Education changes everything.
Every once in a while an idea comes along that makes so much sense, you wonder why no one thought of that before. It just seems so obvious. That was my reaction when I first heard about Vittana — through a commercial on Hulu of all things. It was a [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
At seven in the morning when I set out for FINCA Peru the streets are already overtaken. People dance around each other as they pass on the sidewalks, trying not to step into the street for fear of the taxis and tuk tuks. The tuk tuks which are a cross [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Photo of sand paintings during Semana Santa in Peru A little about me: I grew up in Seattle, Washington in a very full house. In addition to my parents, two sisters, two brothers, and grandmother, there was always at least one student from another country living under our roof. Furthermore, [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Our intrepid team of International Partnerships Managers is starting off 2011 by spending a cumulative 82 days in the field. They’ll be visiting 11 countries and meeting with more than 55 microfinance organizations, banks and universities in our quest to continue bringing student lending to the developing world. Together, they’ll [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
It’s Friday again! Where does the week go? This week, we funded 5 students. We’re adding more students to the site over the next few days, so we hope to fund even more through the end of August. On Tuesday, we were inspired by a visit from President Obama literally [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
“You’re an American student, you’ve already finished college and your government will help you pay for your degree to be a lawyer – so why do you care so much about helping girls in Peru go to college?” This was the question 21-year-old Vittana student Rosa Maria Urbano posed at [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
In a recent entry here on the blog, Vittana Fellow Nayna Gupta told the story of Mercy Marilu, a young woman from Lima, Peru. Mercy, who works as a primary school teacher, received a Vittana loan to help her finish a degree in early childhood education. Mercy’s story was inspiring—after [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
At age 15, Mercy Marilu, known by friends as a bookworm, planned to attend college and dreamed one day of teaching as a professor. But at 18, she was forced to put her dreams on hold for something far less glamorous— selling roast chicken on a dusty street corner in [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
When I asked 18-year-old Vittana student Jeffery Nuñez for his secret recipe for rocoto relleno, my favorite signature Peruvian dish, he agreed but with one condition: first, I had to join him and his family for a home-cooked traditional lunch. Happy to escape for an elongated lunch break, I accepted [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Despite having 308 other clients, Ayme Aguilar Alvarez can remember every last detail about Vittana student Beder Solano without having to reference his loan file. Ayme, a loan officer for Vittana’s microfinance partner here in Peru, can recall Beder’s loan terms, as well as his specialization in school, extra-curricular activities, [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }