

Thanks!

-Kerry-

[waywardcats]

The microloans I have seen in action place into the hands of borrowers the power to shape their own lives. The recipients of these loans are among the most dignified people I have ever met, and when given the chance, these individuals make tremendous improvements in their lives.

Microlending Behind the Scenes: How MFIs Judge Credit Worthiness by Nila Uthayakumar, KF14, Uganda

[waywardcats]

Microloans create choice. They allow people to switch profession and work in a field that interests them, or at least interests them more than their last job. The loans also allow them to develop a new skill.

The fundamental benefit of a microloan is that it gives borrowers access to cash. Microfinance clients typically cannot open a commercial bank account. Even if they could it’s likely that the nearest ATM (if indeed ATMs readily exist – in Haiti they do not) would be miles away: many of the clients I visited lived in rural communities devoid of common amenities.

Material possessions aside, imagine the difference between being unable and being able to pay for your child’s education. I have witnessed microloans making that difference.

The Pros and Cons of Microfinance Part 1 by Nick Hamiton, KF13

[waywardcats]

By promoting microfinance, sharing the personal stories of Kiva borrowers, and connecting Lenders and Borrowers with these stories, Kiva reminds us that people matter more than profits and that making a living is about more than money.

When I ask Kiva borrowers how they have used and will use the additional profits gained from their loans, rarely do they mention wanting to buy more things. They talk about providing education and healthcare for their children, better food for their families, and more opportunities for their communities.

New Orleans: A Developing Country in America? by Rebecca Corey, KF16