A Hand-Delivered Kiva Fellow

As many a Kiva Fellow will tell you, sometimes things just seem to work out and it makes up for all the times they don’t.

Case in point: I showed up for my first day at Women’s Development Businesses (WDB) with mosquito bites all over my face, including one on my eyelid that made me look like I was suffering from some sort of paralysis. I didn’t have the correct adapter for my computer charger even though I bought the charger in South Africa. And I ran out of money on my pay-as-you-go 3G modem at noon so my computer didn’t have Internet for the rest of the day.

But I was able to take it in stride thanks to current fellow EB who has been guiding me since 6:30am last Sunday and hand-delivered me to the WDB offices yesterday. EB was in Cape Town for the weekend while my husband and I were wrapping up family time and trying to buy a car. We thought it could be fun and convenient to drive back to Richards Bay together and everything managed to fall perfectly into place despite our minimal planning.

Additionally, some people might think it’s crazy to spend over 24 hours in a car (that’s the driving time and doesn’t count breakfast, lunch, and dinner) with a total stranger but I was never concerned. Embarking on our three-day drive, I had every confidence that a fellow Fellow would make for great company and things were going to be awesome. In fact, the only thing that wasn’t awesome was my driving – I have an uncanny ability to hit potholes while trying to avoid them.

So, in conclusion, I hope that if any of you find yourself on a road-trip with a relative stranger, that person is as laid-back and interesting as a Kiva Fellow.

Alexis Ditkowsky (KF14) works with Women’s Development Businesses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Check out WDB’s lending team and stay tuned for new loans on their lending page.