First Impressions – MARA (SEIBERT) CHAN

A Sea of Blue

I could not wait to get out of the car. My eyes were glued to the window. We pulled onto the sand and I hopped out, camera in hand, breathing in the salty air. I quickly took off my sandals (to the smiles of my hosts) and walked towards the shoreline, savoring the feeling of [...]

Beauty & Poverty: Discovering Brazzaville

It didn’t take long to discover my other identity here in Brazzaville. You’ll discover it too if you listen. When I visit marché total or the more remote district of Mfilou, cries of “Moundélé! Moundélé!” erupt preceding my arrival like the trumpet bearers of old. I am a moundélé, which is simply the local word [...]

In Her Footsteps

Fridays at HOPE Congo are different. Our usually bustling courtyard feels empty without the typical 60 clients awaiting loan disbursements. Fridays are instead reserved for client trainings, repayment meetings and other staff meetings. It is also the day that loan officers venture out into the field for the client selection process, and I decided to [...]

The Rainy Season

I walked out of the office and felt the wind begin to pick up. Glancing upward, I saw the clouds darkening and moving closer. This was not a day to walk home and it was the one day I had trouble finding a free taxi. Finally I flagged one down and started back to my [...]

Stella’s Story

She was the first client I interviewed, and I’ll admit I was unprepared. It was my second day in the field and I had planned on just sitting casually by and observing, seeing how another repayment meeting went, how HOPE conducted a bible study with its clients… apparently the day had other plans. Her name [...]

Hello! Hi: The observation of microcredit in action

Makélékélé. The trick is learning to spell it first. The pronunciation just rolls off your tongue… mah-kel-eh-kel-eh. The next trick is getting a taxi to take you there. We took a green taxi to get there, Précy and I. Not that there is anything special about a green taxi in Brazzaville- all of the taxis [...]

Bienvenue à Brazzaville!

Two eight hour flights and a three hour layover in Paris later, I found myself stepping out of a plane into warm tropical air – bienvenue à Brazzaville! Less than 24 hours into my stay here, I was already at HOPE Congo’s office, a short ride from my apartment in the down town area. It’s [...]