Update From The Field: Client Visits In Bethlehem, A New Partnership In Cameroon + A Peek Into A Loan Officer’s World

Compiled by Allison Moomey | KF16 & KF17 | Bénin

KF17 fellows have now made their way into the field, which means new workplaces, new countries, and new cultures for us all. Even more importantly it means fascinating new blog posts from every corner of the globe for you.

Check out this week’s posts and join fellows as they observe microfinance in action in Palestine, share about a great new partner in Cameroon, visit a village bank in Peru, and adjust to life in Togo. Then continue reading to learn about a cricket-raising business in Indonesia, microsavings in Mozambique, Senegalese politics, an apartment search in Mongolia, and a loan officer training in the Philippines.

Microfinance in Palestine: Some things are the same, some things are different
Philip Issa | KF17 | Palestine
Journey with Philip as he visits three diverse borrowers and reports on their challenges and successes. You’ll meet a young father with a new business, an experienced barber, and a mechanic not far from the Israeli separation border.

New Kids on the Block: Meet ACEP Cameroun
Natalie Sherman | KF 17 | Cameroun
Learn about the exciting new partnership between ACEP (Kiva’s newest Pilot Partner) in Yaoudé, Cameroon. Natalie shares about ACEP’s innovative product as a result of the Kiva partnership: microloans for single mothers with small businesses in urban areas.

Out of Cusco: Day in the life of a loan officer
Carrie Nguyen | KF17 | Peru
Venture out of the city to a village bank with Carrie and a loan officer in Peru. She details the challenges of bringing more than a dozen micro-borrowers together for a loan disbursal meeting and the role of the loan officer in navigating those challenges.

Lomé La Belle
Michael Slattery | KF17 |Togo
Join Michael as he explores the culture, food, and his new home in Lomé, Togo and ponders such academic questions as “Is it better to be able to proactively plan slow growth instead of having to reactively adapt to fast(er) growth?”

On avian appetites and accidental entrepreneurs…
Heather Sullivan | KF 17 | Indonesia
Heather shows you the world of cricket “agriculture” in Indonesia and explains how the popularity of songbirds fuels demand for this unique product.

Microsavings in Mozambique: How MFIs can help clients save
Micaela Browning | KF17 | Mozambique
As Hluvuku-ADSEMA, one of Kiva’s partners, waits on the approval of a voluntary savings program, Micaela explains the different types of savings accounts offered by microfinance institutions and weighs the pros and cons of each, while sharing personal stories of clients who can benefit from voluntary accounts.

Some Politics with your Rice and Fish?
David Suk| KF 17 | Senegal
At an interesting time in Senegal’s political history, David shares his colleagues’ concerns, opinions, and hopes for the country’s future.

Common sense in Mongolia: An evolving definition
Jon Hiebert | KF 17 | Mongolia
Head out on an apartment search with Jon in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where he successfully manages to find a place with limited language ability and knowledge of Mongolian culture.

“Training Day”: Denzel’s Got Nothing on These Filipino Loan Officers
Jamie Greenthal | KF 17 | Philippines
Jamie conducts his first training on Kiva policies (which naturally includes a teambuilding dance) and shares some of the impressively insightful questions asked by the loan officer trainees.

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Additional posts from the past month:
Karibu Kenya: Strathmore Facilitates Connections
Connecting in New Orleans: Saints, Daiquiris & Mardi Gras
Dollarization in Ecuador, where 1 = 1
An Ordinary Borrower Visit: The Reality of Microfinance in Honduras
First Day as a Kiva Fellow in Cambodia
From One City to Another: A New Yorker in Tagbilaran
Preservation Hall
Kiva Puts its 17th Class of Fellows on the Map!

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Plus more pictures from the past week: