Saludos!

Hi friends. I’m Whitney, newly-minted Kiva Fellow, class 6, headed to Managua, Nicaragua.

I am so ready to go.

The extensive 5-day training at the Kiva offices in San Francisco stimulated every facet of my mind. Having a background more in exploration than finance, the prospect of living abroad is absolutely thrilling and rather accessible, while gaining confidence in my capacity to convey the inspiration and functionality of Kiva in Spanish is my struggle.

That, and the daunting task of learning to navigate a sizeable Central American city largely devoid of street names.

I am honored, and frankly surprised, to be included in such a worthy group of 29 others chosen to be the face of Kiva on the ground. Fortunately, Kiva values a wide range of experiences, so my frequent flyer miles allow me join the ranks of journalists, graduate students, financial analysts and marathon runners. At the end of my 10 week fellowship, I intend to be well-versed in microfinance and a decent bachata dance partner.

Nicaragua films coming soon – in the meantime, please enjoy my favorite video I’ve collected on the road, shot outside of Siem Reap in August 2005.

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