Wednesday, February 5, 2014 - 08:25
Since we are presenting our global mHealth and mAgriculture strategies in just one month to the GF Board, my work schedule has been crazy lately. Daily calls with the West Coast (10 hrs behind). Working evenings. Working weekends. Whoever said the not-for-profit life would be easier was lying!
On the bright side, I am consoled by the fact that all my hard hours of work are for a good cause. I am (hopefully) going to make a significant impact on the lives of the rural poor, and that’s pretty cool.
So why is it that I am working so much? For starters, the not-for-profit world is much more...
Read More
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 - 23:31
When I started researching logistics for my fellowship, I was disappointed to learn that Grameen's Kenya office is not located in Nairobi's Central Business District, but rather in the suburban area of Kilimani, along Ngong (pronounced "gong") Road. Having worked previously in Manhattan's financial district and in downtown DC, I liked the experience of being in the middle of the action, where people walk fast and deals get done. Based purely on the view from above offered by Google Maps, I thought Kilimani would be a sleepy neighborhood, tree-lined and pedestrian unfriendly.
I am glad to...
Read More
Monday, February 3, 2014 - 08:25
I really have to get used to this drip, drip exposition of life as a blogger.
In a previous life I lived, the discipline and schedule of a weekly deadline as a newspaper turn-around consultant meant that I had to concentrate my thoughts to write on schedule. Now I oftentimes plain forget that like a chia pet, I have to feed and water my blog.
Anyhow, where was I? Ah yes, October 23rd would make it exactly one month into my Fellowship with GF in this lovely city, Kampala. So much has been achieved within this time space that one month just blew past!
I have made two formal presentations on...
Read More
Sunday, February 2, 2014 - 08:25
For my fellowship, I am posted in the Washington DC office. In my three months here, I have enjoyed getting to know the staff and working on projects in the Financial Services department. And while I appreciate how readily I was integrated into the work flow and entrusted with substantive writing and editing assignments, I was really looking forward to my first trip to the field. On September 21, I traveled with Program Officer Kimberly Davies to the Philippines to work both in the CARD Bank office in San Pablo Laguna and to Manila to work in the Grameen Foundation office and attend the Micro...
Read More
Saturday, February 1, 2014 - 08:00
For my first blog post as a Grameen Foundation Fellow, I had planned to introduce myself and my work in the Latin American Caribbean (LAC) office. I was going to provide information about my studies and recent graduation from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies with a Masters in International Development. I planned to discuss my past work helping to start a fair trade tea company among small-scale farmers in rural Ecuador and supporting indigenous rights in the Belizean jungle. I was going to elaborate on my excitement as I began a fellowship that combined my interests in...
Read More
Friday, January 31, 2014 - 10:04
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) came out with a report this week called “Humanity Divided: Confronting Inequality in Developing Countries.” The report highlights some major statistics on the growth of income inequality all over the world, particularly in developing countries. With all the progress society has made towards combating poverty, the presence of extreme inequality in the developing world makes it one of the biggest development challenges of our time. According to the report, income inequality has increased by 11% from 1990 to 2010, and more than 75%...
Read More
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - 10:31
We have some great opportunities to volunteer for a project in the US or Mali, including one full time, salaried position in Mali as a Finance Manager, and the opportunity to work with the Grameen Foundation's TaroWorks team! Application deadlines are coming up quickly for all of these projects, so be sure to read more and apply!
Finance Manager (Full time, Salaried) at myAgro (Mali)
Application Deadline: January 31st, 2014
Start Date: January 31st, 2014
Region: Mali
Estimated Hours: Long Term (more than 500 hours)
Description: For those of you with a Bachelor’s in business, finance,...
Read More
Friday, January 24, 2014 - 10:33
The World Bank started off the new year with the publication of the 2014 Global Financial Development Report. After last year’s report, which highlighted the state’s role in finance after the global financial crisis, this year’s main focus is on the level of financial inclusion throughout the world and the steps we should take to increase inclusion. According to the report, an estimated 2.5 billion adults in the world—approximately 50% of the world’s adult population—do not have a bank account with a formal financial institution. Many of these adults simply lack access to a financial...
Read More
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 - 10:49
We have some great volunteer opportunities with application deadlines coming up soon! Whether or not you want to volunteer for a month or six months, or onsite in the country or remotely on a computer, we have options for you. Here are a few of the many projects that need your help and expertise:
Finance and Operations Manager for AGARU SACCO in Uganda
Start date: February 3rd, 2014
Estimated Hours: Long Term (more than 500 hours)
Region: Uganda (working onsite)
Application Deadline: January 24th, 2014
Description: AGARU SACCO Ltd is seeking a volunteer financial manager to spend at least...
Read More
Sunday, December 15, 2013 - 08:25
A move to Africa was something I had never seriously contemplated before May this year, given my undying love for, and attachment to, Asia. Being offered the opportunity to work for Grameen Foundation in Kenya was the first of many welcomed surprises 2013, and this Fellowship, brought with it. I had spent the first quarter of this year meticulously plotting strategies to move away from public health into food security, and develop an expertise in ICT programming. What I hadn’t expected was that I would have chance to do so with one of the frontrunners in mobile technologies for development (...
Read More
