Happy 5th Birthday Kiva!

Community Economic Ventures, Inc wishes Kiva a very happy birthday! Since we couldn't be in San Francisco to celebrate, we had our own mini-celebration :)



Read more about Kiva's 5 for 5 challenge for the month of October - if you get 5 new friends to make a loan on Kiva this month, you get $25 Kiva credit in your account.

Filipino Superstition: Twinanas

According to Filipino superstition, a woman who consumes a twin banana (or 'twinana' as I like to call it) will give birth to twins. However, if a woman has no desire to give birth to twins and would like to consume the twinana, she must simply split the twin bananas behind her back. I decided to test this theory - if I end up having twins, we'll know why!

I must also say that the twinana was the sweetest set of bananas I've ever had! So yummy!

A Sweet Recipe: Mango Ice Candy

Story:

Ice candy is just another term for a fruity popsicle. Given the heat and humidity of the Philippines, ice candy is rampant and can be found at sari-sari (variety) stores, carinderias (eateries) and even on street corners. Ice candy is easy to make and very economical, especially when made in large batches. After a long day of sightseeing around Bohol, staff members from CEVI and I decided to cool off by preparing frozen treats for ourselves. It was a sweet way to end our day!

Recipe:

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes, Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients:

    * 2 cans (500 ml) evaporated milk

    * 3 mangoes or seasonal fruit of your choice

    * 1 can (168 ml) condensed milk

    * approximately 1.5 cups water

    * approximately 1 tablespoon sugar

    * 15, 1 ¾ x 10 plastic ice candy bags

Preparation:

1.     If you have a blender, slice the fruit into large pieces and chop to your liking. If you do not have a blender, slice the mangoes into very small pieces with a sharp knife. Scoop fruit into large bowl.

2.     Mix fruit, evaporated milk and condensed milk in a large bowl.

3.     Slowly add water and sugar – stir till mixture is even and taste. You may add more/or less water and sugar till the mix is to your liking.

4.     Place a funnel at the opening of the ice candy bag, holding the casing tightly so that the mixture does not spill out. Fill the ice candy bags to your desired height, but be sure to keep 6-7 cm (about 4 fingers across) at the top to make room for the knot.

5.     Make a secure knot at the top of each bag to properly seal. Twist the plastic just above the point where the mixture levels off. As you pinch the twisted plastic with your thumb and forefinger, wrap the top part over your thumb and tuck it under, pulling it through the loop. Make certain that the knot is tight to prevent bags from leaking.

6.     Once all your ice candy bags are filled, rinse them off with water to remove excess mixture. Then lay them on a flat surface in the freezer till fully set.

Serve when you feel like enjoying something sweet or would like to cool off from the heat!

Note: If you prefer to make smaller ice candies, you can purchase smaller plastic bags. This recipe makes about 15 large ice candies. 

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.

Hinagdanan Cave & Bohol Bee Farm

Since I was eager to explore popular tourist attractions closer to Tagbilaran City, RJane (Kiva Coordinator at CEVI) and I arranged for a little trip to the Hinagdanan Cave and Bohol Bee Farm one sunny Saturday.

The Hinagdanan Cave is located in Dauis, Bohol on Panglao Island. We were greeted by Ray, one of the cave tour guides (who also happens to be a camera expert!) who led us into the 1600 year old cavern. It took me a few moments to get acclimated – it was pitch black, hot and very humid. I tried my best to quell my paranoia about being surrounded by bats – the sound of flapping wings drumming in my ears. Ray, sensing that RJane and I were convinced we’d get attacked by bats reassured us that there were no bats in the cave, only sparrows (who’s nests are highly sought after to be used in bird’s nest soup – a delicacy). 

The next 45 minutes included a mini-hike/photo shoot over stalagmites and under stalactites. As Ray led us through the cave, he would direct us to prime photo spots, having us pose in the darkness while he fidgeted with our cameras to get the perfect shot. He made it up the limestone rocks so effortlessly, leaving RJane and myself feeling like we should’ve come better prepared with our sneakers.

After we explored the Hinagdanan Cave we learned that it's filled with various contaminants. We hope we didn't cause any permanent damage to ourselves!

 As we made it deeper into the cave, we noticed shafts of natural light from openings atop - swallows swooping in and out of the openings. The deep lagoon at the center of the cave where visitors commonly swim was empty, save the little fish we would occasionally see pop to the surface. 

With our fabulous tour guide, Ray.

After our guided tour, we thanked Ray and proceeded to our next destination - the Bohol Bee Farm.

The Bohol Bee Farm is a little haven for those who enjoy being surrounded by nature and eating organic food. We took a guided tour through the organic farm, learned more than we ever wanted to know about the mating patterns of bees, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch overlooking the ocean.

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!