Posts Tagged ‘tanzania’

Two weeks ago, my plane descended over Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania. It is a coastal city blessed with some of the most sublime (and accessible) beaches I have ever stepped foot on.  The city center is a vibrant mesh of different cultures and is no less of a wonder to behold… A Masai woman selling tribal jewelry in front of an Indian café serving tea next to a mosque playing prayers over its loudspeakers which is the only thing drowning out the honking of dalla dallas (local buses) imported from China.  All the while, kangas, saris, burkas and Manchester United t-shirts color the streets…

But it is the warmness of the people that I find most appealing.  (more…)

Kiva is a p2p microfinance online platform that allows individuals to lend to low-income entrepreneurs all over the world.  For $25, anyone can lend interest-free to less fortunate individuals who have been marginalized by the formal financial sector.  And though the non-profit runs on a beautiful and simple concept, successful execution of this concept is ridden with difficulties. The organization strives for complete transparency, but is prone to high levels of public scrutiny.  Critics argue that there is much room for human error and fraud, and they are completely accurate.  Where does your money really go?  How is it being used? What really happens on the fields? Enter the Kiva Fellows.

On Sept 21st,  49 individuals came together in SF to begin the training for a  journey.  These individuals could not have been more different but for a desire they all shared. This desire is to engage themselves in the grassroots movement that is Kiva.  These 49 comprise the 9th class of Kiva Fellows (KF9) and will be spread across South America, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.  And I have the honor of being a part of this group. 

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