Want to Put a Spare $25 to Work?

I made my first Kiva loan in 2009. For a number of years, I was quite active by loaning the same funds over and over. They went to 39 low-income individuals in 24 countries for a variety of different purposes. However, I cashed out completely a couple of years ago.



Today, I reactivated my account. I was happy to discover it was still there. I added $50 to help fund two micro-loans. Please consider joining me on kiva.org.

Wrapping Up My Kiva Participation

In August of 2009, I joined Kiva. So, for nearly eight years I helped make micro-loans to people willing to repay small debts to improve their lives, families, and livelihoods.

With capital of around $200, I was able to lend out $1425. As a loan was repaid, I would re-lend the funds to a different borrower. Over the years I participated in 39 loans in 24 different countries.



If you have as little as $25 on which you're willing to forgo interest, you could do a lot of one-on-one good in the world. Check out Kiva.org!

Would You Lend Money to Strangers?

Do you see the faces above? I have helped these people in some small way. I have lent them a little money. I have contributed to improvements in their lives. Large banks do not have the resources nor inclination to loan out small amounts of cash to deserving, hard-working individuals. Yet, it is exactly these type of personal loans which can make profound differences in how people live.

I first mentioned Kiva in my eJournal and images back in August of 2009. Over the years, I have secured exactly $241 dollars on the Kiva website, yet loaned out $1300. When my small loans of $25 or $50 are repaid, I re-loan the money to new borrowers. I did so again today.

Loan $25 to Make a Difference

I accidentally hit a bookmark for Kiva when selecting from my browser menu. It was then I found out I have $25 I can re-lend to a poor, struggling entrepreneur. I think I'll wait this time, and rather than the minimum $25 towards a loan, I'll lend $50. I do have to say though that when looking over the candidates, it would've been easy to select one.

I often mention Kiva. I think it it a fantastic way to give back a little. As said before, the loans are not handouts. The recipient pays them back. As two of my initial loans were paid back, I reinvested that $50 into two newer loans. If I'd wanted I could have taken the cash back.

Seeing that I had one loan to a lady in Cambodia, reminded me that I still have pictures from our October trip to upload to Flickr. I accomplished getting a few more days online. Here's one of a lunch we had on a day trip from Siem Reap to the River of 1000 Lingas, Banteay Srei. and Kbal Spean. Jay is next to our tuktuk motorcycle driver for the day. The meal was cooked in a big coconut.

Dennis Hurd has invited you to join Kiva!

I'll let a website do my talking for today's entry. I just re-invested $25 for a new loan in Cambodia and had the system send this email to my blog. If you've got $25, don't waste it on silly plastic Christmas ornaments, put it to work with a Kiva loan.

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Hello!

I just made a loan to someone in Cambodia using a revolutionary new website called Kiva (www.kiva.org).

You can go to Kiva's website and lend to someone across the globe who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva's loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Saret Soem in Cambodia. They still need another $225.00 to complete their loan request of $300.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Saret Soem too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=154037

It's finally easy to actually do something about poverty - using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they're using it for. And most of all, I know that I'm helping them build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world - one loan at a time.

Thanks!

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What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:

'Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.'
-- BBC

'If you've got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you've now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.'
-- CNN Money

'Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.'
-- The Wall Street Journal

'An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity...All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.'
-- Entrepreneur Magazine
Check it out!

https://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=register&_isc=e23e5bdc-e018-11de-af8e-35e4d99458fd&_te=inu

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Happy Kiva!

My opinions about the stupidity of adults celebrating Halloween have been included in a few past blog entries. I really cannot understand why the day has turned into a mass orgy of silly costumes for adults and Chinese-made party decorations. I know that people need a diversion but over the past 25 years the day has gone from trick or treat for kids to an excuse for adults to act like children.

Maybe it's just a money and time thing. Perhaps I'm annoyed because there are so many useful ways to use extra cash, ones that are more worthy of pursuit than adding a gallon of makeup and witch's attire to a fat 40-year-old office worker!


See my Kiva Page
The site above is not a charity. Kiva is a micro-lending organization that allows a person to contribute loan money to entrepreneurs in developing countries. A lender can make a donation as small as $25 to a specific individual. As the loan is repaid, the lenders' share of money is returned. It can either be re-loaned or withdrawn. Do take $50 out of next year's Halloween candy fund and put it to better use.

Teaching an Old Dog

As a kid at our dinner table, my father would inevitably ask me what I'd learned in school. I don't know how I managed to be a fairly good student as I remember always answering, "Nothin'." Even though I was never forthcoming with an answer, it was not a silly question to be asked each day. In fact, on a daily basis, we should still probably ask ourselves to recount the new things we've learnt.

Getting new input should be a goal of life. It needn't be an erudite new concept or theory. For example, new the information might be discovering a supermarket isle where the birthday candles can be found. Or testing an alternative way of driving to a common destination may quality. Certainly, one's choice of television shows could educate as well as entertain.

I frequently do new things at my computer. Of course, I have been experimenting with these machines since personal computers came into existence. I love figuring out a new program. New hardware excites me. I love making things work. This type of problem-solving keeps one open to new ways of thinking and doing things. Entries in my eJournal and images are full of such details.

For example during the past few weeks, I've discovered Pandora Internet Radio, a way to buy a e-visa for Cambodia, and a method for saving Internet articles I've read on my Facebook wall. Also, I created my own version of crasher squirrel photo and began a real fascination with the volunteer micro-loan site called kiva.org.


Probably my most life-altering blog entry of recent days was yesterday's dealing with my reintroduction to Skype. We've had a fine day running around getting hold of gift items for the trip to Sri Lanka which begins on the 11th of next month. However, I started the day by answering a welcomed free call from Lynne who was at their place in the Weneas. I also put the contacts from my cell phone into Skype. Lastly, I talked a half an hour with my dad from my laptop. At less than 2.5 cents a minute, it's comparible to buying a calling card but much more convenient.

Helping Out in Small Ways: kiva.org

On occasion something so good comes along, one wonders how come they didn't already know about it. I feel this way about Kiva, a group helping in the lives of poor individuals in different parts of the world. They do not offer aid, Kiva offers small-business loans. Through it's members, it rewards entrepreneurs who can demonstrate a need and desire to move ahead.


For at least a decade I had been aware of the benefits of micro-finance. Being able to make small loans to improve the quality of poor peoples' lives is important but not something at which traditional banks are very good. In fact, in the current global financial climate, helping the nearly invisible on a small individual basis is probably even more crucial.

Unfortunately many fine charitable organizations have created a situation where their own survival depends on continued poverty. If they were to solve a problem then they would eliminate the need for themselves. Most organizations, like individuals, do whatever they can to continue to exist.

I see the vast need for groups behind kiva. The transparency is amazingly refreshing. The website superbly implemented with links into social networking sites like Facebook. I just loaned $25 to individuals in four different countries. I will be able to track the repayment process. When my money has been repaid, I can decide to re-invest, donate, or get it back.

Why don't you skip that latte, stop bitching about the poor state of the economy, and put at least $25 to good work today?