My Story

After six years of working in the financial services industry I have decided to take time to give back.  In February I will begin my work as a Kiva Fellow helping entrepreneurs in Veracruz, Mexico.  I will be working as an unpaid volunteer for Kiva at the Huatusco Coffee Cooperative, which is a microfinance institution based in Veracruz and Huatusco, Mexico.

The Impact

I will be working as a volunteer to help entrepreneurs (like the woman above that I met while travelling Peru) grow by supporting Kiva's mission of "connect[ing] people through lending to alleviate poverty" by working at a partner microfinance institution.

Microfinance institutions provide loans to low income borrowers and small business owners who would not have access to funding otherwise.  These loans provide critical capital that helps these business owners run their business.  Sometimes these loans are as little as a few hundred dollars and are used to buy things such as fertilizer, seeds, merchandise, or other supplies needed for the business.  

Kiva helps by providing funding to microfinance institutions for these loans.  They work in closely with selected institutions to ensure they are supporting Kiva's mission, and values.  To learn more please visit http://www.kiva.org/about.

How to Help

Because this is an unpaid, volunteer fellowship, your financial support would be greatly appreciated.

I have estimated that my trip will cost between $4,000 and $4,500, which will include the cost of attending my training in San Francisco, California at the end of January and all living and travel expenses in Mexico.  Below are some examples of expenses:

$460: Approximate cost of round-trip flight from San Francisco to Veracruz, Mexico

$300-$600 monthly:  Estimated cost of monthly rent and utilities in Veracruz, Mexico

$100: Estimated monthly travel expenses to get to work and visit borrowers in the field 

$150: Estimated monthly food expenses

$30-$50: Estimated cost of purchase of a local cell phone

$30: Estimated monthly cell phone expenses

Any contribution is greatly appreciated as it will go a long way to helping me support Kiva's mission.  

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