Before joining Kiva, Janessa spent three years living and working in Cairo, Egypt. While there, she taught elementary school, studied Arabic, and worked as a researcher and editor at Al Ahram's Center for Political and Strategic Studies. She is passionate about the Middle East and has done a great deal of travel throughout the region. She also enjoys volunteering at the International Rescue Committee, where she has had the opportunity to work with refugees from around the world. She joins the Review and Translation Program team after completing an internship with the Field Support team here at Kiva. Janessa has a B.A. in Philosophy from UC Berkeley. She loves yoga, baking, and practicing Arabic.