A Trailing Spouse Named Jen

Every organization has its lingo, and the State Department is no exception:

Joe is an FSO (Foreign Service Officer).

Serving as a GSO (General Service Officer). 

Who works alongside DOD (Dept. of Defense). 

Most of whom have EFMs (Eligible Family Members).

Etc. 

There's one piece of lingo that tickles me pink.  Get what they call diplomats' husbands and wives: 

Trailing Spouses.  

Trailing Spouses!  Isn't that amazing?  It brings to mind a tired animal who's fallen behind the pack.  Or some margin you're supposed to be hitting but you're not.  Or the struggling kid in school who's, well, trailing behind his peers.  

I chuckled when I heard this, because it mirrored the tone of many questions I got after we broke the news about Joe's job: but what are YOU going to do Jen?  

That was the million dollar question for awhile.  However, today was Day 1 of my new job!  Well, it's not really a job, it's a fellowship.  With a very cool organization called Kiva that uses social media to connect people like you and me to people in developing countries who have no access to banks or credit.  You can lend small loans to people all over the world and re-lend again after they've paid you back.

I'll be working with local Micro-Finance Institutes (MFIs - see, here we go again) to help them understand how to use technology to get loans from the likes of us.  And I'll go out into the field to collect the photos and stories of people in Togo who want to borrow money for their small business.  

Borrowers are mostly women who, beyond getting out of poverty, are able to begin shifting the power structure that exists between themselves and their husbands.  The ability to bring in money creates a new sense of freedom for these women, and increases the respect they're given in their households.  They gain a voice for the first time in their lives.   

So here's to my role as a Trailing Spouse.  It's given me the opportunity to help those who've truly been forced to trail for far too long.  

Check it out and consider lending even $25 to someone with an idea to improve their lives:

http://www.kiva.org/