Kiva Fellows Program – Motivation Statement

Maine State Flag

Since high school, I have traveled independently to most regions of the world.  I walk, take public transportation and always opt for local services.  My experience includes direct interaction with small shop owners. I admire their energy, enthusiasm, hard work, and resourcefulness.

I’ve long considered people in developing economies as especially entrepreneurial because it is often the only way they can feed their families, send children to school, pay for medical treatments, save for special celebrations.  These entrepreneurs demonstrate extraordinary potential to succeed against considerable challenges.

The opportunity to work closely with Kiva and the lending communities motivates me greatly.  I want to serve as a Kiva Fellow because I have the passion, drive, professional skills, personal attributes, and budget.  Through a positive presence with the field partners, I will confidently and competently fulfill my workplan to build a strong and sustainable partnership between Kiva and the MFI.

My mission is Kiva’s mission:

  • I will cultivate connections and build solid relationships to enhance program impact and understanding in the local communities.
  • I will develop processes, promote practices, and improve operations that will endure beyond my fellowship.
  • I will share knowledge, experiences and insights with the lending partners and Kiva to alleviate poverty in the world.


Overseas Accomplishments

Ever since my experience as a teenage exchange student, I have been guided by my passion for travel, cultural fluency, making friends in the world, and serving the world community.

  • Fluent in Spanish and intermediate in Portuguese.
  • Lived in a rural town in Uruguay as a high-school exchange student.
  • Studied in Madrid, Spain during my junior year of university.
  • Backpacked, hiked and traveled on extended trips in over 50 countries.
  • Worked at global technology and manufacturing companies.
  • Taught ESL and tutored in a bilingual classroom.
  • Host CouchSurfing guests at home and participate in group events abroad.


Professional Results

Having worked successfully in business for 20 years, I am effective in new environments and on projects with complex requirements.  I have process knowledge in key functional areas for both small businesses and large corporations: finance/accounting, sales/service, supply chain, manufacturing and IT.

  • PMI-PMP Certified Project Manager: delivered business-critical projects for distributed, global teams
  • Business Process Analyst: developed new process solutions and improved procedures
  • Software Engineer and self-employed consultant: designed/programmed web-based, collaborative applications for global companies
  • Marketing Specialist for college accounting textbooks


Communication and Problem-Solving Skills

In my professional career I have been a key contributor on projects with high cross-functional impact. Performance reviews confirm my personal congeniality, collaborative nature, calmness under pressure, and project acumen.

  • Demonstrated project management, organizational, and communication skills.
  • Strong problem solving and team building skills
  • Accomplished project plan, process documentation, and report writer
  • Devoted travel diarist and blogger (http://www.petersoley.com)


Drive, Dedication and Commitment

Having achieved my business career, I enthusiastically want to work in community development.  After considerable planning and saving, I resigned my job in January 2012 to pursue extended travel and volunteer opportunities.  My energy centers on serving the world community.  If selected, it would be an honor to serve as a Kiva Fellow.

%d bloggers like this: