Featured Volunteer - Translator Ronan Reodica

Outstanding Contributions to Kiva: Since joining the team in June 2010, Ronan has been an asset not only for his remarkable and accurate translations, but also for his contribution to the Volunteer community via the Forum, answering fellow volunteers' questions and sharing interesting resources

How did you find out about Kiva? I heard about Kiva through magazine and newspaper articles. Around the time Dr. Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize, the topic of microfinance was being written about more. Kiva was mentioned several times and it piqued my interest to learn more.

Why did you choose to volunteer your time with Kiva? Originally a lender, I started noticing the volunteer byline on loans that had been translated from Spanish and thought it would be a great way to practice and improve the Spanish I had studied in college.

What is your favorite partner or region? As a lender, I’m focused on lending to borrowers in the Philippines. I was born there and still have extended family in the region so I am personally invested in lending there. I was lucky to enough to be able to lend to the first loan posted from the Philippines when it went live on the Kiva site. As a translator, I would have to say that profiles written by Fundación Mario Santo Domingo (FMSD) are my favorite because they include so much information about the borrower and their life and region.

Tell us about a memorable profile you have reviewed. A profile that stands out for me is one that I translated. A young Ecuadorian woman who worked full-time was requesting a loan to pay her son’s kindergarten tuition and she was also going to use the loan to help send herself back to school. She had not finished high school and had dreams of becoming a veterinarian. That struck a nerve for be because I remember what it was like to work full-time while going to school. It’s not easy.

Where is your favorite place in the world to travel? I participated in a mission to Belize a few years ago and I was amazed at the amount of diversity for such a small country, from urban areas to the rainforest. I would love to go back someday.

Tell us an unusual or surprising fact about yourself. I am a bit of a foreign film buff. I really love seeing the differences from American cinema, the different ways of telling stories. I’m into a little bit of everything but have really been struck by South Korean films. They don’t hold anything back when it comes to action!