As I finish up my time as Kiva Fellow, one of my tasks is to write a mass journal to all of the people have lent to FAPE’s entrepreneurs in the past few months. It’s aimed at people who do not know too much about Kiva other than giving a loan. For those who have been frequent followers of my blog, you might find some of the explanations things you already new. For those who are not frequent readers, it’s a great start to get to know Kiva, FAPE, and the world of microfinance. I still want to edit it a bit more, but the final draft will end up looking something like this:
For the past three months, I have been happily serving as a Kiva Fellow with FAPE, Kiva’s field partner in Guatemala City. As you may already be aware, all of Kiva’s loans are disbursed by its field partners to make the process as efficient as possible. It is the purpose of a Kiva Fellow to work with Kiva’s field partners to propagate Kiva’s core beliefs. FAPE and Kiva have been working together for over two years, helping to lend more the $215 thousand dollars to Guatemalan entrepreneurs; In my time here, I have been able to witness many of the successes and hardships faced by both Kiva borrowers and FAPE.
What has most surprised and excited me has been FAPE’s dedication to the Guatemalan community here in the areas surrounding the capital. All of their loan officers—the people who actually hand the checks over to the entrepreneurs—live within the communities that they serve. This means that not only do they get to know Kiva entrepreneurs, but they also go through some of the same living experiences that Kiva entrepreneurs go through.
One of Kiva’s main goals is to extend access to credit to those who have been left out of the economic system. Because of the large Mayan heritage in Guatemala (about 40% of the population according to Wikipedia), many Kiva entrepreneurs do not speak Spanish but rather one of 22 Mayan dialects. This could be a reason why some of them have had difficulty accessing credit in the past. But with FAPE’s integration in the community, this is not a problem, as the loan officers also speak the languages that the Kiva entrepreneurs speak.
Bertha and her daughters at the Christmas Party
Bertha Carmelina Tohon provides a poignant example of this communal feeling. She lives in the small town of San Martin, just outside of Guatemala City, where she has a local eatery. She first started receiving small loans to invest in her restaurant as part of a group of women. When she proved that she could pay back her loans on time, she was able to get a larger individual from through Kiva. Whenever I visited her town, she always made sure that I ate lunch at her place, which usually was a thick, corn-based stew typical of rural Guatemala.
In addition to her restaurant, she also has two other businesses: a typing school and making clothing. If you ask Bertha why she works so hard, she’ll tell you it’s for her kids’ futures. And right now, with the help of Kiva and FAPE she is able to move ahead supporting her kids. One of kids, as I write this, is finishing studies to become a doctor. And here I stumble upon one of the beautiful things about microfinance—with a loan, not only are you helping the entrepreneur, but you are also providing a brighter future for her children.
In December, FAPE invited Bertha to cook at the annual Christmas party. She obliged and whipped up one of her delicious stews for the occasion. FAPE was supporting Bertha. Bertha had been funded by Kiva. It was a joyous representation of Kiva’s mission: connecting through lending to help alleviate poverty.
Thanks for continuing to support FAPE and Kiva. Click here see FAPE’s loans currently fundrasing on Kiva. Click here to join FAPE’s lending team.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Lapedis
