Kiva Stories Database

Find borrower, lender and partner stories to use in marketing materials, talks, etc. Everything is tagged by country, sector, gender, etc. All of these stories are released.

[kivastories]

Amelita - Philippines

KivaID: 1187150

Photos: 

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/phso9e-eoix4w-bfvz6y

Amelita is a food seller who makes a profit of around $40 cents per day. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan hit Amelita’s island of Tacloban. Her home was completely destroyed, and though she received temporary shelter from an NGO, it was only with the help of a loan from NWIF that she was able to build herself and her family a permanent home.  

With their P10,000 loan, Amelita bought P7500 worth of galvanized metal and materials for walls and used the other P2500 for labor costs. She must repay P50 every week for 5 years, which she says is very reasonable and is thankful for the longer length of the loan. Amelita love the weekly NWTF center meetings where she repays her loan because there are lots of people, and she finds it really fun to share ideas about how to improve business and lives. The best advice she received from someone else at the NWTF center meetings was "do your business everyday to sustain family needs."

[kivastories]

Myrna - Philippines

Kiva ID: 681474

Photos: https://kiva.app.box.com/files/0/f/1744186851/Myrna_Kiva_ID_681474

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/phhh9h-5f36vk-dbi1dd

Myrna’s life was turned upside down when tycoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013. Before the typhoon, she split her time between a small store and selling BBQ. After the wreckage of the typhoon, which killed 8 of the members from her NWTF borrowing group, Myrna had to adapt to a very different market. 

The neighborhood that she lived in has turned into one of the tent cities around town, so once she received a recovery loan from NWTF her shop business has been strong because of all the new customers. 

Myrna gave Kiva a message to share with lenders: “I just want to thank everyone who has helped Tacloban.”

[kivastories]

Salamata Ilboudo - Burkina Faso

Kiva ID: 1181850

Photos: Brandfolder

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/phhgbj-bndcmo-1pj7qx

Salamata sells a local drink called-‘Bissap’. The drink is produced using dried hibiscus leaves which are boiled. Bissap is refrigerated, any form of beverage which is cold is in high demand because of the heat. So, having a refrigerator is a key to success. 

Salamata applied for a Kiva loan through Microstart to buy herself a new fridge. She is now a successful businesswoman, creating jobs and diversifying her products. 

[kivastories]

Amena - Lebanon

Kiva ID: 1181043

Photos: Brandfolder

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/ph4djp-c3fjg0-bitina

Amena escaped from Syria and came to Lebanon with her husband and 4 daughters. However, life in Syria has not been easy.   

“We do not have Lebanese friends”... “Here Lebanese are #1, Syrians are #2, even when it comes to medical treatment”

There was an incident when she was taking her children to school and stopped in a store, they left their bags outside for a moment and Lebanese people accused her of leaving a bomb. Amena has used the loan she received to buy furniture for her home, and a second loan was taken out to acquire gold. 

[kivastories]

Ettihad - Lebanon

Kiva ID: 1181043

Photos: Brandfolder

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/pfqipz-3p5vh4-f63acd

Ettihad escaped from Syria to Lebanon, with her husband and children when her home was bombed. She and her family tried to get registered with the UN so that they could get the support they need, but since all of them are considered as adults, they were unsuccessful. 

Ettihad currently works as a tailor, her husband as a building super and one of her daughters work at a salon. Ettihad used the loan to buy herself a better sewing machine and to pay for the medical treatment of her husband’s injuries from the bombing. 

She said “If I didn’t take the loan I would be miserable” and that “There is no other source of money”. 

[kivastories]

Samah - Lebanon

Kiva ID: 1312337

Photos: Brandfolder

Content:https://brandfolder.com/s/pfqd1d-au4u74-4hn0aa

Samah escaped Syria with her family when her home was bombed. Eftikar and Ahlam are her friends, with the latter also being her business partner. The business has grown from just a few clients and their income has increased. When they started 3 years ago, they were each making $200-$300 a month, now Samah makes close to $1000 each month, and Ahlam makes even more. Ahlam and Eftikar are not concerned about what other Lebanese people might think about the business or their loan with Samah.

“Samah is a good person and she has a white heart, so I like working with her,” said Ahlam.

[kivastories]

Jackson - Uganda

Kiva ID: Unknown

Photos: https://www.kiva.org/blog/one-mans-journey-from-small-scale-farmer-to-successful-entrepreneur

Content: https://www.kiva.org/blog/one-mans-journey-from-small-scale-farmer-to-successful-entrepreneur

Before he was able to access any loans, Jackson was a small-scale farmer who depended solely on his limited farming revenue to cater for his family. However, things took a turn for the better when he was introduced to HOFOKAM, a microfinance institution based in Fort Portal, Uganda. Within a short period, Jackson has been able to expand his farmland to cover a full two acres, expand his business and employ people in his village, thereby creating a ripple effect of economic opportunity. On his newly-expanded farmland, Jackson grows beans, maize, banana and coffee. Jackson directly manages the sale of his farm’s produce. His business has been so successful that he was able to pay off his last loan four months in advance. 

[kivastories]

Walaa - Lebanon

Kiva ID: 1407806

Photos: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebvvu-8qg7s0-82ilmx

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebo5r-6hmh08-a8t2n7

Walaa, only 18 years old, was married at age 13. Walaa remembers the Syrian war as extremely difficult times: "We lived in a region where the missiles and bombs were coming to us because soldiers and protestors were attacking each other.” 

Now in Lebanon, Walaa’s husband works in construction, but since his work is seasonal, he cannot provide for the family alone. And though Walaa works year-round at a bakery, it is still not enough money to fully support the family during the winter. So Walaa had to take out a loan to pay for winter expenses like food, living needs, rent and heat.

She hopes to someday start a business and get an education. She also hopes to someday go back to Syria, as she said "we feel we are prisoners” in their town in Lebanon. The government has mandated a 9pm curfew for all Syrians, with an 8pm curfew in the winter months.

[kivastories]

Nour - Lebanon

Kiva ID: 1407806

Photos: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebvu2-5hpzoo-cgtq3u

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebo5r-6hmh08-a8t2n7

Nour is from Idlib, Syria, an active war zone. She is married to Walida’s, her borrowing group member, son. Nour is currently in a partnership in a clothing shop with a Lebanese woman and used her loan to buy more clothes to stock the store. 

However, she did not start out as a partner, she was a customer first, then asked if she could have a job and became an employee. The boss became sick and wanted to split responsibility, so she asked Nour to become a business partner. “I took the loan in order to invest in capital and became a partner,” Nour shared. Before the loan and partnership she was making $250 a month as an employee, and now she makes around $400 a month after dividing the profits with her business partner.

With the profits from her store, Nour is thinking of moving to a larger home.  But ultimately, she hopes to return to Syria.

[kivastories]

Walida - Lebanon

Kiva ID: 1407806

Photos: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebvs0-3rpgjk-6324mh

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebo5r-6hmh08-a8t2n7

Walida came from Idlib, Syria in 2013 with her husband and children. If they stayed in Syria the boys would have to be soldiers and stop their studies. They moved so that they could continue their education and for their safety.

Once in Lebanon, they struggled with being able to afford the higher prices and didn't even consider that taking out a loan was a possibility for them. However, once they realized it was a possibility, Walida took out a loan to help pay for all of the medical expenses associated with her son's eye injury, shrapnel was lodged in his eye during the Syrian Civil War (total cost ~$3-4,000).

Walida said, “I was surprised. I thought it’s impossible to take a loan in Lebanon because we can’t start a business; It has to be in partnership with Lebanese.” “We are not allowed to do certain things here, so I was surprised we could take a loan”

[kivastories]

Jessica - India

Kiva ID: https://www.kiva.org/lend/683130

Photos: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebnhe-elupeg-6697cz

Content: https://brandfolder.com/s/pebnhe-elupeg-6697cz

Jessica always dreamt of becoming an air hostess, but she knew that her family could not afford to pay the security deposit for her cabin crew training. In January 2014, she received a loan from WSDS that could go towards her training to become a cabin crew member. Jessica said, “We don’t usually open up about our family hardship, but they [WSDS staff] were so open that we felt very comfortable.” A loan from WSDS enabled Jessica to live out her dream, her favorite parts about being an air hostess are, “seeing places, seeing new cultures, trying new cuisines”. “The loan gave me wings,” says Jessica. “I am living the dream.” 

[kivastories]

Meerim - Kyrgyzstan

Kiva ID: https://www.kiva.org/lend/636724#lenders-teams

Photos: Not on BF

Content: https://medium.com/@Kiva/meerim-s-story-paving-the-way-for-her-sisters-in-kyrgyzstan-1d71ef613e48

Meerim has lived her entire life in Kyrgyzstan, a country stricken with political instability and high rates of poverty. Through her struggles, she has held fast to her dream of getting an education and being a role model to her younger sisters. Meerim was able to take out a Kiva loan for her tuition at American University Central Asia (AUCA) - the first university in central Asia to offer a U.S. accredited dual degree program. Because of this loan, she was able to study diplomacy and became the role model she dreamt of being for her sisters. 

[kivastories]

Cecilia - Solomon Islands

Kiva ID: https://www.kiva.org/lend/864771 & https://www.kiva.org/lend/1057842

Photos: https://brandfolder.com/s/p2ezmo-dkgn2g-77d7bm

Content: https://medium.com/@Kiva/shell-money-tradition-lives-on-in-the-solomon-islands-3ffc1e812c35

Shell money is a traditional form of currency that was used in the Solomon Islands before bank notes were introduced. Some provinces still use shell money today, primarily for ceremonies, settling disputes, and bridal and land payments. It is beautifully crafted from seashells, often consisting of strings of differently colored shell-beads.

Cecilia is one of the artisans who keeps this tradition alive.

The loan that Cecilia received enabled her to buy fresh supplies of seashells that she is turning into strings of shell money. The profits from her business help Cecilia meet her family’s daily expenses and over time she hopes to provide them with a better standard of living.

[kivastories]

Leila - Georgia

Kiva ID:  https://www.kiva.org/lend/523885

Photos: https://brandfolder.com/s/p2eyjb-f8wadc-8svvaf 

Content: https://medium.com/@Kiva/a-farmer-rebuilds-again-as-a-refugee-in-her-own-land-1d5973b33c3

Leila used to live in Ochamchire, in the coastal region of Abkhazia, situated in the north-western corner of Georgia. She was forced to leave her home, her roots and everything she knew in 1989 due to a regional conflict.

Leila was forced to establish a new life with no possessions. She had very few options and no extended family or network to turn to for support. She managed to buy cows to generate enough income to start to rebuild.

But after years of scraping together a living, hardship struck again: her son had a serious health problems and she sold everything she could to pay for his medical expenses and ensure his well being. That’s where Kiva came in. 

Leila used her loan of $625 to purchase a new cow. Her cow had 2 calves, and with the extra income Leila was able to buy another calf. When she first received the loan, the milk produced by the cow was barely enough for their household consumption. Now, Leila has big plans. “After expanding the farm and breed[ing] more cows I plan to renovate my house and expand it,” she says.

[kivastories]

Lindiwe - Zimbabwe

Kiva ID: 

Photos:

Content: https://medium.com/@Kiva/she-s-22-from-rural-zimbabwe-and-a-mogul-in-the-making-d14ec5c88724

Lindiwe feels strongly about girls and improving their livelihoods. She now operates 3 businesses in her village — a poultry business, a small shop and Lee Juice — all under an umbrella company she named Lee Investments.

“I did market research and thought about what people wanted,” says Lindiwe.

She thought about the thirsty laborers working at the mine near her village and asked herself how she could have a competitive advantage for something they needed. So she started making her own juice and soda from scratch, and priced it at half the price they would pay for a national or international brand.

Through the Field Partner she worked with, Camfed, Lindiwe doesn’t pay any interest on her loan, but instead volunteers as a mentor and teacher for other young women in her community. It’s a way of paying social interest on the loan, but it’s also something Lindiwe loves doing.

“Helping girls to stay in school, helping them to achieve what they want in life, that is my favorite part,” she says.

[kivastories]

Lourdes - Paraguay

Kiva ID: https://www.kiva.org/lend/442928

Photos: https://brandfolder.com/s/p2eu68-5um1pc-coh89j

Content: https://medium.com/@Kiva/lourdes-dream-to-show-the-world-a-woman-s-worth-978664cb596

Lourdes was only 18 when she says her world came crashing down around her. She had been working as a maid from the age of 14, contributing what little money she earned to her struggling mother and siblings. Then she found out she was pregnant. She was alone, cast aside by her family and the father of her child. 

When her son was born she decided to start her own business selling empanadas and snacks. That’s when she took out her first business loan of just over $60 U.S.

Lourdes says her mantra at the time was, “I’m going to show his father that I’m worth more as a woman, that I don’t need a man at my side…And I’m going to prove it to my family as well who criticized me so much.” 

Though she had many hardships, Lourdes persisted and was able to take out additional Kiva loans to buy more stock and a refrigerator, building the business to the point that she was able to move into a new, bigger shop. Now, she is grateful for the lessons this experience has taught her, and says, “To be a single mother gives you more strength, you want to fight even harder.”

[kivastories]

Chancey - US (Gainville, FL)

Kiva ID: https://www.kiva.org/lend/1078158

Photos: Not on BF

Content: https://medium.com/@Kiva/meet-chancey-greenvilles-banana-bread-queen-c3390dc22b44

After her employer moved away and Chancey found herself unemployed, she had a stroke of inspiration when her neighbor’s young son declared her banana bread the best he had ever tasted. She started out selling 3 or 4 varieties of banana bread exclusively at the Saturday market, with the help of a small loan.

Then in 2012, a $2,000 loan crowdfunded on Kiva helped Chancey realize her dream of owning her own storefront bakery, where she prepares and sells freshly baked quick breads and cakes. The store is called Banana Manna, and since its opening Chancey has expanded from 2 to 15 different varieties of banana bread - including the “fully loaded,” which contains dried fruit, nuts and shredded coconut.