One of my sons is an active Kiva lender. He gave me a Kiva gift certificate for Mother's Day so now I am a lender. What is Kiva? It is a loan program that lets you choose the person/entrepreneur you want to make a small loan to. Loan amounts range from $25 (in $25 increments) up to $1,025. The loan is repaid and you may take the money or loan it again. These are real people who are working hard and need help to expand their business."Comfort Afum is just one of the many people needing loans. She is 38, married and has given birth to seven children. All are currently in the junior high and the primary schools. She lives with her husband and children in a rented apartment in a commercial town called Dwenase in the Western Region. Dwenase is a suburb of Sefwi-Wiawso, the district capital. Her husband is a farmer. Comfort is a food vendor. She prepares and sells groundnut toffees. She sells on a tabletop by the roadside from morning to evening. Comfort wants a loan to buy bags of groundnuts and other ingredients such as sugar in bulk. She buys her goods from Kumasi. She has been in business for twelve years. She aspires to expand her business and give her children a good education."
Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.
4 comments:
i loan to kiva, too! what a great organization. good for you for spreading the word!
What a wonderful idea! It's so interesting to read about her story. I'll look into lending myself!
Ah, you are tugging at my conscience. For quite some time I have been 'meaning' to get around to making a Kiva loan. Really I have no excuse; it's so wonderful that such a small amount (for us) can make such an incredible difference to someone's life.
Your son came up with a fabulous gift idea.
One of the best birthday gifts I have ever received! (thanks sis) I was able to make two loans, one of which completed a loan to someone half-way around the world in the same business that I am in. And Kiva now has a lending partner in the US! Can't wait to lend again.
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