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I sadly left Tofo after 6 days to head to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, for a Rotary meeting. Maputo was a surprisingly nice city. I spent two days there; I attended a Rotary and Rotaract meeting, enjoyed live music in the evenings, and wandered around town with someone I ran into who I knew from Kiva (small world).
But I really missed Tofo. I missed Johnny. I missed not wearing shoes at all – even to the bars at night. I missed the tranquility of the town. I missed the beautiful sunrises over the ocean and sunsets over the palm tree forest. I missed the friendly greetings, conversations and laughs with the locals. I missed chatting with the kids selling bracelets on the beach. I missed the hammocks at Fatima’s. And I missed the friends I made who work in Tofo.
If I really pushed Jo’burg to the last minute, I had three days to kill. In Africa, with its vast distances, three days isn’t much. But the beauty of traveling by myself and with no itinerary is that I can be spontaneous (i.e. returning to Uganda) and sometimes even crazy. In this case, I missed Tofo enough to do something crazy – go back! We are talking an uncomfortable 9-hour bus ride that departs Maputo at 5:30am and arrives in Tofo at 2:30pm. And then, approximately 38 hours after arriving, boarding a bus at 4am to return to Maputo. Was it worth it? Absolutely! I’d do it again in a heartbeat. And to top it off, the following day I took a 10-hour bus ride to Johannesburg.
Teaching the kids how to use a camera. Not a bad shot, huh?
In Vilanculos I met a journalist on her first trip to Africa. As travelers usually do, and journalists even more so, she asked me how long I had been in Africa and what I was doing here. I explained that I had been working in microfinance in Tanzania, and now I was just traveling for a few months before heading home. She asked me if the experience was rewarding, and I blurted out that no, it wasn’t rewarding. She and I were both equally surprised by my response. I later thought about why I didn’t find working in microfinance to be rewarding. The truth is, I wasn’t really doing anything special. The concept of microfinance is cool because it is a sustainable method of development where the poor get a chance to help themselves. It isn’t about giving charity, which is not sustainable and likely to make them dependent on aid anyway. These people were finally just getting a chance to make something of their life and business, on their own. And they were doing it in a fair and responsible manner by borrowing money and paying it back in a timely fashion, with interest. Rewarding for me? No. Inspiring for me? Most definitely!
If you also like the idea of microfinance and want to get involved, check out www.kiva.org where you can lend (you’ll get paid back at the end of the loan term) as little as $25 to an entrepreneur in the developing world so he or she can expand his or her business.
Today is a big day for Kiva. A big day for Kiva lenders, Kiva borrowers, partner MFIs, Kiva staff and Kiva Fellows. Why? Today they surpassed $50 million in loans raised. And there is no sign of Kiva slowing down anytime soon.
http://www.kiva.org/
Going to the same job everyday gets boring. I’ve definitely stepped forward since my days at Fannie Mae, but even Tujijenge can become routine. When the opportunity arose to get away from the Dar es Salaam heat and work with BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities) for a week, I jumped right on it.
BRAC is a Bengali microfinance institution and the largest NGO in the world. Since infiltrating Tanzania two years ago, they have already opened up 65 branches throughout the country and are serving over 100,000 clients. Three include the branches recently opened in Iringa – the ones we would be training on how to “do Kiva.”
Julie and I started with a presentation to 20 loan officers and branch managers. We covered what Kiva does, how it all works through the internet, and the partnership between Kiva and BRAC Tanzania. Although we got a few good questions, we mostly got head nods. Did they have any idea what we were talking about? We decided to just jump in and passed out the business profile form for them complete with made up information. To our relief, most filled out the form correctly with little guidance.
Now finally, the fun part: How to take a good picture. But possibly also the hardest part to teach. Many have never used a camera before. We started with the basics – how to turn it on, how to make sure everyone is in the shot and how to review the pictures afterwards. I guess it isn’t intuitive that tilting the camera upwards will get a head shot instead of a feet shot. The room finally filled with laughter as they practiced with their new cameras.
Our time was up and we had done our job. We headed back to the hotel and discussed whether we felt like we had gotten through to them or not. But we would find out at 7am the next morning when we would head into the field with the loan officers to practice.
We were happily surprised the next day when the loan officers filled out the forms correctly with few questions or problems. The picture taking took a bit more guidance. But the loan officers did a fantastic job of getting the clients excited. The clients had a blast having their picture taken, and then all enthusiastically crowded around the loan officer as she showed the group the photo. For most, it was the first time seeing a picture of themselves.
Satisfied with our work, we tagged along with the loan officers for the rest of the morning to verify the businesses of potential clients, the most inspiring part of the job.
This was the first time I taught the Kiva process from start to finish. A previous fellow had already trained Tujijenge, so the most I can do is fine-tune the process. Working with new BRAC branches reminded me of how difficult this concept of Kiva is to understand in the developing world. Not only are the clients working hard to expand their businesses and increase their income under difficult conditions, but the microfinance organizations are working equally as hard to get business profiles loaded onto the Kiva website.
To see loans being raised at the MFI I work for, Tujijenge Tanzania, click on the following link: http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&partner_id=87&status=fundRaising&sortBy=New+to+Old&_tpg=fb
Kiva has just been voted as one of the top 5 entries in the American Express Members Project competition, which keeps them in the running for the $1.5 million grand prize!
I know many of you voted to get Kiva to the top 5, which is great because it guarantees Kiva receives at least $100,000. But now the votes from September have been reset to zero and Kiva has until October 13th to generate the most votes in order to win the $1.5 million grand prize, a huge sum for a non-profit like Kiva.
What can you do to help in 1 minute? American Express Cardmembers, Vote Today: http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/P6KQEI
$1 donated to Kiva’s Operational Expenses has led to $8 in loans. If Kiva wins $1.5M, this could help facilitate $12M of additional loans to 24,000 entrepreneurs this year. The beauty of the Kiva model is that when an entrepreneur repays his/her loan, the lender can re-invest it, which happens 60% of the time. So over the next 10 years, your vote for Kiva could help generate $30 Million dollars in loans to 60,000 developing world entrepreneurs.
How far Kiva has come in just 3 years since its founding in Oct, 2005:
– $44 million in total loans
– 92,000 entrepreneurs empowered with a Kiva loan
– 338,000 Kiva lenders
– 98.5% repayment rate
– Lenders in 135+ developing countries
How far will Kiva go in the next 3 years…
– $250 million in total loans
– 500,000 entrepreneurs empowered with a Kiva loan
Thank you for your support.
I am finally in love. In love with my job, that is. But who wouldn’t be when their job entails meeting men and women, whom with access to credit for the first time are improving their economic well-being. Like the woman I met last week in Kichemchem. A small loan enabled her to expand her butchery business and increase her monthly income from $100 to $800! It is known as microfinance – offering financial services to the poor. A relatively new phenomenon, the key concept behind microfinance is that a small loan to a poor person can help him or her break the cycle of poverty. Typically the poor lack access to credit, but microfinance institutions (MFIs) all over the developing world are now offering them the opportunity to borrow money. Microfinance has already improved the lives of billions of poor people, but there are many more that have not yet been reached.
Microfinance is the reason I came to Dar. Man, did I jump in the deep end! I take up to three crowded, sweaty public buses down bumpy dirt roads to visit a loan group. Once I’ve arrived, I locate the meeting place only to find 20 people gathered around counting money. They are making their weekly loan payments, but while counting and recording payments, they are chatting with each other and laughing. They range from young to old and are mostly women, many whom are carrying small children tied to their backs with colorful kangas. These aren’t just any people receiving a loan from a typical bank – these are Tujijenge Tanzania clients. And if I am taking 2-hour bus rides to remote areas of Dar es Salaam to visit them, then they are Kiva clients too.
Kiva is an NGO based in San Francisco. It is a fledgling organization, but it is innovatively changing the face of microfinance. Through a website and MFI partners around the world, Kiva enables the average person to lend money to an entrepreneur in the developing world. And not just any entrepreneur. The one you choose, in the country of your choice, conducting business in an industry of interest to you. The money you lent is returned to you, and you can take it out of the system or re-lend to someone else. So for $25 (that you’ll even get back!), you can help someone in the developing world break out of poverty. Check out www.kiva.org for more details, and maybe lend to an entrepreneur while you are at it!
So where do I come in? I am here as a Kiva Fellow working with one of Kiva’s partners, Tujijenge Tanzania. I help them post business profiles onto the Kiva website to raise funds to disperse. Then, I head into the field to visit clients and get an update on the impact of their loan – information I pass on to Kiva lenders.
With the opportunity to work for organizations like Tujijenge Tanzania and Kiva, and see the success of microfinance first-hand, how can I not be inspired and in love with my job? Regardless, it definitely beats working at Fannie Mae.
Me and Rita, the Kiva coordinator at Tujijenge
Help Kiva Win $1.5M With Just One Click!
