Sponsored Kiva Fellow: Devon Fisher

I think I figured it out. There was a country restriction on the Facebook page. Not sure why- but I just found it and removed it. Can you check again and let me know. Thanks everyone! And sorry about that confusion!

(ps- the other Milango page that you found is an old one that a staff member made some time ago and forgot the password...)

no still not working, just goes back to facebook main page if logged in or not logged in. Trying to track it down...

It's working now! whew!

Indeed it is, looks good and up to date.

I just added a like.

Friends,
I want to share a Milango loan that is about to expire in 2 days! The man's name is Hezron and he works in Kongowea, which is about a 10 minute drive from my house. He has applied for a $975 loan and has $325 to go... Can you help?

http://www.kiva.org/lend/405221

Well, that was quick! He has been fully funded. If you got my message and got a chance to lend to Hezron -Thank You! If not- there are 12 Milango clients fundraising now: http://www.kiva.org/lend#/?&queryString=Milango

Have a great day!

Hi Friends,
It's a rainy saturday morning in Mombasa, and I'm sitting in Cafesserie in Nyali having a coffee and catching up on emails. Work is going pretty well and I'm starting to wrap up some of my main deliverables. The BVs are complete and Milango is about to graduate from Pilot to Active on Kiva. The new Milango website is coming along nicely and will hopefully be launched within the next two weeks (I am just waiting on some final details to be made on Milango's new products). I've been filming and photographing clients any chance I get and hoping to bring some great material back to Kiva for marketing and for the Social Performance project. And now, I'm working on the Client Protection Principles deliverable - which again is a great reminder of Kiva's dedication to assuring the borrowers come first. If you haven't checked it out yet- I would recommend taking a look at the Smart Microfinance Campaign, which focuses on core Client Protection Principles to help microfinance institutions practice good ethics and smart business. The Client Protection Principles are the minimum standards that clients should expect to receive when doing business with a microfinance institution- and this is what I’m interviewing clients on to make sure Milango's business practices are up to par (and yes, so far I've had great feedback from the clients I've met with). Yesterday, I took a Kiva client out to lunch in Mombasa Town near work to conduct the interview. The woman is a single mother and has a fruit and vegetable stand in Changamwe (about 30 minutes from Milango’s HQ). Her loan was for $250, which she said was a little too small, but since it was her first loan, there is a limit. Her next loan can be a max of $500, which she hopes to take out by August.

That’s all for now. I hope you are all enjoying the weekend.

Devon

The "Day in the Life of a Kiva Fellow" video has been edited and can now be shared! Kiva's video intern, Jenny McAllister did a great job with the editing of the footage I sent her from the original clip that I made for the Milepoint / Kiva Do. I'm also going to post it to the Kiva blog soon.

Here's the video:

Check out the Mother's Day video from Kiva! All of the footage of the African mother is from the Mombasa mothers I filmed over here

Can I get someone to pair this with a gift card? Maybe this is a job for Ali to help with, but I think this would be pretty cool if I could send a $25 gift card to my Mom and embed this video.

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TWLoCzPzLbw is url. Add it to the comment section of the gift card.

www.kiva.org/lend?partner_id=203&status=fundRaising&sortBy=Most+Recent#/?&partners=203&sortBy=expiringSoon

There are 8 loans from Devon's MFI Milango that are in the red and will expire within 4 days if not funded.....Maybe there is one there that fits your criteria...I lent to Julius www.kiva.org/lend/413990 ....Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

Hello Friends,

I am writing you from San Francisco. I made it home safely and have been overwhelmed with the number of calls, texts, and emails I received from friends and family who want to know every last detail about my four months in Mombasa. Though it gets a bit easier to explain the fellowship to others each time I try, overall- there is no real way to capture the entire experience in a single conversation. Since arriving home last week, I’ve been in LA and NYC, which is why this update is reaching you rather late.

My last month in Mombasa was pretty turbulent compared to the beginning half of my time there. Coming down with the aches, pains, and fever of malaria was the lowest point of the emotional roller coaster. It was scary to be alone, so far from home, and feel so terrible from sickness. It was a weak moment, but on the positive side- it was completely treatable and didn’t last too long. After getting treatment, I was back at work within about 4 days. Also dampening the mood of May, was the threat of more grenade attacks. During my time in Mombasa, there were 4 grenade bombings at various places throughout the city. The first 3 were alarming, but didn’t hit close to home like the 4th attack, which occurred at a nightclub one block away from Milango’s office. The spot that was attacked is a popular ex-pat hangout, which made my friends and me really uneasy about frequenting even our favorite restaurants. There is no evidence proving that the attacks were done by members of Al-Shabaab, but the news projected such an image- so many people spoke as if it were fact.

As my work at Milango came to completion, the MD threw an office party to launch the new website, which they were so pleased with. If you take a look at it- please note that the color choices match Milango’s bright branding used at all of the 7 branches. The hues… well, let’s just say it’s a Kenyan thing. Kiva graduated Milango to Active, which is very exciting for everyone involved and encouraging for Milango’s big future goals. The other Kiva deliverables were all wrapped up (with one remaining- that I’m working on now). All in all, I honestly feel like my time with them was of great use and was a success for them in terms of what we completed together as well as me personally in terms of how much I learned and grew in those 4 months. Below are some photos from the goodbye party they threw for me on my last day.

Now that I am back in San Francisco, I am actually unpacking from Kenya and repacking again as I prepare to move across the country to NYC. I’ll be a Manhattan resident by the end of this month!

I just wanted to update everyone on where I'm at now, but I'll be sharing some more photos and stories within the next week.

Cheers!
Devon

Welcome Home Devon.

Thanks for the update Devon and congrats on lifting Milango to Active Field partner - it would not happen without your hard work! Looking forward to seeing you again!!!

Awesome job Devon.

Hard to believe it is over already.

Let's keep supporting Milango and its borrowers. There are now over 15 loans available.

Strong work Devon. And have fun in Manhattan. What are you going to be doing in the city?

Welcome home.

Just wanted to update you on the bombings in Mombasa. Check out one of the following articles from yesterday:
http://www.wqow.com/story/18869895/grenade-attack-in-kenya-kills-at-least-3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18574734

Thanks for the update.

And by like, I mean this is terrible.

We have 6 loans from Milango in Kenya that are "in the red" and set to expire in the next day....Any help getting them noticed would be great, shared, or lent to.
www.kiva.org/lend/444105
Martin has 4 hours left

www.kiva.org/lend/444601
Ali has 1 day left

www.kiva.org/lend/445173
Randu has 1 day left

www.kiva.org/lend/445166
Jane has 1 day left

www.kiva.org/lend/445144
Mumbi has 1 day left

www.kiva.org/lend/445184
Ramadha has 1 day left

Jane at http://www.kiva.org/lend/445166 has a day left and only needs $525. let's save this Milango 11 month loan.

Joined in on Jane!