A Change of Perspective

By Matt Raimondi, KF11, Honduras

I recently arrived in Juticalpa, Honduras to begin my Kiva Fellowship at FAMA OPD’F, a brand new Kiva partner. (FAMA has yet to post any loans but will be posting their first loans in the upcoming weeks. Be on the lookout for a blog post announcing their first loans!)

A longtime Kiva supporter, I began lending over three years ago and became a Volunteer Spanish Translator for Kiva a year and a half ago. I was always looking for ways to get more involved with Kiva and longed to be able to work on the ground and make a difference in the field. When I came upon the Kiva Fellows Program I knew it was meant to be.

I will be attending business school in the fall and knew this was the ideal opportunity to do a Kiva Fellowship. A little over a month ago I quit my job. After an intense, weeklong Kiva Fellows training I moved out of my apartment in San Francisco and two weeks ago I arrived in Honduras. It’s been a whirlwind month to say the least. The transition from Volunteer Spanish Translator to Kiva Fellow has been an eye-opening experience. I went from translating loan descriptions to being fully immersed in the daily operations of an MFI. In the first two weeks of my Kiva Fellowship I have learned a lot about Kiva, microfinance and myself. Kiva places an immense amount of trust and responsibility on the Kiva Fellows and I am grateful for the opportunity to make an impact at Kiva and in the microfinance community. I know I am in the right place and am very excited to bring another MFI onto Kiva’s platform!

Over the next three months I look forward to sharing my experiences with you on the Kiva Fellows blog!

Click here if you’re interested in getting more involved with Kiva!!!