Update from the Field: Poetry, Poverty + Truly Epic Amounts of Food

Compiled by Chris Paci | KF16 & KF17 | Ukraine

May has sprung, and the Kiva Fellows of KF17 will soon be returning home – hard as that is to believe at times. In our own ways, we are all trying to knit our experiences together and figure out the themes that underlie all we’ve done. This week, we have for you three very different approaches to that task. Read on for a representative photographic catalog of most of the food in Togo; a heartbreaking look at how poverty affects the lives of ordinary Cambodians; and a creative take on the ordinary Kiva blog post, as one of our Mexico fellows steps aside to let his MFI staff members talk with us directly.

The Heart of Kiva: A Guest Blog from Mexico
Emmanuel von Arx | KF16 & KF17 | Mexico
Several of our Kiva Fellow colleagues have previously written about their MFIs’ incredibly hard-working staff members. But Emmanuel takes it a step farther: he turns the reins over to Rosa Gonzalez, FRAC’s Spanish-to-English translator, and lets her introduce herself, her experiences, and her dreams in words that are “pure poetry.”

Down the Hatch
Michael Slattery | KF17 | Togo
Michael takes us on a tour of Togolese cuisine: a tour epic not only for its breadth, but also for the sheer amount of food Michael is capable of consuming in one sitting.

The Price of Poverty: What the Poor Sacrifice Just to Survive
Jen Truong | KF17 | Cambodia
In this arresting post, Jen reveals some of the saddest aspects of poverty in Cambodia, a ruthless force that separates its victims from education, tradition, and love.

–

Updates from the Past Month:
Colorful Markets, Microfinance for Students + Springtime Flowers and Celebrations
World Happiness, Food Aid + When Beauty and Poverty Collide
Group Loans, Barriers to Microfinance + How to Visit a Borrower
Non-Financial Services, Employment Discrimination + The Dark Side of Sustainable Tourism

–

Plus more pictures from the past week:

–