4 Things That Make the World Go Around...

I chose to be a Kiva Fellow so I could devote my time and skills to the cause to alleviate poverty and to have an experience of a lifetime. Fully aware that I may never have the opportunity to spend an extended period of time in the Philippines again, I also wanted to be sure that I took complete advantage of all that the country had to offer. At the top of my ‘To Do’ list was to become a scuba certified diver (and overcome my fear of being underwater). In order to check an item off my bucket list, I planned a weekend in Dumaguete, Negros, to get my scuba diving license. On the way I met Mike Stone who got me to think about the four things that make the world go around… time, love, money and energy.

Continue reading on the Kiva Fellows Blog!

Unlocking the Potential: Islamic Finance in the Philippines

“We have Muslim brothers who avail (financial) services but the way they avail (these loans) is against our culture, against our beliefs.” ~Muslim leader, Davao, Mindanao
 
Islam first reached the southern shores of the Philippines during the 14^th century and played a critical role in unifying kinship groups in several Filipino communities. With stronger networks of brotherhood and newfound Islamic faith, these communities were able to resist colonization by Spain and America for over 400 years, preserving their culture and religion. Today, though the majority of Muslim communities are concentrated in the southern portion of the Philippines archipelago, some reside in pockets throughout the islands; Filipino Muslims comprise approximately 5% (4.7 million) of the Filipino population (Roces, 2009).

Recognizing the need for a loan product more suitable to Muslim borrowers, CEVI has recently developed and launched an Islamic Finance product that is being piloted in Davao, Mindanao.

To read more about CEVI's course in expanding outreach to Muslim clients, please visit the Kiva Fellows Blog. 

Bonus Photo!

The first 10 Muslim clients involved in the pilot alongside the local Muslim leader, Chairman of World Vision, and Head of DMI. Photo courtesy of the CEVI Davao Branch.

Why go to the fish market?

When the fish market will come to you!

At first, I couldn’t understand what was being announced over the megaphone so when I walked out onto the dirt road, I was shocked to find two men on tricycle selling fish! They had a microphone and radio hooked up to speakers, luring customers by incorporating their special of the day into their karaoke routine.

I’m pretty sure that the locals were amused by my excitement for the mobile fish market since it is quite typical for vendors in remote areas to use similar tactics to sell their goods. But wow, what a clever way to market and sell products!

Exclusive Interview with a Filipina Farmer

During my visit to Trinidad, Bohol I was able to meet with Josefina. She is a successful businesswoman who owns a sari-sari (general) store and has a farm with coconut fields, rice fields, a vegetable garden and various livestock. Clearly being a client of CEVI has done her some good!

If you're interested in learning how rice is planted, watch the VIDEO in my latest blog post on the Kiva Fellows Blog.

To Have a Servant’s Heart: The Essence of Customer Service

When you’re in the business of microfinance, you’re in the business of relationship building. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) must rely on a vast network of relationships between stakeholders - clients, lenders, donors, employees, etc – in order to provide financial services to the poor and fulfill their other objectives.

Pastor Boris Joaquin, World Vision’s Director of Publics in Ministry, shared his insight on how to exceed customers’ expectations with Community Economic Ventures, Inc (CEVI) during an intensive workshop. Forty-seven CEVI staff members, including branch managers, area managers, and top management, met at JJ’s Seafood in Tagbilaran City to discuss Customer Service 101.

To continue reading and see pictures from the event, check out my blog post on the Kiva Fellows Blog!

I’m Leaving On A Jet Plane.. Don’t worry, I’ll be back again!

My seemingly chaotic life has temporarily come to a standstill now that I am officially in transit to the Philippines.

The past few weeks have been an absolute whirlwind – I left my job at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Menlo Park, took the GMAT, and attended an intense week-long training session at Kiva headquarters in San Francisco, all while preparing for my 5 month hiatus from my life in California.

I now have thirty-six hours till I reach my final destination - Tagbilaran City, Bohol, where I will serve as a Kiva Fellow at Community Economic Ventures, Inc (CEVI).

As a Kiva Fellow, I will have the opportunity to engage in microfinance as a tool for poverty alleviation on a personal level, facilitate connections between lenders and borrowers by increasing transparency in the Kiva process, and help increase efficiency at CEVI through trainings, among other things.

For those of you who are less familiar with microfinance, microfinance consists of several different financial services for the poor. Microcredit, which is what Kiva focuses on, is the process of disbursing small loans to poor people so that they can utilize that capital to become self-sufficient and repay their loans in a manageable way. Through microlending, poor people can begin to break away from the cycle of poverty that their families have faced for generations. This is what excites me most about it!

As I guide you through my adventures in South East Asia, I ask you all to do something for me in return – please share your thoughts with me! I would love to get as interactive on this blog as possible so if you have any questions or suggestions please don’t hesitate to share! I want to share this experience with each and every one of you and even though you can’t be out here with me, I urge you to join in and make this your journey as well.