KIVA.org...go, do, make a difference

Confession: I have meant to write about this organization for a long time now but, frankly, have been too much of a bum. But recently we have been talking about education in Mexico, inequality, and now neoindividualism in my Spanish grammar class and it has gotten me thinking yet again about how blessed I truly am.

First off, a rant. We are surrounded by need, though we don't often recognize it. And we can sit for days on end talking about the root causes of poverty, societal problems, and grand solutions to try and aleviate the suffering in the world, but at the end of the day, none of this is empowering to the average person. Rather we are overcome with the largeness and complexity of the problem that we feel anything we do will be nothing more than a feeble and eventually futile attempt. But each of us is fully-equipped to make a difference in the life of another human being. I was searching and searching to find a particular passage in the Bible that speaks to what I am trying to express, but didn't find it. But basically what it boils down to is, if you see a need and are able to do something about it, do it. Don't wait for tomorrow, don't wish the person well, but take action immediately. What reason have you to do anything but that? What is more urgent or important than serving and showing love to another?

Last year in my Development and Society in Mexico class, our professor introduced us to an organization based out of San Francisco called Kiva. I was instantly struck by the power, and still further potential, that this organization has. A brief synopsis: Kiva.org is a website through which individuals can give microloans of a minimum of $25 to individuals for their businesses around the world. Often these loans are for things such as buying more livestock or products for their store. Kiva partners with microfinance institutions in the countries in which they operate and these institutions oversee the loans. The loans are then repaid over a specified period of time. The default rate for Kiva loans is impressively low: only 1.4%. Take ten minutes to watch this video on YouTube of a report done with the creators of the organization and learn about some of the effects that these small loans have made in the lives of a few recipients in Africa.

Impressive Outcomes
Some of the outcomes may not seem enormous (there are no Cinderella stories), but when you stop and think about them, they can be revolutionary. For example, in the video you will hear the story of a man who can now afford to send his children to school. Think about it! His children will have the education that he likely did not receive and have the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty, even if it is just a notch. And their children will have even more opportunities than they had. All because a few people gave this man $25.

Additionally, I would say that a majority of the loans go to women. In fact, microfinancing has its roots in providing opportunities to small and marginal farmers and poor women. Women in many countries around the world are still extremely oppressed, dependent on men who cannot or do not provide for them. Microloans are giving women opportunities to break free from this oppression and provide for themselves. I wish I could find the video for you all that our professor showed us in which one woman, I believe in India, was becoming politically active in her community and making incredible changes after being able to finally provide for herself. She didn't stop at just lifting her and her family up, but this one change in her life is impacting and improving the community around her.

And in a general sense, microloans are about empowering people. They not only empower the the recipient of the loan by not turning them into a charity-case, but also the giver of the loan by letting them make potentially life-changing differences in the lives of others. In another promo video I saw on YouTube one particular statement really struck me: Donations silence your conscience but loans change lives. As my Pastor Stover used to say, "Just stop and think about that."

Rebel Against Neoindividualism!
Sorry...I'm hyped-up on this article that I read (and for the most part, understood...in Spanish) on neoindividualism, consumerism, and the fragmented state of our society. But basically it was saying that we have reduced the value of a human being to their purchasing power in our society, to their ability of being a consumer, and if you aren't in the consumer-potential category, you are marginalized even further than you probably already are. We have become a society solely focused on our own desires, lacking social ties that create cohesion (and I don't mean just the U.S. mind you; this was written by a Mexican woman). Don't let that be you! Re-establish connections between yourself and other human beings, even if they live on the other side of the planet.

So, to sum up: go, do, make a difference.

Thanks for reading.

it's been a while...

I know, I know (Dad!)…it’s been a while since I posted. I don’t know why, but every time I sit down to write about my time here in Mexico this semester, I get stuck. Honestly, this semester has been much harder than the previous two, but I am acclimating slowly.

What I Am Doing
For those of you that I didn’t inform, I am back in Mexico for another semester. I have an internship with the International Programs (IP) office at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, the same university I attended last year through the CSU International Program. The IP office not only receives international students, but sends Mexican students abroad to countries all over the world. I work mostly with these students and Juan Carlos, who manages this program. It’s a lot of paperwork and emailing students, pleading for certain documents that I need to credit their classes abroad here at the Tec…but it is all in Spanish! I also do a fair amount of proofing of text in English or translating Spanish documents into English.

My Family
In an effort to not make this post too long (just for you, David) and so that I will actually get through it, I thought I would focus this post on my family here in Mexico.

I am living with a host family this semester (yay!) and thus have experienced every living situation offered to international students here: host family, dorms, and apartments off campus. A year ago I really wanted to live with a family, knowing that it is really the best way you can reinforce what you learn in the classroom, but a family with an accessible home was not available. Then after living with another American girl in an apartment last semester, I realized that part of what I loved about being in Mexico was being so independent in the respect that I didn’t have to report to anyone when I was going to be home and that no one was worrying about it (it’s OK Mom, I know that’s your job ;-). So then when I found out that I was going to be living with a host family, that liberty was again lessened. I wondered how I would integrate myself and if I would feel comfortable in their home. Natural concerns I imagine, but completely unnecessary.

Mely
My host mom’s name is Mely, or Imelda. She is the secretary of IP, so we became friends last year. She is an incredibly sweet, hardworking, and generous woman whose world is devoted to her family. She is also a fabulous cook! She comes from a family of 11 children, of which she is one of the youngest. Her mother lives very nearby our house (within walking distance) and at least one of the 11 are always there to spend time with their mother, as their father passed away just before I got here.

Olaf
My host dad is Olaf. He works at a clinic doing administrative work very nearby the house and just down the street from his son’s school and the house he grew up in with his 6 brothers and sisters. One thing I love about Olaf is that he is always happy and laughing. You can tell that he gets so much joy from being with his children and goofing around with them. He helps around the house a lot too. While Mely does all the cooking, Olaf does a majority of the housework, including the laundry and cleaning the bathrooms, and frequently washing the dishes. I try to help with the dishes and folding of laundry when I can find the opportunity, and their protests have lessened and been replaced with thank you.

Olafcito
Mely and Olaf’s oldest son is also named Olaf. He is thirteen and just hitting that age when he wants to be his own person, but just doesn’t know who that it is yet and is causing his parents quite a bit of concern. But he is a good kid and I have found a friend in him. We are kindred spirits in our love of music. He plays the guitar very well and learns by ear. He has already learned Layla, Stairway to Heaven, and Unfold by Jason Mraz since I’ve been here. He has made me his confidant and I try to encourage him to be someone worthy of his parents’ trust…let’s hope some of it soaks in.

Andrés
Andrés is the younger son and is 8 years old. He is a dear child with a tender heart. At the beginning he helped me a lot to feel at home here by wanting to play games with me every night. He likes to play with my hair too. :-) He wants to be a priest when he grows up and frequently pretends to be one around the house, giving communion to everyone. In spite of his sweetness, however, he is definitely the baby of the family and gets his feelings hurt easily and pouts the rest of the evening.

We live in a colonia (basically a community within the larger city) named Hercules. It is one of the oldest colonias in Querétaro and is absolutely beautiful. I don’t yet have photos of it, but want to take some soon. Both Mely and Olaf grew up in this colonia and a majority of their families live here. The community’s church is just around the corner from the house and the church bells warn me every morning at 6:30 (for the daily 7am mass) that I have been in bed too long. It is a community with a lot of roots and Mely tells me that even though I may not know everyone, they know who I am and are watching out for me.

For more photos of my home and other randomness, click here.

Anyhow, I am going to try to be more faithful in posting for ya’ll now that I have gotten past the first one. They may not be as frequent as they were in the beginning since my life here is pretty much as my life is in the US—go to work, come home, study some, and start over again. But these past 4 or 5 weeks have been quite an intense time of reflection for me, which is at times very hard, but good for me. Nevertheless, I covet your prayers as I continue on here and want you to know that I think of you all daily. Know that you are loved.