Be the change.

My journey to realize tangible impact.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Impact: Off Grid Electric

One of Kiva's Fastest Funding Loan Products? Toilets

I’ve been supporting three of Kiva’s field partners simultaneously here in Vietnam for the past four months. As you may know, Kiva works with local field partners around the world to best reach borrowers in need. One of the field partners I was assigned to support is Thrive Networks (“Thrive”), which is based in Oakland, California, and has an office in Hanoi, where I’m currently living and working. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to visit Kiva borrowers in five differe

Thanks Goodness for Gratitude!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm constantly reminded by all of Kiva's inspiring borrowers in Vietnam of what it means, and why it is essential to be grateful, despite one's hardships. I very rarely cry, but there was one borrower in particular that I met in Dien Bien province who brought me to tears with her gratitude. She showed a level of generosity, happiness, and overall appreciation for her life and what it has to offer, despite the fact that she has to work multiple agri

Beyond Borrowing in Dien Bien: Necessary Trainings for the Poorest of the Poor

Knowledge is not just power for the poorest of the poor in Dien Bien province; Knowledge is necessary to maintain daily life and to be able to provide food and shelter for one's family, let alone climb out of poverty. In addition to microloans and savings accounts, Kiva's field partner, Entrepreneurs du Monde-Anh Chi Em ("ACE"), in Dien Bien provides the most vulnerable in Vietnam with agriculture, business and social/health trainings to help ensure that borrowers are in a po

Biodigesters & The Triple Bottom Line

Biodigesters meet the triple bottom line (“TBL”) of people, planet and profit thereby resulting in maximum impact. They not only reduce energy costs, but also provide a positive environmental and social impact as well. I will briefly explain what a biodigester is, how it works, how biodigesters meet the TBL, and why they can, should and will proliferate, using examples from the field. What is a Biodigester & How Does It Work? A biodigester can be thought of as a mechanical st

Farmers: the Salt of the Earth

Humble, good-natured, reliable. These are the qualities I've encountered in the salt farmers - and Kiva microloan borrowers - I was able to visit this past week in Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam, hence my dubbing them "the salt of the earth." This phrase's ancient, biblical origins harken back to a time in which salt was considered synonymous with value, to the extent salt was sometimes used as currency. The phrase also connotes a preservation of societal values, as salt was w

Animals for Education

These entrepreneurial Kiva borrowers from Yên Định, a rural village in Thanh Hoa province, purchased, raised and sold animals in order to pay for their children's education. All of these borrowers told me their income doubled (one told me her income tripled) as a result of receiving their loans from Kiva, thereby easing the emotional and financial struggle of being able to afford paying for their children's education. They are all motivated to provide a better life for their

Entrepreneur in Thanh Hoa Doubles Income, Creates Jobs with a Microloan for a Tofu Machine

This is Mrs. Giang! Mrs. Giang has two children, a boy and a girl, who she has raised on her own since her husband passed away. She has been managing a successful tofu making and selling business in Thanh Hoa for eight years. Mrs. Giang recently applied for and received a Kiva loan to purchase an additional, newer, tofu making machine. Her old machine would constantly break and even when it did work, it was very slow. Since she received her Kiva loan, she has seen her output

Kenya Has Mastered Mobile Money. Here Are 3 Reasons Vietnam Needs Mobile Money Too.

Kenya dominates mobile money, as there are now more than 26.7 million M-Pesa subscribers in Kenya alone, and these subscribers can now use M-Pesa to exchange money through their phones without having to link their electronic funds to a formal bank account. Here's how M-Pesa works: the user obtains a Safaricom sim card and takes cash to be deposited with an M-Pesa agent. If the user wants to withdraw funds, they may do this with an M-Pesa agent as well. To send money to anothe

The Global Development Case for Female Empowerment

Women are a good investment. Here's why they are a worthy investment, how they can be invested in and thereby empowered, and how this impacts global development: Women are one of the most vulnerable populations and are therefore in great need of economic empowerment. Also, studies show women are often more likely to repay loans than men, making them reliable borrowers. Microfinance functions as an investment in and empowerment of women. Female economic empowerment spurs globa

Sisterhood is Global: Meet the Strong Women of Vietnam!

It's no wonder the Vietnamese women's unions run the implementation and oversight of the majority of the microfinance initiatives in Vietnam, with the assistance of NGOs and microfinance institutions, to help lift women out of poverty. Vietnamese women served as military leaders, politicians, diplomats, peaceful protesters, medics, spies, farmers, mothers and teachers during the Indochina Wars (1945-1975) and the Vietnam War (or as they call it in Vietnam, the "American War")

Be the change.

My journey to realize tangible impact.

Impact: Kiva

Impact: Off Grid Electric

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