Jeremy's Journeys

On Thursday, I went to conference about two and a half hours away from Guatemala City in a touristy town called Panahachel. The town is so touristy because it is located on a beautiful lake called Lake Atitlan. This lake is high in the mountains, with two volcanoes overlooking it. It is quite picturesque. Or dare I say, videoesque. This is how it looked at sunrise.

The conference itself had nothing to do with Kiva. It was put on by an organization called Namaste. This organization provides funding to microfinance institutions, like FAPE, in Guatemala and Mexico. Kiva is one way that FAPE receives funding, Namaste is another. Their funding is 100% directed to giving loans to women.
Once a year, they also hold a conference where representatives from the microfinance institutions, like FAPE, and the women entrepreneurs can go to. The conference is mainly directed at the entrepreneurs. Namaste holds workshops on different business things to help the women with their loans and business. For example, there was a workshop on how to better raise farm animals (which I was sad to have missed), a workshop on using technology in your business, and a workshop on evaluating risks and gains in your business. It was neat to see these women absorb what the teachers had say, some of them who I had met in field before going to the conference.
Namaste is pretty cool. Loans and training, now that’s what I’m talking about. They are not pretending that microfinance is a fix-all solution to poverty. Education classes are also given. Now all we need is somehow to get free health care involved in this and I think you’ve got something pretty neat. Increased income, education (increasing your ability to actually use the income), and health care (so your ability to increase your income is not inhibited by being unhealthy).
The closing thing that I saw on Friday was a women’s empowerment speech. I, out of about 100, was one of 6 guys in the room. The speech was about how the women should assert themselves, not as one who is above the family, but one who is equal with the family. Serve yourself along with you family at meals. Don’t always be the one making the sacrifices. Men are evil. Not all men are evil. But men can be evil. Don’t let them be evil to you. Now that you are making money, assert yourself. Don’t confuse love with money. The atmosphere was brimming with feminism.
At the end, they asked for one of the males in the room to speak. Even if it were in English, there is no way that I would have gotten up to speak. In Spanish, I probably would have just said I’m sorry for my gender and sat down. Thankfully, no one expected the gringo to volunteer. One man, a loan officer, did get up and say that not all men suck and women have a responsibility to make it known to men their capabilities and desires. He was walking a tightrope, to inspire the women, and not to degrade them. I was glad I was not him.
O yeah, and Namaste paid for everything. They paid to transport these women. To house them. To feed them. There would have been no way that these women could have come if they had to pay.
Namaste: the light in me recognizes and bows to the light in you.

On Wednesday I traveled with Aura, a loan officer.  My main goal was to get some signatures from Kiva borrowers so that we could use their photos in a press release.  What I ended up getting, along with the signatures, was a glimpse into the life of Aura.

Since getting the signatures required us to go a little village called Cruz Blanca (White Cross), where Aura’s lives, I asked if I could see her house.  She in turn suggested that we just eat lunch there.  Her house had several rooms, but the floor was a base of concrete.  The house was cluttered, and what you and I would consider not a very good place to live. Aura lived with her mother, her two brothers, and her daughter.  Comparing this to the comfortable where I had been staying, with Manuel, was a bit of a shock.  It seemed the loan officer lived in the same conditions as Kiva entrepreneurs.  And sure enough, this is how Aura became a loan officer:  She got a loan from FAPE, paid it back, and they were looking for someone to work in her area, so she took the job.

Her mother happened to be a Kiva entrepreneur. So I did a journal update on her, taking a video of her explaining to me how she made the very colorful, very beautiful artisanal cloths.  While filming, Aura’s four-year-old daughter, and four-year-old niece looked in awe.

After being done with the interview, Aura and I took a walk down the street. We stopped at her Aunt’s store, and her cousin’s house.  I found out that everyone who lived on the block was her relative. Here was a town, of no more than four streets, and a quarter of the people who lived here were related to Aura.  People her don’t like to go far from their family, or maybe it’s because they can’t.

While waiting for her mother to finish cooking, I entertained the two four-year-olds, while Aura got some paperwork done.  Kids are fun, not matter what language.  I made them pretend to be their favorite animals (a hippo and a tiger), and pretend to war with each other.  I sat on the couch for about 45 minutes, while the girls wore themselves out.  These children were amazingly good at entertaining themselves.

For lunch, I was served some amazing corn-based soup.  I have no idea what was called, but it was sure delicious.  We ate it with tortillas, which are also made with corn.  After lunch, we had to sneak away from her daughter, who would have cried if she had seen Aura leave.  It’s kinda of crazy what you find when you’re not exactly looking for it.  But it’s nice to have the flexibility to explore the path of the unexpected when it comes along.  These opportunities are often there; all you have to do is ask.

I’m Jewish, but, before every meal at Manuel’s house, we say a prayer thanking Jesus.  Manuel is the director of FAPE, the MFI where I work in Guatemala, and I have been staying at his house since arriving.  He is also a pastor at a Baptist church.  So I was surprised Thursday night when lifting my head, just after our prayer, I spotted a menorah on display.  What is this doing here?

Manual caught my gaze. “A friend gave that to me.   Do you know what it’s used for?”  he queried.

I attempted to impart what knowledge I had of the menorah: It was a miracle that the oil burned for eight days, but there are nine candles.  Channukah was the festival of lights.  He listened intently on what I had to say completely fascinated with my every word.  His genuine interest in my religion, in hearing my thoughts, was not something I was accustomed to back home.  How often do we hang onto every word of someone we barely know?

Shortly thereafter, he shared with me what my name meant to him: Jeremias was a very important saint.  He taught me a song the he sang at church.  I absorbed his words.  We were not just talking at each other, but having a deep connection. This is what Kiva is all about, making personal connections with people.  Finding things you have in common and learning.  Although Manuel is not a lender nor a supported entrepreneur,  he too likes to make connections while alleviating poverty.   I am glad his organization is the intermediary, facilitating connections.

On Friday night, I baked a challah, and he asked that I say the prayer over the meal.  I started. “Baruch atah Adonai…”

Join FAPE’s lending team to support its entrepreneurs.

Manuel, Samuel and I in an Antigua Museum

After spending a few days in the office learning how internal processes of FAPE function, I headed to Antigua Saturday with Manuel and his family. Antigua, for those of you who are unaware, is a Colonial-Spanish-style tourist-town.
Generally, I am not one who loves to flock with the crowds. I’d rather have a time speaking Spanish in a city where you don’t really walk outside (Guatemala City) than feel like just another American coming to Guatemala to see the sights. However, Antigua is the exception here. I absolutely loved the city’s museums and churches. It’s setting underneath a large volcano, with houses no more than two stories high make it very pretty. What’s more, the laid back atmosphere and strolling around the town square provided a nice break from the city. Although it was perhaps the only other time in my stay here that I have seen other Americans, I absolutely loved the city.  I can’t wait to return here and see more things.  I’m very excited to be traveling on the weekends.

Fun fact:  Did you know most Guatemalans work a half day on Saturday?  With Church on Sunday, that means no real days without committment for most.  Thankfully FAPE only asks its employees to work 5 days a week.

This will likely be my last post before I leave. I just wanted to say thanks for all of the help and support. I was able to raise over 3/4 of my goal of $2000 before my departure.  If you feel like you want to contribute a bit more to help me reach the last bit, that’d be much appreciated. Thanks so much for everything. I look forward to sharing this experience with all of you.
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”-Anne Frank