 $1,975 of $2,200 raised.
Started raising funds on Mar 19, 2010
Temirkhanov Yakubkhan is dedicated to agriculture and the sale of cultivated vegetables. This means that he can be around his family, helping to improve their quality of life and educate his three children.
Yakubkhan has been characterized as hardworking, and he has been working in agriculture since he was very young. This kind of work requires effort, dedication and above all, strength, as it can include heavy work, meaning that people get tired quickly. In spite of this, Yakubkhan is determined to raise his family’s standard of living and improve the quality of the seeds he cultivates. For this reason, he is asking for help in order to receive more credit from Kiva partner, IMON International.
More about Tajikistan
Tajikistan, a key post on the Silk Road, is perhaps best known for its rich history. It was the location for the end of Alexander the Great’s rule, and is known for its great thinkers, philosophers, scientists and poets such as Rudaki, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Firdousi, Omar Haiyam, Jomi, Mavlavi Rumi and many others. The country, with its epic mountain passes, is home to communities that still speak the ancient Sogdian language and a civilization that dates back to the fourth millennium BC. Even today, it is a complex mix of the Islamic faith, Soviet culture, New West culture and Central Asian traditions.
However, Tajikistan is also the poorest of the former Soviet republics. The civil war, which ignited soon after its independence from the USSR, damaged the already weak economy. In addition, 93 per cent of the country is mountainous and only 7 per cent of the land is arable. These conditions have resulted in high levels of unemployment and have forced hundreds of thousands of people to seek work in other countries, mainly Russia. While the people of Tajikistan are working to improve its agricultural production and manufacturing sector, nearly two-thirds of the population still live in abject poverty.
More about IMON International
Since December 2007, IMON International has worked closely with Kiva and Kiva lenders to ensure that poor and low-income clients represent a viable business proposition. Funds raised through Kiva have already been distributed to thousands of IMON International’s clients and will continue to provide thousands more with permanent access to the varied financial services they need. To learn more about IMON International’s work, please visit: www.imon.tj
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 $525 of $1,200 raised.
Started raising funds on Mar 18, 2010
Mr. Yawovi TENGUE was born on November 19, 1977 in Amadenta, in Golfe Prefecture. Married and a family man, he is a clothier by training. But due to a lack of funds for equipping himself to open a workshop, he operates out of his home. However, the sewing machine he uses is dilapidated and can no longer function correctly. He’s therefore requesting financing for buying more effective sewing machines and some work supplies and equipment. The profits derived from this business will enable him to maintain the financial stability of his family.
Translated from French by Dan Kuey, Kiva Volunteer
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 $350 of $750 raised.
Started raising funds on Mar 18, 2010
Kamahanga William is a diligent farmer who is married with four children. He carries out his farming activities at Rutabago, Rukungiri district. He has been a farmer for a long time, a period dating back to the early 90‘s. Some of the major challenges that have constantly made William lag behind include a lack of farm inputs and insufficient capital to transport his produce to the more lucrative bigger markets in the urban centers of western Uganda. William foresees a favorable change in his circumstances if he can access a loan that can be repaid over a long period so that it could benefit him. He believes he will be able to improve his farm by mulching and be able to transport some of his produce to the bigger markets.
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 $275 of $1,050 raised.
Started raising funds on Mar 18, 2010
Born in 1977 in Kové, in the south of Togo, Woussa Ablavi Zikpi is housewife. She works hard to achieve something in her life. She sells fish and vegetables, like tomatoes, door to door or at various market places. With this small revenue she manages to provide for her family expenses. Despite her low level of education, she is able to manage her budget and to achieve financial self-sufficiency. To meet the needs of the growing number of her customers, she is requesting a loan to pay for daily supplies of fish and tomatoes. The success of her business will allow her to make a small profit and cover the household expenses.
Translated from French by MONICA URBAN, Kiva Volunteer
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I know you. You tell me what you want. I make it. I remember next time.
-D. Peppers and M. Rogers, Enterprise One to One
 Customer satisfaction is vital for a company’s success. You take care of every customer, not only because you appreciate their business, but also because you know the profound effect of word-of-mouth.
Promptly responding to feedback can make you in an otherwise break-you situation. Read on to discover one company whose lack of response cost them millions, and three others whose effort earned them rave reviews.
As Joseph Jaffe points out, “Retention is the new acquisition.” Work on your own retention with these ideas on finding out what subscribers want – and delivering it.
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A Public Relations Nightmare
Canadian country singer Dave Carroll‘s guitar was broken in spring of 2008 by United Airlines’ boisterous baggage handling.
The airline ignored Carroll’s complaints for months. Fed up, he launched a YouTube video informing the public that United breaks guitars (and a follow-up about the messy aftermath.)
The video was viewed over 7.5 million times. United eventually offered Carroll a settlement, which he redirected to charity.
United’s share value fell by 10% after the video’s release. The $180 million loss would have bought Carroll over 51,000 new guitars – and saved the airline’s reputation.
Gold-Star Acts of Service
On the other hand, when companies jump to respond to customer feedback, it pays off. Not only did these three avoid the snafu that United went through, they were also publicly praised.
 Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas found a disgruntled Facebook post about poor customer service. They apologized within hours with a basket of wine and chocolate. You Can Do It, Too
As an email marketer, you are already a step ahead of the game. Through your email list, you are already in contact with lots of your customers. Here are some ways you can tell your readers that you want their feedback, and get it from them.
- Make sure that the “reply” address and postal address listed in your emails are legitimate. If you don’t check them frequently, start doing so. Respond to every complaint and every compliment – show each customer you appreciate them.
- Periodically send out customer satisfaction surveys. Design them so your readers can critique as much as possible. Cover every topic you can think of, then leave room for ones you miss. Encourage comments and stories, and again, respond wherever you can.
- Include your company’s phone number in your emails with a clear invitation to call you with any questions or concerns.
- Set up an autoresponder that invites feedback. For example, AWeber’s new blog subscribers get an email that shows all the ways they can contact us and asks for their feedback and preferences.
Once you have your customers’ feedback, go use it!
- Apply your findings to the content of your newsletter. If your readers prefer certain topics, concentrate on them.
- If you get feedback regarding a lack of interest in certain types of content, try segmenting your list. Group subscribers with similar preferences and send the content each segment most wants.
- If you use a rating scale, segment the subscribers who rate an email low. Ask them what they didn’t like or what content they’d rather see. Personally address any serious problems.
- Use the feedback as content in your emails. Positive comments can be included as testimonials. If you make a change based on a reader’s suggestion, write about it. You value your subscribers and your door is always open – let them know.
What Makes You Shine?
It’s been said that customer service is the new marketing.
How do you find out what your customers want? How personal do you get with your responses?
How does their feedback make a difference in what you do? Share your thoughts!
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 $200 of $550 raised.
Started raising funds on Mar 16, 2010
Pictured above are members of the ‘Work For Yourself’ group from Magburaka, a town in northern Sierra Leone. They are small-scale businessmen who have applied for a loan of SLL 1,000,000 for each person. With the help of this loan, these small-scale entrepreneurs will be able to expand their businesses. Consequently, they can make more sales and improve their living standards. The leader of this group is 45-year-old Henry B. Tholley. Henry, who was born in Masugbi village, is married to a businesswoman and they have 5 children. Henry makes a living through the selling of used clothes. He has been selling used clothes for 15 years now. With his share of this loan, Henry will travel to Freetown and buy a bale of used clothes. A bale will cost him SLL 950,000.
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 $425 of $600 raised.
Started raising funds on Mar 14, 2010
Wilson Gilberto Vásconez Martines is 40 years old. He lives in the Guaranda district in Bolívar province. Wilson is a member of a rural community Group Enmanuel. This community is located 45 minutes from the Cantón Guaranda capital in Bolívar province. There are 17 members in total, and it is an agricultural and livestock community. The people are indigenous and speak Quechua. Wilson works in agriculture to help his family’s economies. The crops that are most successful are maiz, broad beans and potatoes. He also works breeding animals, mainly pigs. He sells these products at home and and what he sows he sells in the principle market in Guaranda every six months. A big part of the culture is the carnival, which is celebrated every year in February. Wilson also does sport in the community and reads the bible. Wilson is seeking a loan to purchase goods for his farm work, mainly fertilisers. His goal is to generate good economic activity for his family. The challenges that he faces are problems with the weather and the diseases that affect his crops.
Translated from Spanish by Jane McCrory, Kiva Volunteer
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