Update from the Field: Kiva's new coffee partner and female empowerment in the Middle East

Compiled by Isabel Balderrama | KF17 | Ecuador

Palestinian female borrower and FATEN customer Rima, pictured along with family

Having been in the field for a little over three months now, KF-17 fellows’ posts begin taking a retrospective look at what has been accomplished over the past few months while working with their assigned Kiva partners worldwide. From having played a role in getting a new kind of Kiva partnership up and running to working with two MFIs dedicated to helping women get ahead in male-dominated Palestine, it is clear that this is the time for a Kiva Fellow to reflect on his or her accomplishments, as well as those of the MFIs they have been involved with. Read this week’s posts to find out more about the exciting experiences that two of KF-17′s members have had during the length of their fellowship.

Coffee Time: Welcoming La Unión Regional Huatusco to Kiva
Kiyomi Beach | KF17 | Mexico
In this post, Kiyomi updates us on the progress Mexico’s “La Unión Regional de Pequeños Productores de Café Huatusco”, Kiva’s first non-microfinance institution partner in Latin America, has made in getting its partnership with Kiva off the ground. She also includes some personal stories of meeting and sharing freshly-roasted cups of coffee with some of Huatusco’s borrowers.

Empowering Women in Palestine
Philip Issa | KF17 | Palestine
Here Philip compares, contrasts, and analyzes two of Kiva’s Palestinian partner MFIs: FATEN and Ryada. In this insightful post, Philip focuses on each institution’s lending methodologies as they relate to women empowerment and highlights both the advantages and disadvantages of each.

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Updates from the past month
Thoughts on Wealth, Religion and History, Foods from the Field, and a Day in the Life of a Fellow
Update from the Field: Poetry, Poverty + Truly Epic Amounts of Food
Update from the Field: Colorful Markets, Microfinance for Students + Springtime Flowers and Celebrations
Update from the Field: World Happiness, Food Aid + When Beauty and Poverty Collide

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Plus more pictures from the past week:

The road leaving a coffee growing community near Huatusco – Kiyomi Beach, Mexico

Eman, the co-owner of a resale enterprise, pictured with her husband and children. Eman travels daily from Palestine to Jerusalem to manage relations with her clients – Philip Issa, Palestine

Kiyomi, sharing a cup of Maria’s home-grown coffee in Huatusco, Mexico – Kiyomi Beach, Mexico