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Kiva
We are so excited about this organization that we had to share it with all of you. Kiva is an philanthropic organization that "lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back."
This style of lending money to small entrepeneurs is what is known as microcredit. Simply put, small loans (sometimes as little as a couple of hundred dollars) are given to entrepeneurs who are unable to secure loans through the traditional channels. Loans of these small amounts might not seem like much, but they help these people enormously. An example might be a woman who sells eggs at her local market. If she had a bit more money, she could buy a few more chickens, and they would lay more eggs, producing more chickens, and more eggs...you get the picture. That loan money not only helps her business grow, but it also helps her to better support her family, and might even help her to break out of the cycle of desparate poverty in which far too many people find themselves.
Why are we so excited?
Kiva is a great way for anybody to make a huge difference, not just people who have a huge amount of money to give. For as little as $25, anyone can be a lender...be it an entire classroom raising enough money to fully fund an entrepeneur of their choosing...or a single person saving a few dollars a week who helps finance the dream of a person from another part of the world. It's flexible giving with myriad ways to make a big difference in the lives of others.
Kiva, together with their field partners, are helping people throughout the world to make their lives more financially productive, and therefore, more self-sufficient and self-sustaining. Kiva is about empowerment, entrepeneurship and community...and so is Lulu Blue...and that is why we are so excited!
The links below are the people who we've helped to finance.
Check them out and see some of the faces behind the ideas.
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