Microfinance Horizon

“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson must have referred to Jonathon stalls when he said these words.

Meet Jonathon Stalls, resident of Denver, USA who decided to walk the talk, and he did it quite literally!

A graduate in Design and Entrepreneurship  from the Metropolitan State College of Denver, Jonathon currently serves as Office & Development Assistant at ECDC/African Community Center.

KivaWalk started on 1^st March 2010 when Jonathon along with his canine buddy Kanoa took the very first step of  a 3000 mile long journey; spread across 14 states of the United States of America and stretched over a period of eight months.

Another walk! Sounds clichéd? It’s not; as Jonathon and Kanoa created history by undertaking first ever walk dedicated to the cause of Microfinance. They raised awareness about Kiva. Kiva is the world’s largest online lending platform having raised more than $160 million for the poor in more than 170 countries. Together Jonathon and Kanoa raised close to half a million dollars. Not a small achievement by any standards!

In an exclusive interview with Microfinance Horizon, Jonathon shares his life changing experience. Read on…

Microfinance Horizon: You have been supporting and garnering support for Kiva all along this walk. How did you become interested in Microfinance and esp. Kiva?

Jonathon Stalls: Summer of 2008 I had a small break between college semesters and took ten days to visit San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  I didn’t know anyone and could hardly speak Spanish; however, I craved an experience that would surround me – physically – with ‘extreme’ poverty (communities earning less than $1 a day on average).

I ended up staying with a local family that had great fortune in owning their own photography business.  They fit within the 10% bracket of working class and were pushing 70-80 hour work weeks.  What if they broke their camera and/or needed to replace their equipment?  Where would they get the money and how would they survive?  Access was a serious issue for these families.

I came back home to Denver, CO changed and inspired by what I had experienced.  The following semester I signed up for a Social Entrepreneurship class at Metropolitan State College of Denver where our textbook was: Creating a World Without Poverty by Muhammad Yunus.   We studied various details within the Microfinance model for the entirety of the semester.  At the last class a fellow student stood up and challenged all of us to be a part of the change for only $25 through Kiva.org.  I immediately went home, signed on the website and began lending.

Microfinance Horizon: In the era of digital marketing and social media, why walk?

Jonathon: For the longest time I have been hyper-attracted to the idea of raw on-foot simplicity.  Only having what you need in a backpack or cart for 8+ months brought electric excitement to my soul.  Walking would allow great flexibility in making hundreds of new friends, learning about unique communities and absorbing various landscapes in a more meaningful and natural way across 14 states.  As the digital age is quickly replacing the value of face-to-face interaction; moving at 3MPH gives me the time to shake hands and listen to unique individuals encountered along the way.

Microfinance Horizon: 243 days, 3030 miles, 7 pairs of shoes and $411,000 in Loans to Kiva borrowers! That’s not ordinary stuff!  What inspired you and kept you going?

Jonathon: The inspiration to mirror this cross-country on-foot experience with Kiva evolved as I was simultaneously making loans to entrepreneurs and planning for the walk.  I felt that this ‘economic’ concept and conversation would transcend most political, religious and class opposition.

As I moved West, the raw nature of walking inspired many and the moving mission of creating awareness for Kiva was very receptive and relevant to today’s small business ‘struggle’ here in the US.  All of these combined generated a strong support community.  People were daily following our posts, signing on the lending team and going well out of their way to help us with: host families, food, funds, media, ideas, outreach etc. The anticipation for new horizons, faces and communities was a strong motivator; however, the support from ‘KivaWalk’ followers was undoubtedly the strongest fuel helping us fight till the end.

Microfinance Horizon: Is there anything spiritual in this whole endeavor?

Jonathon: Absolutely.  I always respond “I am an open-minded – continue the conversation Christian” to those who are curious.  This would puzzle people, and yet they were very respectful of my ‘ambiguous’ answer.  My relationship with the Jesus is very personal and very real in my daily thoughts, perceptions and actions.  I am forever striving to be more intentional with less as well as checking myself to love and trust the ‘stranger’ first before jumping to conclusions or allowing fear to get in the way.  Connecting with nature at the 3MPH rhythm of what surrounds me begs for spiritual attention.  Simply put, I felt much closer to God when walking.

Microfinance Horizon: Please tell us more about your journey, how you managed to undertake this journey, as there must have been some fabulous supporters on your way and not to mention great difficulties as well?

Jonathon: As I mentioned above, unique people from all walks of life supported ‘our’ efforts across the USA.  Family, friends, new connections and the Kiva lending community were incredible.  They grounded me through tough times as well as propelled me forward when I felt stuck or weak.  Weather, traffic and taking care of my dog Kanoa were the toughest obstacles on the trip.  Gripping humidity, lashing rain, pelting hail and hard sun had their heavy hand on our fight to get though.  I know that our support across the board truly helped us defeat these challenging times.

Microfinance Horizon: You were not alone during this journey, Kanoa kept you on your toes all the way from Delaware to San Francisco! Tell us about Kanoa.

Jonathon: Kanoa is truly a gift from above.  At the beginning I dreamed of having a dog on this journey with me; however, I knew that it would have to be the right kind of dog – physically and emotionally.  I adopted him from a shelter here in Denver (Denver Dumb Friends League) about 9 months prior to the beginning of the trip.  He is a large 80lb 3 year old German Shepherd/Blue Heeler/Siberian Husky mix that is full of energy and love.  This incredible companion walked over 1900 miles from Lewes, DE to Grand Junction, CO (and also a three day finish in San Francisco, CA).  He was so well behaved after staying in close to 100 homes and traveling on tough gravel for hundreds of miles.  We averaged 15 miles a day and by the end of his five month journey his muscle was well defined and hard as a rock.  I made the tough decision to not take him through the more challenging terrain of UT, NV and CA (heat, scarcity between towns, water/food weight and ground spurs).  It has been a life-changing experience bonding with Kanoa in this way.

Microfinance Horizon: During your journey you must have encountered ups and downs. What were those memorable moments that you would never forget and why?

Jonathon: The most memorable moments were without a doubt the spontaneous locals that would stop us on-route and ask us to come to dinner and stay.  This level of hospitality and connection has re-ignited a challenged faith in the HEART of USA people.

I am forever changed by the constant invitations into people’s homes and personal worlds.  One of my favorites was when my cousin, Matt and I walked scenic highway 128 following the Colorado River towards Moab, Utah.  We were about five to ten minutes from jetting off the road and setting up camp when a car pulled over and offered us a 2 gallon jug of grape juice.  They asked us about our mission and in a matter of minutes they were asking if we wanted a steak dinner the next night.  “Of course”, we agreed.   As they were leaving they offered to host us as well.  This was incredible.  We made our way to their home the following day and were welcomed by their many tropical birds flying around the house and landing on our shoulders.  After a few minutes of basic conversation the host offered to take us river rafting down the Colorado while we still had daylight.  Our bodies ached from a long day’s walk; however, we couldn’t say no to rafting, some of the most spectacular red canyons and castle rock in the world.  Three hours passed as we tackled this majestic rafting experience.  We soon returned to their home and enjoyed an amazing steak dinner, wine and quality ‘life story’ conversation with this beautiful family.

Microfinance Horizon: Now that you’re back, what are the plans for coming months?

Jonathon: I will be taking the next several months to write, reflect and hold true to the lessons learned on this walk.  There is much to absorb and I don’t want to impulsively jump into the next area of focus.

Microfinance Horizon: Microfinance is in the news but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. What is your take on the current Microfinance crisis in Andhra Pradesh?

Jonathon: I have roughly followed several write-ups on the Andhra Pradesh crisis.  In most of what I have read there is a lack of evidence and/or data that suggests three things I believe are crucial in being a healthy and successful MFI: accountability, evaluation and transparency.  There is little talk on these themes and what role they had specific to what was happening in Andhra Pradesh.  Unfortunately this negative attention marks Microfinance across the board.

Taking necessary steps in providing opportunities for investors and those considered ‘third-party’ to study MFI numbers, connect w/actual borrowers and report feedback to the public is crucial and already available in many MFI’s across the globe.

Microfinance Horizon: Social media has become a great tool these days, how important has it been for you?

Jonathon: Social media has been instrumental in growing ‘KivaWalk’ i.e. updating websites with photos and text, connecting with host families, staying in-touch with close ones and accessing GPS for navigation.  I used these tools in moderation.  There were many times that I turned my phone off to take-in my surroundings.  This was important.  Social media is meant to be a tool to push, connect and build relationships and initiatives.

I hope our culture can move and educate the use of these tools with care, as they can quickly act as drugs that feed isolation and rob us of needed personal interaction.

Microfinance Horizon: Would you like to share any message with our readers?

Jonathon: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Ghandi

Note: To learn more about KivaWalk or to contribute please Click Here