Comments on: Welcome to build.kiva.org! http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/ News for the Kiva Developer Community Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:50:26 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Martin FOUEPI http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-288 Martin FOUEPI Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:22:39 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-288 bonjours, je suis directeur d une micofinance dans la ville de yaounde au cameroun, je souhaite avoir des plus amples renseignemets sur les conditions de devenir field parteners. nous avons plus de 2000 membres et le protefeuille credit de plus de 350.miilions frans cfa personne de contact FOUEPI Martin tel 237 77 75 96 51 email. mfouepi@yahoo.fr bonjours,
je suis directeur d une micofinance dans la ville de yaounde au cameroun,
je souhaite avoir des plus amples renseignemets sur les conditions de devenir field parteners.

nous avons plus de 2000 membres et le protefeuille credit de plus de 350.miilions frans cfa

personne de contact FOUEPI Martin

tel 237 77 75 96 51

email. mfouepi@yahoo.fr

]]> By: jim cherry http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-244 jim cherry Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:40:23 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-244 i am president of the sonora sunrise rotary club. my club is exploring microfinancing options as a project. with whom may i speak directly? jim i am president of the sonora sunrise rotary club. my club is exploring microfinancing options as a project. with whom may i speak directly? jim

]]> By: Fiona http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Fiona Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:15:22 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-75 Kevin, You've raised a really good point, which is that Kiva's Field Partners charge an interest rate to the entrepreneurs who receive Kiva Loans through them. This is a really important part of the model without which these microfinance institutions could not be sustainable. Sustainability is a really important part of microfinance, and Kiva aims to support strong microfinance institutions that can achieve sustainability so that they aren't forced to rely on charity to help the poor. Ideally Kiva's Field Partners one day graduate from Kiva debt capital to other forms, perhaps bank loans which they can comfortably afford or even savings if they become registered to receive deposits. Kiva is funded mostly by donations made by Kiva Lenders when they check out, but we don't give lenders the option to also make a donation to the microfinance institution to cover their costs of facilitating the loan (which include conducting due diligence on the borrower, disbursing the loan and collecting repayments.) These costs are not insignificant, and without the work that the Field Partners do Kiva just would not be able to work - we don't have people on the ground in each country in which we operate, we rely on our Field Partner staff. So, interest charged to the entrepreneur is an important and necessary part of the sustainability of microfinance, which is one of the characteristics which make it such an attractive poverty alleviation. Can the poor pay interest? We know that they can - the repayment rate is very high, and very basic investments in a small business can, and often do, double or triple profits that entrepreneurs make. To be clear, however, as part of Kiva's due diligence process with any Field Partner we look into the charges they apply to each loan and we do not partner with organizations who charge an interest rate which is exorbitant, considering both the region and the product. I hope this helped to put a little context to the issue, and explain why interest rates - and sustainability - are very important to us. Fiona Ramsey Kiva Public Relations Director Kevin,

You’ve raised a really good point, which is that Kiva’s Field Partners charge an interest rate to the entrepreneurs who receive Kiva Loans through them. This is a really important part of the model without which these microfinance institutions could not be sustainable.

Sustainability is a really important part of microfinance, and Kiva aims to support strong microfinance institutions that can achieve sustainability so that they aren’t forced to rely on charity to help the poor. Ideally Kiva’s Field Partners one day graduate from Kiva debt capital to other forms, perhaps bank loans which they can comfortably afford or even savings if they become registered to receive deposits.

Kiva is funded mostly by donations made by Kiva Lenders when they check out, but we don’t give lenders the option to also make a donation to the microfinance institution to cover their costs of facilitating the loan (which include conducting due diligence on the borrower, disbursing the loan and collecting repayments.) These costs are not insignificant, and without the work that the Field Partners do Kiva just would not be able to work – we don’t have people on the ground in each country in which we operate, we rely on our Field Partner staff.

So, interest charged to the entrepreneur is an important and necessary part of the sustainability of microfinance, which is one of the characteristics which make it such an attractive poverty alleviation. Can the poor pay interest? We know that they can – the repayment rate is very high, and very basic investments in a small business can, and often do, double or triple profits that entrepreneurs make.

To be clear, however, as part of Kiva’s due diligence process with any Field Partner we look into the charges they apply to each loan and we do not partner with organizations who charge an interest rate which is exorbitant, considering both the region and the product.

I hope this helped to put a little context to the issue, and explain why interest rates – and sustainability – are very important to us.

Fiona Ramsey
Kiva Public Relations Director

]]> By: Vaibhav Domkundwar - BetterLabs.net http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Vaibhav Domkundwar - BetterLabs.net Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:06:03 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-72 This was a fantastic news and something we have been hoping for. Since you launched the API last week, our team created an alerts app called KivaAlerts.com, as a way for Kiva lenders and to-be-lenders to keep track of loans that are of most interest to them. Its super quick and we hope it will help drive more lending activity as a result of bringing it to users' attention on a regular basis right in their inbox. I have tweeted it and shared on Facebook as well and would love to see if I could connect with you to understand the best ways to spread the message. Please let me know as soon as you get a chance. This was a fantastic news and something we have been hoping for. Since you launched the API last week, our team created an alerts app called KivaAlerts.com, as a way for Kiva lenders and to-be-lenders to keep track of loans that are of most interest to them. Its super quick and we hope it will help drive more lending activity as a result of bringing it to users’ attention on a regular basis right in their inbox.

I have tweeted it and shared on Facebook as well and would love to see if I could connect with you to understand the best ways to spread the message. Please let me know as soon as you get a chance.

]]> By: Kiva.org’s API Platform: what it means and why is it significant. – http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Kiva.org’s API Platform: what it means and why is it significant. – Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:21:41 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-69 [...] in building tools and new applications for microfinance/microlending community. Kiva wants build.kiva.org’ to become a hub for socially-minded developers who want a make a difference in the world (and [...] [...] in building tools and new applications for microfinance/microlending community. Kiva wants build.kiva.org’ to become a hub for socially-minded developers who want a make a difference in the world (and [...]

]]> By: Glenn White http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Glenn White Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:11:16 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-65 This is an important step and an example that I hope gathers more tranction in the non-profit sector. Kiva.org chosen not to be limited by a silo-specific definition of its mission. As important, it has chosen to do so by extending its reach across communities technologically. It would be great if Apple opened iTunes up as a micro-payments platform for non-profit organizations. It would be great if the YouTube model could be melded into a backend for a standardize platform for video documentation of socially and environmentally conscious non-profit mission. Well, short of more "change" coming soon and in amble measure, more of use and the organizations we support will need to develop the open, enterprise-class information archtecture that will be needed to heal this planet. We can do it with just the sort of strategic approach to technologic as this API bespeaks. Glenn White This is an important step and an example that I hope gathers more tranction in the non-profit sector. Kiva.org chosen not to be limited by a silo-specific definition of its mission. As important, it has chosen to do so by extending its reach across communities technologically. It would be great if Apple opened iTunes up as a micro-payments platform for non-profit organizations. It would be great if the YouTube model could be melded into a backend for a standardize platform for video documentation of socially and environmentally conscious non-profit mission. Well, short of more “change” coming soon and in amble measure, more of use and the organizations we support will need to develop the open, enterprise-class information archtecture that will be needed to heal this planet. We can do it with just the sort of strategic approach to technologic as this API bespeaks.

Glenn White

]]> By: Kevin http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Kevin Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:23:59 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-56 Bogus. Me and my friends have supported Kiva, but now we know that the "NGOs" that distribute OUR money are demanding fees and interest. Sounds like banks, not NGOs. We are not funding bogus NGOs so they can make profits off of OUR money. When WE loan OUR money, We expect NOTHING in return. My friends and I are going to look for a real charity that does not rape its recipients like banks, the IMF and WB do. Bogus. Me and my friends have supported Kiva, but now we know that the “NGOs” that distribute OUR money are demanding fees and interest. Sounds like banks, not NGOs. We are not funding bogus NGOs so they can make profits off of OUR money. When WE loan OUR money, We expect NOTHING in return. My friends and I are going to look for a real charity that does not rape its recipients like banks, the IMF and WB do.

]]> By: Holly http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-49 Holly Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:02:50 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-49 Many countries are using mobile phones instead of computers to access the internet. I have reserved the domain name kiva.mobi for future development of a mobile site. At this time, my own personal skills are pretty limited to wordpress with mobile themes, but if it would help please let me know and I'd be happy to set it up. I've contact the CEO through the lender messages section to transfer the domain name to the Kiva organization, or I am happy to host it. Many countries are using mobile phones instead of computers to access the internet. I have reserved the domain name kiva.mobi for future development of a mobile site. At this time, my own personal skills are pretty limited to wordpress with mobile themes, but if it would help please let me know and I’d be happy to set it up.

I’ve contact the CEO through the lender messages section to transfer the domain name to the Kiva organization, or I am happy to host it.

]]> By: roland catellier http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-42 roland catellier Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:04:44 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-42 recently had a conversation wit a consultant at red cross& red cresent international in chengdu china, they have a program for giving matching funds or close to what govt compensation for loss of a home, which is half of what is needed to replace there home. the quake victim can get a loan after they have replaced there home, there are no construction loans available or bridge loans available in china. so 90% of those qualified for matching funds won't be able to get those funds. Because they can't complete the home with out a loan. Any sugestions? contact roland@disaster-relief-shelters.org recently had a conversation wit a consultant at red cross& red cresent international in chengdu china, they have a program for giving matching funds or close to what govt compensation for loss of a home, which is half of what is needed to replace there home. the quake victim can get a loan after they have replaced there home, there are no construction loans available or bridge loans available in china. so 90% of those qualified for matching funds won’t be able to get those funds. Because they can’t complete the home with out a loan. Any sugestions?
contact roland@disaster-relief-shelters.org

]]> By: How We Know Us http://blog.build.kiva.org/2009/02/03/welcome-to-buildkivaorg/comment-page-1/#comment-35 How We Know Us Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:15:34 +0000 http://blog.build.kiva.org/?p=27#comment-35 <strong>Complete(?) Kiva Network...</strong> I wanted to offer up an image of the complete(?) network after all of the kind interest in the preliminary network map I put together yesterday. From the feedback yesterday, I learned my lesson and have linked to a high-res version of the image. ...... Complete(?) Kiva Network…

I wanted to offer up an image of the complete(?) network after all of the kind interest in the preliminary network map I put together yesterday.
From the feedback yesterday, I learned my lesson and have linked to a high-res version of the image.
……

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