This document summarizes the Kiva lending projects of Honors Program students at Sweet Briar College. It provides details on: - The number and amount of loans made by the students ($2,000 total across 70 loans) - The 23 countries supported, with the most loans going to the Philippines and Peru - The most popular sectors for loans were food and agriculture - Individual student group projects are described that highlight specific borrowers and the reasons for choosing them, including desires for education, business expansion, and home repairs.

1. Y:1 AND HONORS PROGRAM
STUDENTS’ KIVA PROJECTS

2. Stats and Facts
• 70 Honors student loans
• Y:1 Class loans
• Total of $2,000 on loan
• Supporting women in 23
countries:
Albania Lebanon
Bolivia Mexico
Colombia Nicaragua
Ecuador Paraguay
El Salvador Peru
Georgia Philippines
Ghana Senegal
Guatemala Sierra Leone
Honduras Tajikistan
Iraq Tanzania
Kenya Uganda
Kyrgyzstan
As new members of the Sweet Briar KIVA
Lending Team, the impact of our new loans
on team giving is substantial!

3. Loans by Country
Loans to the Philippines and Peru were
the most popular.

4. Loans by Sector
Loans in the Food and
Agriculture sectors were the
most popular.

5. y:1 Group 1 – Higgins, Dupuis, Marshall, Ramon, and Akoto
Tsetsegmaa. 2013. Photograph. KivaWeb. 10 Sep 2013. <http://www.kiva.org/lend/603730>.

6. y:1 Group 1 – Higgins, Dupuis, Marshall, Ramon, and Akoto
Leong, Mark. The Urban Clan of Genghis Khan. 2013. Photograph. National
Geographic, Ulaanbaatar. Web. 10 Sep 2013.

7. y:1 Group 2
Anastasiia from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
• She wants a loan to pay for a
higher education at The
American University of
Central Asia (AUCA)

8. y:1 Group 2
We chose Anastasia because
• We were influenced by our
reading in Half the Sky to
change the life of this girl so
she can have an education.
• The education of women is an
essential step in making a
country’s economy, health,
and affluence more
sustainable and advantageous
for all of its people.

9. In Kyrgyzstan
y:1 Group 2
• Poverty Rate = 38%
• 21.69% of the Population lives on under
$2 a day
• New Law: Preventing and Countering
Human Trafficking on November 21, 2011
• This law has been in effect less than two
years now, so now is the time to act to
make it a success. These girls need access
to these loans so that they may begin
their lives outside of the brothels and get
a higher education.
• Otherwise they may turn back to the
brothels just to survive or because it’s all
they know. (As it was noted in Half the
Sky)

10. Why Saltanat?
y:1 Group 3

11. y:1 Group 3
What is an IDP? Why is this a factor
in choosing Saltanat?
Agdam region. Children playing in a
camp for displaced persons.
IDP stands for internally displaced person.
This means that Saltanat was forced to flee
from her home; but she still resides in the
same country, therefore she is not called a
refugee. Her reason for running away is
unstated, however, it is likely that it was
due to the conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over Nagorno-Karabak.
This knowledge is relevant to choosing
Saltanat because it shows that we need to
support her in her attempt to build a new
life with her family.

12. Saltanat is going to use her
loan for seeds and
fertilizers.
This is her 5th loan.
75% funded
Her repayment term is 19
months.
Currency exchange loss
covered, default
protection not covered.
Aqroinvest Credit Union
y:1 Group 3

13. Hanna
y:1 Group 4
 Hanna has some education;
She graduated from junior
high school.
 She has been the owner of
her store for five years, and
hopes to expand her
business.

14. y:1 Group 4
Hanna is from Takoradi, Ghana
 Average annual income: $2,643
 Funds lent to Ghana using KIVA: $8,920,525
 Currency exchange rate: 2.1 Ghana Cedis (GHS) = $1
USD
 Consumer inflation: 9%
 Population: 25,366,462
 Adult literacy rate (total rate for those above age 15):
67%
 Youth literacy rate (ages 15-24): 81%
 Percent of children working (ages 7-14): 49%
 Secondary school enrollment: 59%
 Mortality rate (age 5 and under): 72%
Takoradi is located on the
southern coast

15. Sento
y:1 Group 5
Makeni, Sierra Leone

16. y:1 Group 5

17. Ngiv & The Impact We Will Make…
• Y:1 Global Girlhoods
y:1 Group 6

18. This is Ngiv, she is from Cambodia and has
five children.
She is requesting a kiva loan to build a
bathroom in her home.
We want to make a difference. We want to
help Ngiv and her children. As a class we want
to save Ngiv, and potentially the lives of the
children...
Investing in bathrooms promotes hygiene,
saves lives, and even keeps girls in school
After reading Half the Sky, the education of
women should truly hit home. Oftentimes in
Cambodia girls are so embarrassed during
menstruation they miss school. This is
something that destroys the spirits of young
women and girls. No one should feel that
way.
Meet Ngiv…
y:1 Group 6

19. y:1 Group 6
Where We Got Inspired…
• According to UNICEF only 34% of Cambodia's population
use improved drinking water sources, 14% of Cambodian
children die before reaching the age of five, and around
9.7% die before the age of one.
• Many of these deaths could be prevented. Clean water and
sanitation facilities are vital to the livelihood of children
and young adults.
• As women in this room, think for a second. Think about the
time of the month when you’re menstruating and there is
nowhere to go. Think about sitting in the classroom and you
have to go to the restroom but their is nowhere to go. What
do you do?
• Most of the time women and children are forced to go into
the fields where wild predators are, and dangerous men.
Oftentimes children are raped on their way to the nearest
tree, or field trying to escape the humiliation of wetting
themselves during class.  LICADHO reported 140 cases of
child rape in 2004 in Cambodia

20. Claudia Jimena of Bolivia
y:1 Group 7
Claudia Jimena is a Bolivian woman, who is requesting a Kiva
loan in order to finance her final semester of university. She
is currently working towards a degree in tourism.
Reasons Why Claudia Deserves This Loan:
• Claudia is requesting a loan so that she can afford to purchase
books for school. Crops can fail (drought, parasites, fires, animals,
etc.) and livestock can be lost (eaten by wild animals, disease,
theft, etc.), but education is something that can never be taken
away.
• By becoming educated, Claudia is more likely to delay marriage
and motherhood.
• By becoming educated and joining the workforce, Claudia is
making a valuable contribution towards the Bolivian economy.

21. From Marcelle’s ePortfolio
Before beginning this project, each
student was asked to answer some
questions such as: who will you
help, why will help them, where
do they live, what's your
motivation to help them, what
inspires you to help them, etc.
Here's my answers to these
questions as well as my reflections
about the KIVA project.

22. From Marcelle’s ePortfolio
There comes a time in our lives
when we are called to help
others. This 2013-2014 school
year is full of opportunities
where women like us can make
an impact on someone else's life.
This year's KIVA project, I chose
to lend $25 to a mother named
Crisales. As a mother she not
only wants to keep up with her
business, but also she desires her
children to finish school. Crisales
provides for her family by
running a Jeepney Business.

23. From Marcelle’s ePortfolio
Did you know that Jeepneys originated from America? When the U.S. fought off the
Japnese, they had left their vehicles in the Philippines. Both my mother and father
rode these Jeepneys as their everyday transportation while they were growing up in
the Philppines. Jeepneys are like long Jeeps with open doorways and windows, which
provide adequate airflow throughout the ride. Although Jeepneys are still being used
in the Philippines today, I know that they are difficult to maintain - seeing as they are
such old vehicles. Jeepneys have become part of the Filipino culture, so I also want to
preserve this unique culture.
• Fun Question: How many people can you fit in a Jeepney?
• When I visit Manila, it is fun to see how much people
squeeze into a Jeepney. I couldn't imagine that once upon a
time, my mom was my age traveling around town as a
college student in a Jeepney. The roots of my culture make
me feel grateful and blessed to be born a first generation
Filipino American. This way I have the opportunity to help
people like Crisales and preserve Filipino culture.
• Therefore, I hope to see Crisales flourish from this loan; I
want her business to be up and running so that she can
provide for her children's education. In addition, I also want
the Jeepney business to keep running since it is a significant
part of Filipino culture. Good luck Crisales and family!

24. From Holly’s ePortfolio
When I first went on the KIVA site to look for a woman to lend money to, the first thing
I did was search by region of the world. As a Spanish student I wanted to look at
Spanish speaking countries but my heart told me to look at the African Continent.

25. From Holly’s ePortfolio
Mrs. Sylive is the head of Nong Taaba Group. She is married with two children. They are 12
and 8 and both attend school. Her income is from selling clothes, she wants to buy four
dozen sets of clothes for women and six dozen sets for children. She uses her profits to
reinvest in her business. Eventually, she hopes to buy a motor cycle and improve her
family's quality of life. The pay back period is eight months.

26. From Holly’s ePortfolio
I chose a loan for a woman in Ghana named Ekua. Ghana is a small country that borders Burkina Faso to the
south. Ekua is married and has six children. She wants to use her loan to purchase cassava and maize in order to
increase her production of banku ("a traditional Ghanaian dish made using fermented corn/cassava dough that is
mixed proportionally and cooked in hot water into a smooth, whitish paste"). She has been selling banku for 7
years.
The money from her business goes towards her family's expenses and the school fees for her children. Though
Ekua doesn't have any formal education, it's clear that she values the education of her children.
I someday hope to travel to Africa and work in an improvished community. What exactly I want to do, I'm not
sure. The dance major in me would love to spend time in Burkina Faso and surrounding areas studying
the cultural dances and try to fully understand the
concept that dance is the most basic and universal form
of communication. The psychology major in me would
love to simply go and study children and their
development in the orphanage and primary school
systems.

27. From Jennifer’s ePortfolio
Me+Kiva+$25= a changed life?
I'm in!
For the project, I chose three women from
different places with different needs.
I should admit, I was really excited
when I found out the Honors Program
was going to donate $25 to each
student in the program to help
support people who normally wouldn't
ever get a loan. I pictured myself as
such a hero philanthropist giving
money to people in need.
I discovered though, that many of
these people are normal people who
just need a loan, like many normal
people. They aren't these primeval
people with no clothes who eat rice all
their lives. They simply need some
startup money to grow more crops or
start a business or buy furniture for
their new house.

28. Well....Not so fast. Fortunately for
them, but unfortunately for me,
these loans were all paid up by the
time we went to register. Apparently
many people are very generous
people who love to help others. I was
glad that they got the money they
needed, but not so glad that I had to
find another loan.
"Poetas Group from Mexico."
From Jennifer’s ePortfolio
Daniela was looking to expand her laundry business in Zitacuaro. After secondary
school, she decided to start her own business because it was hard to find work for
someone else, and being an independent business owner, she could keep an eye on her
family while working. She had worked in the laundry business before, and knew that it
was profitable, so she went for it. Now, she has money to expand her business. (Another
portion of this $7,300 loan will go to her partners' hair salon, beauty salon, car parts,
food supplies, and clothes.)

29. Ramonita from
Paraguari, Paraguay
I was primarily looking for girls that wanted a
better education. I've been learning a lot about
women and culture in my y:1 class. Also, after
reading the common reading book Half the Sky,
I feel especially inspired by these girls who are
longing for an education because I know how
important it is to those girls and for the future
economies of their countries.
Educating women is
important in the
rebuilding of
economies for less
affluent areas. I
became increasingly
interested in this topic
as
I went through the
reading and class
discussions. Studies have
shown that education
for women is the best
way to sustainably
improve and
impoverished economy.
From Emily P’s ePortfolio

30. From Monica’s ePortfolio
Mery Katia
Parcona, Peru
The woman I found on KIVA was named Mery Katia. I
was definitely interested in helping a woman from
South America; especially from Peru, since my
mother is from Peru and I have family that lives
there. During third grade, I traveled to Peru and I
was absolutely captivated. Peru looked so different
compared to Florida. It was like I was in a whole new
world. While I was there, I saw many old, broken
down houses that were in desperate need of repairs.
In KIVA’s website, it says that Mery Katia is looking to
receive a loan to repair the floor of her family’s
house. Being able to help Mery improve the living
conditions of her home makes me happy.
As I was looking through
the KIVA website, one of
the things I was looking for
was a person who was
looking to get an
education. Education is
important because it gives
people the necessary skills
needed to improve their
lives, the lives of others,
and make smart decisions.
I really believe that every
woman should have the
right to get an education
and earn a living.

31. Edy
Ayacucho, Peru
Just logged on to the KIVA website via my iPad
app and started browsing through the stories.
There's so many women to give to--some of
them want funds for their child's college
education, and others want funds to start their
own business. I found an especially remarkable
lady named Edy from Peru who wants a loan to
buy organic fertilizer for her crops. She's been a
farmer for twenty years and her crops
were wiped out by an outbreak of rot. She
mostly grows cacao beans--great for making
chocolate! She has to transport the bags
herself though, and they can be very heavy,
especially when she needs to drag them to the
market to sell the goods. Her husband does
help with the fields, but that doesn't alleviate
the weeding and harvest that needs to be done
on top of tending to the crops.
From Katy’s ePortfolio

32. From Bianca’s ePortfolio
KIVA in
Tajikistan
My first choice is Gulru from Tajikistan
because she is a mother of twins who are
in the process of getting good education
and with the help of $1,100 she can pay for
their tuition. And I know that I have chosen
someone from somewhere that I have
never heard of and I like that I can help
people from new places.
I want to make a difference in
a girls life especially if it has to
do with education because it
is very important to learn
about different things.
Education is not only good for
the brain but it helps people
get through life doing
amazing and great things that
are definitely worthwhile.

33. Guatemala, Agriculture
So this is my selected group. I ended up selecting them because their repayment
term is shorter than the two who need support for their restaurants. Hopefully I will
still keep tabs on the other groups I was considering and see if they reach their goals.
I gave $25 dollars to this group. They hadn't seemed to make much progress since I
first discovered them many weeks ago.
After about two weeks since
donating my $25 dollars to this
group's microloan, their loan is
fully funded! Now comes the
hard part for them. They must
repay the loan. So far they
have 0% repaid. They have
eight months to repay, so
hopefully in time they will
start raising that number. I
hope I have made a wise
investment.
From Ruth’s ePortfolio

34. Monica from Kenya
Tonight we chose our Kiva borrowers. The
first woman I chose was Monica from
Kenya. She needed 575 dollars to buy
vegetables for her business. This was her
second loan through Kiva, so she had
already shown her dependability by
paying back her first loan.
From Katie F’s
ePortfolio

35. From Katie F’s ePortfolio
Coumba from Senegal
The next woman I found was
Coumba from Senegal. She is 41
years old with a husband and six
children. She is asking for a 425
dollar loan to buy sheep and goats to
increase her herd. She uses the
money she makes from selling
animals to help her husband with
her children's schooling costs and
day-to-day expenses. Her goal is to
eventually be able to start a livestock
farm to help improve her family's
living situation. After I lent 25 dollars
toward Coumba's cause. Her loan
only needed 75 more dollars before
it is complete.

36. Evelyn, Philippines
When I looked on Kiva to find a borrower that I would like
to lend to, I quickly discovered that a few countries
contained many borrowers, while others just had a
few. The first few countries I looked at were in South
America; Peru, Costa Rica, and Chile. Eventually, I decided
that I would like to loan to a women from the Philippines.
Many if not all of the barrowers I found
from the Philippines were looking for a
loan for their fishing business. It seems
to me that perhaps one of the biggest
sources of income for people island
countries is the fishing industry. That
means that leading to someone who
wanted to expand their fishing business
would not only (hopefully) stimulate the
economy, but also help someone who
may have struggled in an already
competitive job market.
When I choose Evelyn, I was also looking
at a few others with fishing businesses.
One thing that stuck out to me about her
was that not only does she buy and sell
fresh fish but she also sells salted fish. I
thought this was cool, because it adds a
little “flavor” to her business. For the
past 10 years she had been working hard
at this business and is hopeful that she
can improve her family’s standards of life
by increasing her income. Evelyn’s
request of $475 has been fulfilled and
she is currently working on paying back
her loan.
From Caroline’s ePortfolio

37. From Caroline’s ePortfolio
The field partner that is helping
Evelyn in this business venture is
CEVI, or the Community economic
ventures inc. They have been on Kiva
for 58 months, have a 4 star rating,
and a 0.00% currency exchange rate.
They work out of Bohol in the
Philippines.

38. From Grace’s ePortfolio
One of the most inspiring chapters in
Half The Sky is called "Investing in education"
this is where my reasoning and firm belief about
funding education for a girl comes from.
The chapter opens up with a story of a young Chinese
girl named Dai Manju. It tells her and her family's story from poverty to wealth,
all because of her ability to complete her education. Dai Manju's family went
from barely being able to feed themselves to being one of the richest families
in their village. The chapter goes on to explain that:
"One study after another has shown that educating girls is one of
the most effective ways to fight poverty." (Kristoff 169)
Education really is the key to not only stopping the abuse and mistreatment of
women and girls, but also for stimulating growth of the economy. Overall the
more women that are educated means more people to advocate for those who
cannot advocate for themselves.

39. Zarina, Tajikistan
I have already made my loan, thanks
to President Parker and the Sweet
Briar honors program. I choose to
send my loan to Zarina, who lives in
Tajikistan. She is a 32 year old mother
of three young children and a wife.
Two of her children are of school age
and doing well with their studies. Her
husband works buying and selling
children's clothing with the help of
Zarina. The loan she requested will be
put towards paying the childern's
school tuition, which was what I
originally wanted to make my loan
towards. I am also happy to report
that Zarina's loan has been fully
funded since I gave my portion of the
loan.
From Grace’s ePortfolio

40. From Hannah’s ePortfolio
Enduring. Unceasing. Imperishable.
These were the words that fluttered violently in my mind when I was first
introduced to the Kiva organization. Deciding who to lend money to was a
challenge. I knew I wanted to support a woman in need, but more
importantly, I knew I wanted to give an enduring gift- a gift that would
surpass an expiration date on a food jar, a gift that would live on longer than
the life of a mule and a gift that would benefit a woman for months and years
following their repayment term. President Parker once stated that Sweet Briar
was a parent’s enduring gift to their daughter. Beginning as a gift from one
mother to future generations of women to come, Sweet Briar has continued
to give the gift of education to women for over a hundred years. Through
Kiva, I was able to find someone who yearned to pass along the same gift
Indiana Fletcher Williams did, the same gift my mother gave to me, the
enduring gift of education.

41. From Dorie’s ePortfolio
Nona, Tblisi Georgia
I want to support Nona because the
selling of cell phones helps local
business owners and Georgians
expand and modernize. Also,
stimulating the Georgian economy is
important since it is still a relatively
new country (gained its
independence in 1991).
It is important to support vulnerable
clients like Nona because it is very
risky and often takes a few tries
before they are able to run a
successful profitable business,
especially in a city like Tbilisi.
Nona, a 40 year old small store owner who
lives in Tbilisi (the capital city of Georgia) is
asking for $1,300 that she will use to purchase
a wider assortment of products to restart her
business. She already has a small supply of
mobile phones and other accessories but she
has been unable to make any profit due to her
poor living conditions. Nona, according to
Kiva.org, is considered a vulnerable client "who
live[s] at the subsistence level and [has] been
unable to obtain credit due to lack of income
from an existing business."

42. Betsy from Montecristi, Ecuador
Shortly after selection night, I checked back on
the KIVA website and saw that Betsy's loan was
fully funded and that means that she has gotten
the money and is most likely using it to buy
newer and better products to sell. It is very
exciting to know that she is probably already
using the loan we have given her to save for a
good education that she can give to her
daughters.
I selected Betsy Lourdes from Montecristi,
Ecuador. This was actually very exciting because
although I have never been to Montecristi, I have
been to Ecuador! It feels amazing to help
someone who may be connected to another
person that I met or talked to while I was there.
It shows how small the world can really be!
Betsy and her husband, a brick layer, are parents
to two young daughters who both go to school.
Her two girls are why Betsy works so hard selling
clothes and Avon products. She has been doing
this for seven years and is saving the money she
earns to pay for her daughters' educations. Betsy
goes door to door throughout the week but
makes most of her money on the weekends
because she gives the products to her neighbors
on credit and collects on the weekends.
From Emily W’s ePortfolio

43. Lina, Philippines
Half the Sky affected me in a lot of aspects in my life. For
example, it completely changed my view point on the
world and forced me to realize that even though it is
2013, there are still so many modern crimes going on
against humanity. The book helped me realized what was
important to me and what was a good use of my life. In
short, the book enlightened me and helped me decide
what I wanted to major in (or possibly major in).
For the Kiva Project, I wanted a similar experience. Going
through the numerous borrowers on the website, I knew
I wanted someone who resonated with me. For example,
I saw a woman who was a single mother with six
children. My mother is similar to her, she is divorced and
for the first few years of my life she worked her butt off
to provide for me. In fact, she still does. I felt like I could
completely relate to this woman, who I imagined as
strong and capable and loving and devoted to her
children, just like how my own mother is.
From Breanna’s ePortfolio

44. From Graysee’s ePortfolio
To be able to help another human being accomplish
one of their goals or better their life is one of the most
fulfilling experiences, and yet it is not a common
action amongst the citizens of the world.
Although we would all like to be able to donate
monetary values to those in need it is not always
possible. However, the Honors Program at Sweet Briar
is giving students the opportunity to change lives and
be involved in something bigger than themselves by
participating as a group in the KIVA project.
Given the opportunity to be able to participate in this
project, I began my search for the recipient of my
$25.00 microloan a little overwhelmed.
Which woman in some other country would I select to
help her accomplish her goal or better her life? I am
somewhat partial to the people of Peru, as I traveled
there in the summer of 2011 on an international
service trip. Here, I spent two weeks in the Amazon
Rainforest helping the village of Yanamono better their
community with english lessons and new
infrastructure. I am convinced that I left part of my
heart behind in Peru, as the humbling people of
Yanamono taught me what it means to be human
without boundaries.

45. Agriculture
From Gina’s ePortfolio
I have decided to sort through the
profusion of borrowers by choosing
women in the agriculture sector that
attributes to rural exclusion. My
choice is mainly due to the fact that I
grew up on a farm in rural Stokes
County, North Carolina. I believe that
agriculture is the most basic and
most important part of an economy.
Humans simply cannot live without
food. In third world countries, some
people have no material goods to
their name; they would be plenty
happy if the only thing they had was
a sufficient amount of food on their
table. For this reason, I have chosen
to support the most basic human
necessity: food.

46. Mary Jakeline, Ecuador
I wanted to donate to her because I felt she really
lined up well with everything I'm studying this
semester. Ecuador is a Spanish speaking country
and I'm taking Elementary Spanish 101. I
remember learning about South American
geography and customs while in my sixth grade
social studies class but haven't had a chance to
revisit studying the interesting culture since
then.
Also as you can see in the screenshot she enjoys
her work because she also can spend time with
her children. In my y:1 women and power class a
common theme is speaking about how to balance
a career and a family. I found it impressive that
she very effectively gets to enjoy a career while
aslo enjoying time with her children.
Her loan will be repaid in six months so I can see
how the whole Kiva system works before the end
of my year. I think it will be very interesting to
see how this turns out, how her store profits
from my loan and how we can make such a
difference from so far away.
From Jessie’s ePortfolio

47. Ekua from Ghana
A hard working mother of six, an industrious
entrepreneur, devoted wife, an illiterate
person, a financially literate
businesswoman… Chances are you may have
pictured five separate women; however, she
is in fact one woman. These factors all
contributed to why I choose to lend my $25
to Ekua from Ghana.
She makes her living selling banku, a
corn paste that is popular in her
country. She uses her earnings to buy
food for her family and to pay the
school fees for her six children. Ekua
was not fortunate enough to receive a
formal education. So she is determined
to support her children through school,
including her daughters. I thought that
this made her a compelling recipient
for my loan. She plans on using her
loan of $725 to buy more corn to make
banku. She then plans to use her
earnings to expand her business to
meet her growing customer demand.
From Becca’s ePortfolio

48. From Anna Louise’s ePortfolio
The Djromahuton Group
I worked for a woman who sold yarn out of a small shop in my hometown of
Mayvile, NY. She ran this small store in order to pay off her children’s college
loans, house/utility expenses, and debts she got into for the sake of her
children. It is because of the woman I worked with that I felt motivated to help
this group and the woman, Laura Assiba, who leads it. Watching my boss work
hard to pay off debts both motivated and inspired me to help women who are
in similar situations and are working hard to improve it.

49. From Morgan’s ePortfolio
Apolonia, Philippines
I found as I was searching
through the woman on the
Kiva website that I was
inspired by the individual
women who had children.
Also the women who looked
like they were enjoying the
independence of raising
their own animals and
selling their own products
really interested me. Those
women could turn any
situation around.