Ranked #1 in the World
Written by: Haleema Molberg
I first heard about Iquitos through a warning from the American Embassy regarding the March kidnapping of a Peruvian businessman and ongoing threats to Americans. Despite this, Tiffany and I booked a flight to this landlocked city tucked into the corner bordering Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador (accessible only via air and boat – no roads connect it with anything), as it was the key to the Amazonian Jungle of Peru.
The first leg of our trip was a mere 1.5 hour flight. From there, we took a 3+ hour boat ride up the bright-orange water of the Amazon River and the Tahuayo, a dark, murky, insanely humid and remote tributary that doesn’t even show up on most maps.
We hunted for caimans, spotted bizarre Hoatzin birds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoatzin), caught piranhas, and donated at least 3 pints of blood to the poor, starving mosquitoes, most of which I enjoyed immensely.
As you know, our project is focusing on strengthening female entrepreneurs in Peru, and as the first team the geographical scope of our project is limited to Lima and its suburbs. However, an opportunity presented itself during our Amazon tour, which gave us insight to micro empresas in the upper Amazon.
The night before we left the Jungle, Tiffany and I visited a Shaman to receive a blessing and be cleansed of evil spirits. While there, we learned that this little old lady was not only a Shaman, but also raised money through selling hand-made baskets to tourists. This may not be the type of woman that MiBanco is looking for, but it was living proof that the entrepreneurial spirit in Peru is alive and well.
April 5th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
sounds amazing! was she successful in ridding you of all the evil spirits?!? miss you– can’t wait to hear all about it once you guys get back to AZ!!
April 6th, 2010 at 2:24 am
Entrepreneurship is the key to any economy, especially in remote parts of the world… can’t believe you are getting course credit to help these amazing women out and enjoy Peru! Talk about being jealous….
April 6th, 2010 at 10:35 am
3rd world countries do provide interesting opportunities for business, whether from simple “shaman” entrepreneurs or for students like yourselves. I am amazed that Thunderbird provides such an opportunity. Other schools should really take note! Congratulations on embracing such an amazing opportunity.
April 10th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Watch out for those Iquitos mosquitoes! What an incredible trip you all are having! As I read about your experiences down there, I’m wondering how much Mibanco has experimented with mobile banking. Mobile banking has proved effective in providing banking options for unbanked communities in other areas of the developing world and could potentially be effective in remote areas like Iquitos. Using the telecommunications infrastructure in place in Peru, Mibanco could expanding its services into mobile banking to provide for clients in hard to access areas. This would increase the likelihood that rural, female clients have access to funding for their entrepreneurial ventures. Enjoy the rest of your time in Peru!
April 12th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Love it! Nothing better than being in the backwoods of a developing country and meeting interesting people. Nice adventure story!