Guatemala is active on Kiva

[Guest]

.

[Ramón]

Have you guys noticed that Friendship Bridge in Guatemala has posted several loans? This is a *new country* for many of you collectors. (They did a test run with 3 loans or so before, but many people missed out on that.)

Great!!!

--Ramón

[Henry]

YEAH !  A new pin to put on my map!  Coming soon.

Wonder what kind of cosmetics she's selling    AND What's up with the date on this photo!???

[Ramón]

I see a few things here:
- someone didn't set the date on their camera
- picture must have been too dark, and then someone used Microsoft Picture Manager a bit overzealously to correct the brightness and contrast.

Good loan-- but unfortunately not a World Press Photo winner this year. Cut them some slack-- they just started posting loans!

--Ramón

[Henry]

I actually only partly agree with Ramon.

Yes, this is a Photo of a borrower with a recent photo, and the camera date was never set correctly on the camera. The MFI would like for us to see this photo, read the summary and then help fund the loan.  But in order to do so, we need the MFI to be a quality organization, by quality I mean produce accurate information to US. Let's draw a parallel here:

One of the goals of an MFI is to acquire money in order to help provide loans to poor entrepreneurs in a consistent and long-term fashion. Similarly, the MFI's Photos / loan summarys and data needs to be as accurate as possible, include as much detail as possible, and represent the business/need as much as possible in order to channel this money in a long-term and consistent fashion from us, the Internet Lenders.

Now let's do a quick "back of the napkin" demonstration. Someone new to this process other than one of us (including me who is in KIVAFriends mostly for entertainment) were to see that photo and notice the date on that photo might question it.  Now, if that new person also spotted multiple loans to the same person with the same photo in each loan, this new person might come up with some questions. Questions about the MFI, KIVA, or why the world spins the way it does.

Where is this money coming from? -- The money is coming from 'us' the 'funders' aka Partners to the MFI and KIVA. Thus, they need us.

Generally, donors that haven't heard about Kiva or the MFI, are skeptical to start off. Having accurate and informative "NEW" information in the form of photographs, journal entries, and nice loan summarys, will help the MFI when they try to attract these funds from 'us'.

So IMHO, The reason I wrote so much here is because of a correlation between examples of this topic and another topic where a similar post exist.  SO, give me some slack!

  Henry 

[AccountAbility]

I actually only partly agree with Ramon.

SO, give me some slack!

  Henry 

Well, Henry, I actually only partly agree with you.  While we here may look at Kiva monies as the only game in town, the truth is Kiva is still a drop in the bucket--albeit a very valuable and promising drop.  Until Kiva has significantly more money to lend, they will have to adapt to the reality on the ground, which is much cruder than we would like to think, where pictures (and cameras) are in the luxury arena. In another thread, there was a desperate cry for a motorbike, just so a field partner would be able to travel to a borrowers location, let alone go back a second time if the picture didn't meet internet standards.

For now, I appreciate ANY picture (and for that matter ANY journal) that flows back to Kiva lenders.

[Henry]

let me say this:  That entire post was taken a little too seriously to begin with....   My response wasn't entirely called for. And thank 'someone' we all have the right to agree or dissagree!

as for this: 

Until Kiva has significantly more money to lend, they will have to adapt to the reality on the ground

I like to think KIVA's role is of course to "adapt",  They are to work with the MFI's to educate and bring some level of accuracy or professionalism that I/we expect.  IE:  journals, accurate payment posting, photo's that include info.  Everything we(most of us) have all mentioned recently. 

For obvious reasons, I/we(most of us) are unable to work with the MFI's therefore it defaults to KIVA to do this. Which is what our interest/donations are working for. 

EDIT:  OOPS,  I forgot to send some of these around to everyone   

[RichardF]

And thank 'someone' we all have the right to agree or dissagree!

I'm amazed there isn't a topic on this yet! 

[Henry]

It would take a lot more than this forum to convince me  "I" didn't come from an ape!   especially when you look at my sister!

Rut ro.... in trouble when she comes online to use Christmas KIVA certificates. 

[RichardF]

Rather than hijack this topic with any more comments about Henry's genealogy, I started a new one.

[Laurie]

Wait a minute!  Wait a minute!  Do you mean to tell me Henry is REAL?  A person? 

Considering how many posts "he" makes each day (is anything ever posted that "Henry" doesn't answer?), and how some of them seem very close to the odd spam stories that arrive from time to time in my email box, I just assumed he is computer-generated... like maybe Joe had added him to the Kiva Friends program for our entertainment, to make sure we come back frequently.

Hmmm.... I am going to have to take him more seriously now.

Safe travels,
Laurie
Writing this evening from Sequim, Washington, USA