Archive for the ‘ Asia Pacific ’ Category
A HSPFI Lending Team Update. I was just two days off the plane and back in the Philippines when I heard that HSPFI’s 2009 Q4 Project Officers Meeting would be taking place the next day. I really wanted to make something for the POs as a small token of thanks, so I threw a video [ READ MORE ]
If you follow me via @Anecdoted on Twitter, you’ll notice that I share quite a few articles criticizing microfinance, far more than ones that praise. Despite this evidence to the contrary, I do believe that microfinance “works” – but not in the “silver bullet” transformative way that most people often associate with microfinance and poverty [ READ MORE ]
I guess it was just a matter of time before I did the obligatory food post about all the interesting dishes that I’ve been trying in the Philippines. Unfortunately what prompted me to type up this post was a string of eating mishaps, of sorts. On Tuesday a nearby barangay (or village) had a fiesta [ READ MORE ]
Re-posted from the Kiva Fellows Blog. Every time I come back from the field, I’m weighed down by videos, photos, barely legible notebook scribbles. Stories from Kiva borrowers, the good and the bad. As I turn these stories into journals I try to imagine what it would be like to be a Kiva lender on [ READ MORE ]
Re-posted from the Kiva Fellows Blog. The world has been abuzz with Monday’s news of the election “massacre” in Maguindanao, Mindanao. About 50 lawyers, journalists and relatives of local politicians were abducted and brutally killed because of their affiliation with an opposition politician. This horrific event is being followed closely by the international media, including [ READ MORE ]
It’s been a few weeks since my visit, but I simply loved Camiguin – a beautiful place filled with interesting people and things. So to celebrate me finding a new favorite spot on Earth, here are some memorable candids from Camiguin[ READ MORE ]
Would be the day, any day, when Filipino boxing champion and national hero Manny Pacquiao fights. Most of my (male) co-workers and acquaintances here had circled the date and tensely counted down the days to Pacquiao’s most recent fight (and win) against Miguel Cotto on November 14, 2009, which was broadcast in the Philippines on [ READ MORE ]
Re-posted from the Kiva Fellows Blog. Having followed the recent debate over Kiva’s transparency and the P2P model, the main critique that stuck with me was that there should be more transparency on Kiva’s partner MFIs. This resonated with me because I believe that Kiva has, on the whole, picked out partner MFIs that do [ READ MORE ]
Re-posted from the Kiva Fellows Blog. Bizarre is probably not the best word to describe this client interview, but without a doubt we were intrigued and utterly fascinated by the alien-looking blob we saw sitting pretty before us. Corroi, HSPFI‘s Kiva Coordinator and I found ourselves staring at a live (or semi-live) sea cucumber during [ READ MORE ]
Re-posted from the Kiva Fellows Blog. I experienced a lot of firsts during my week in the field visiting HSPFI‘s Camiguin Branch. Some good, some intense, all of it exciting. Amongst all these firsts, I’m convinced that I witnessed on Camiguin Island both the most beautiful and the most bizarre client interviews that I’ll get [ READ MORE ]
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