I wrote this article for the local newspaper to help her get some contributions…we will see if she gets some more traffic to her indiegogo site or to her blog.
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2001 Norwell High School Grad to Become Kiva Fellow
Since 2007, Kiva, a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty, has offered only 400 individuals the rare opportunity to work with microfinancing through the Kiva Fellows program. Fellows work directly with microfinancing institutions around the globe to increase Kiva’s impact. Kiyomi Beach will be in their 17th class, and
will be working with the Huatusco Coffee Cooperative located in Veracruz and Huatusco, Mexico for four months starting in February.
“One person can make a difference, and every person should try.” ~ John F. Kennedy
“After six years of working in the financial services industry I have decided to take time to give back,” says Kiyomi . “In 2012 I will be working as a volunteer to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses by supporting Kiva”s mission of “connect[ing] people through lending to alleviate poverty” by working at a partner microfinance institution.”
Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. They are the leaders in leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, allowing individuals to lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. To learn more please visit http://www.kiva.org/about. Microfinance institutions provide loans to low income borrowers and small business owners who would not have access
to funding otherwise. These loans provide critical capital that helps these business owners run their business.
Because this is an unpaid, volunteer fellowship, your financial support would be greatly appreciated. Kiyomi estimates that her trip will cost between $4,000 and $4,500, which will include the cost of attending training and all living and travel expenses in Mexico. You can contribute to her work by going to: http://www.indiegogo.com/Support-Kiyomi-Support-Kiva. Any contribution is greatly appreciated as it will go a long way to helping support Kiva”s mission.
Kiyomi spent much of her youth in Norwell, and has always enjoyed “giving back.” She volunteered at the South Shore YMCA, Mill Pond, and through high school and college worked at the Y every summer.
This fall she spent 6 weeks in Cuzco, Peru, volunteering and taking Spanish classes at a non-profit agency: Fair Play () where she worked analyzing research on poverty, education
and healthcare in Cuzco. You can follow her travels at: http://kiyomibeach.com