Tag: Work

Mil gracias, Kiva y Bolivia… What An Awesome Ride!

Me with Bolivia, a great love affair!

It seems like ages ago that I was frantically working on my Kiva Fellows application back in the spring of 2012 while traveling in Southeast Asia. Then the tense months of interviews followed by the thrill of being selected. And finally the excitement of preparing for my placement in mesmerizing Bolivia.

How time flies when you’re having fun and loving your job!

Now, after a blink of the eye, I am leaving Bolivia and my Kiva Fellowship after three whirlwind months of motivating work, meeting endearing people and learning fascinating things in a whole new world.

My moving on is bittersweet – while I am eager for the new journeys that await, I am so thankful for the meaningful opportunity Kiva has given me in the world of microfinance. I have absorbed so much and witnessed how access to low-interest credit can make a real difference for those living in poverty.

At every moment of this incredible adventure Kiva has provided outstanding support and open trust in my work and my mission.  My Kiva family has showered me with love from beginning to end. I am eternally grateful.

And Bolivia! Oh my beguiling Bolivia: you welcomed me with the smiles of your handsome people, you gave me a home that I simply loved, you treated me to splendid sights and vigorous geography, you nourished my body with wholesome foods and you gave me friends to fill my days. My heart is heavy as I leave you.

I already miss your rugged landscapes, the comfort of familiar places and people, and my routine and purposefulness in your midst.  You have shown me a new way to travel, one that comes slowly after considerable effort but rewards in powerful ways. I can’t wait to see you again!

I am so proud of my Kiva Fellowship – proud of the difficult changes I made in my life to get here and proud of the work I accomplished.

No, I probably didn’t change the world. But it changed my world.

And the best part of all this is knowing that it is only the beginning…

Kiva Fellows Class 19... we rock!

Kids flying kites above La Paz

Visiting a potato farm in Colomí

Mysterious and mystical mountain ruins

Chola women watching a bullfight in the altiplano

CIDRE colleagues enjoying an afternoon chicha break

Beautiful Lake Titicaca and Island of the Sun, spiritual center of the Incas

With Angélica, my bestie at Emprender in La Paz

Street fiesta in Tarata

My Kiva Fellows Blog 6: Magical Moments with Kiva Borrowers

Here’s my sixth installment on the Kiva Stories from the Field website as I serve as a Kiva Fellow in Bolivia. Perhaps the highlights of my experiences were the many opportunities to meet Kiva borrowers.

Here are three of the many wonderful moments I shared with Bolivians who received low-interest loans through Kiva’s partners here in Bolivia. Thanks to all of you who loan through Kiva, you make a big difference in their lives.

Kiva Fellows Blog 6: Magical Moments with Kiva Borrowers in Bolivia

A Day in My Life: Scenes from Cochabamba

Scenes from my daily life in Cochabamba

My life as a Kiva Fellow was obviously different than my normal travel mostly due to the fact that I lived primarily in one city, had an apartment, went shopping for food, spent time in an office, and had time and energy to socialize at night.

Here are some pictures and captions that I hope give a sense of my daily life in Bolivia.

Home: More than just a place to hang my hat for a night or two…

Calle La Paz: my street, just near the corner of Ayacucho, a great location in a quiet neighborhood just north of city center
Some interesting graffiti I passed on my way home, lots of great street art in Cochabamba
My house at Calle La Paz 138, my room was above the AndesXtremo sign, an adventure sports company... the garage to the left contained a climbing wall, how cool! I shared the apartment with 3 Bolivians, a German and a Peruvian... all friendly and welcoming!
My bedroom, quite spacious, pluperfect color combinations... and lots of closet space (although my 50-liter backpack only filled 25%). It desperately needed some decorations, I tried my best with a well-placed bottle of Bolivian red wine ;)
I loved the large windows, I kept them open and let the springlike breeze of Cochabamba flow through
When the curtains were shut the room resembled a black-box theater, I had the stage all to myself... a dream come true!
View from my window, this was taken on the National Census day when everyone was confined to home, a police-enforced mandate. I admit it looks like I\'m interred in a medium-security prison.
With our helper Doña Beni who I always had coffee with each morning (we were the early risers)... every day I asked her

Office: No cubicles, a 10-minute commute, a two-hour lunch break, and not a word in English…

My commute: I caught the #205 trufi from the corner of my street to Km. 2.5 on the highway west to Quillacollo, an easy 10 -minute ride. Such a pleasure after my 75-minute commute (one-way) to my former job!
My CIDRE office in the Chimba neighborhood office in Cochabamba. My co-workers busily getting new clients signed up for a Kiva-funded low interest loan.
My desk... here\'s where I reviewed loan binders, payment documentation, and business procedures. I was located right near the main door so I got a lot of questions from CIDRE clients... I do love to be the center of attention!
Piles of loan paperwork to sort through ay yi yi... Bolivia is not yet as automated as it could be.
Sometimes there was a lot of waiting... waiting... and more waiting. Appointments in this part of the world apparently use a clock I\'m not familiar with.
My co-workers during the mid-day lunch break (from left to right): Gastón, Saúl, Sara, Verónica, Carlos and Alan. They were more welcoming and helpful then I ever could have asked for!
A day in the CIDRE office was never \"normal\"... this safety drill put new meaning into \"putting out fires.\"
One day were at the opening of a new CIDRE branch office. Being Latin America, there was a priest to bless the site, holy water and lots of wine... OKAY!!!!

Client Visits: Time spent with the best “users” ever… an awesome part of my job!

Some of the wonderful faces of Kiva borrowers I had the grand fortune to meet in Bolivia. Every visit was a gift.
Sometimes I traveled to borrower visits on public buses... lots of them.
Other times I traveled with loan officers, this was always fun & good times chatting with my colleagues. I learned so much from them.
I also spent a chunk of time on the back of motorcycles to visit more remote Kiva borrowers. Here is Efraín, my trusty loan officer / motorcycle driver extraordinaire in Santa Cruz.
Some of the road hazards we encountered: muddy dirt roads loaded with livestock, wobbly bridges spanning roaring rapids
Usually visits were 10-15 minute encounters with borrowers, but René from Tarique went way beyond most with his welcome and generosity. We were greeted with a fresh meal from his gardens and a tour of his farm. It was a visit I will remember always.
I usually took the client photographs, however on some occasions the children of Kiva borrowers turned the camera on me.
Are there were some surprises: this Kiva cow was found taking a l-o-n-g drink from the

Work: Still lots of time in front of the computer but I could definitely leave it at the end of day…

I spent a lot of time verifying borrower information, checking ID's...
...and loan paperwork... fortunately the borrowers always graciously complied. It's probably not easy with a strange gringo in your house taking pictures and asking all sorts of questions.
I spent a lot of time at my computer entering Kiva borrower and loan information. This tucan in a hostel in Santa Cruz did not make my task any easier as he spent his time trying to eat the red button on my laptop. (He was also distracting me from the Real Madrid-Dortmund soccer match).
My desk in my apartment in Cochabamba, I spent a lot of time here since I didn't have internet access at the CIDRE office.
Sweating it out in sultry Santa Cruz
There of course all the work made me thirsty... here I'm sampling some <i>guindól</i>, a special cherry-flavored liquor from Colomí
And we had to sample the sweet chicha (corn beer) during lunch in Tarata...
And a final chicha stop at the end of the day in Tarique... it was a long, hot day visiting clients and we were parched.

Leisure Time and Food: Fun friends and new experiences and a vast new universe of flavors to explore…

I normally spent the lunch hour at one of the many vegetarian restaurants in Cochabamba... here at Gopal with Paul, a great choice. These are wonderfully healthy, filling and economical meals (about $2). My favorite was Sabro-Vida, just around the corner from my apartment, I became a regular there.
I spent mornings over coffee catching up on the news. Here Bolivian President Evo Morales caused a minor diplomatic stir when he said having relations with the US was like "taking a crap"
I took some classes in the evening to stay social. Here my salsa dance class practices the <i>dile que no, paso básico, and enchufla..</i>
I also attended the weekly Charlas at Sustainable Bolivia which feature interesting talks by local volunteers engaged in great works around Cochabamba.
I also visited the interesting sights around Cochabamba like the elegant home of tin baron Simón I. Patiño who was one of the richest men in the world a century ago.
And I visited the timeworn Convento de Santa Teresa (founded in 1760) which still houses eight nuns, far below the 200 at its height.
I often spent idle time people-watching at the Plaza 14 de Septiembre and reading lively left-wing commentary at the Panel de la Plaza posted for the public good. Cochabamba continues the proud tradition of rich plaza life with gusto.
I did lots of food shopping at the enormous Mercado Cancha Calatayud in Cochabamba, Bolivia's largest market town.
Sometimes I just bought fresh fruits and vegetables from the green grocer truck that passed by my house.
Or simply stopped at the nearby 7-Eleven for sundry groceries.
When I was lazy and not wanting to cook in the evening, I took to the streets. My favorite was "Gino's", a roving cart where I could buy tasty $1 vegetarian pizzas.
At home I made a lot of smoothies... and found a new passion for <i>tumbo</i>, a passion-fruit relative that perfectly blends sweet and sour, yummy!

My Kiva Fellows Blog 5: Rain, Ritual and Revelry in Bolivia

Here’s my fifth installment on the Kiva Stories from the Field website as I serve as a Kiva Fellow in Bolivia. Bolivia is full of spring celebrations this time of year, so I had lots of opportunities to add a new post for Kiva’s “Holiday” theme for the month of November.

Kiva Fellows Blog 5: The San Severino Festival - Rain, Ritual and Revelry in Bolivia

My Kiva Fellows Blog 4: Challenges Facing Bolivian Farmers Today

Here’s my fourth installment on the Kiva Stories from the Field website as I serve as a Kiva Fellow in Bolivia.  Here’s a look at how microcredit helps many Bolivian farmers overcome the many challenges they face today.

Kiva Fellows Blog 4: Challenges Facing Bolivian Farmers Today

My Kiva Fellows Blog 3: Todos Santos Celebrations in Bolivia

Here’s my third installment on the Kiva Stories from the Field website as I serve as a Kiva Fellow in Bolivia.  November is “Holiday” month on the Fellows Blog and the Day of the Dead celebrations here seemed a perfect fit.

Kiva Fellows Blog 3: When the Dead Come a-Knockin’ - Todos Santos Celebrations in Bolivia