Update from the Field: Adapting for Borrowers by Borrowers, Microinsurance +SKFL

Compiled by Jim Burke, KF16, Nicaragua

This week’s Fellows Blog focuses on adaptability: Adapting microinsurance to poor households in Indonesia, an MFI in Turkey adapts to the needs of women entrepreneurs, a multifaceted borrower in Nepal adapts to market pressures, and a Kiva Fellow adapts to changing expectations. In a continuation of The Stuff Kiva Fellows Like series we hear how different fellows have adapted to their lives abroad by ‘crashing parties’ and ‘going to the Bazaar’. We hear about how practitioners are adapting finance and microinsurance products to their borrowers. Equally nimble we hear from a few borrowers and how they have expertly adapted to market pressures and changing circumstance. Microfinance is a dynamic industry by nature and like DJ or Binu or Maya Enterprise for Micro Finance, ensuring success means staying flexible and welcoming new opportunities born out of challenges.

Microinsurance in Indonesia: Current Challenges and Innovations.
Country: Indonesia / Fellow: Laurie Young, KF16

Laurie takes us to a microinsurance conference and explains the challenges of getting appropriate insurance products to poor households in Indonesia.

If It Is Tuesday It Must Be Izmit+ more of my favorite borrowers+ “buyurun agabeyi”…
Country: Turkey/ Fellow: Kim Strathearn, KF16

Kim explains the history of Maya Enterprise for Micro Finance and gives a profile on the women micro-entrepreneurs served by the organization in Turkey.

Multi-faceted Borrowers Part 2
Country: Nepal / Fellow: Abhinab Basnyat, KF16

Abhinab continues his series on multifaceted borrowers by introducing Binu, a Kiva borrower, and explaining her many business ideas.

Second Chances (Part 1)
Country: Georgia/ Fellow: DJ Forza, KF16

In this heartfelt and honest post DJ explains how she adapted her expectations and settled into her Kiva Fellowship in Georgia.

Stuff Kiva Fellows Like #10-17
Country: Nicaragua / Fellow: Jim Burke, KF16

The ‘Stuff Kiva Fellows Like’ series continues. Fellows discuss the stuff they like and how they have adapted to living abroad and working in microfinance.

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Questions from the Field: Why Do We Lend, What’s a Kiva Fellowship + How does Microfinance Support Green& Agricultural Development?
Update from the Field: New Products in Microfinance, Over-Indebtedness+ Transparency
Update from the Field: Earthquakes, 5Ks+ The Pain of Sickness and Loss
Update from the Field: Expanding the Reach of Microfinance, Downsizing Development+ Why We Kiva

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Plus more on-the-ground photos from the past week: