The basics: Kiva is a micro-loan organization that helps ambitious people in many countries obtain loans to start or further their business. By signing up with their website you can choose who to loan your money to- AND- you get your money BACK when the borrower repays their loan. The repayment rate is very high, almost 100% last I checked, so no need to worry about that.
10 Crazy Cool Things About Kiva:
1- You choose the individual(s) that your money goes to. That way you can directly see who you impact. A lot of places you just donate your money and hope for the best.* Not this site! You decide!
2- You can see how your money has helped the borrower(s) to achieve their goals and improve their lives through updates posted to the website.
3- Once you get your money back, you can lend it to someone else, and then someone else. Its just like recycling your favorite old shirt.
4- You can collaborate with other like-minded individuals. Usually, when you choose someone to lend to others will already have lent their money to that person or group. Together a group of people make combine their money to reach the total loan amount. No one gets the money they invested back until the entire loan amount is re-paid. There are some pretty fabulous people on there doing great things. Go check them out- right NOW :) Wait, no, finish the 10 Crazy Cool things, THEN go!
5- Kiva allows people to obtain the money they need to start or improve a business. In many areas of the world, one cannot just go and get a loan with a reasonable interest rate. This organization may be many of its' borrowers only hope for ever coming across the type of money they need to improve their lives by starting or improving a business.
6- By making one person in a community more self-suffiicent, the whole community benefits. A a new or improved business can mean more opportunities for employment, a reason for tourists to visit, etc.
7- If more people are employed, or more tourists come to the area, the money supply goes up, and demand for more goods and services won't be far behind. With more money in the area more businesses can be created to provide the necessary goods and services, and in turn more jobs and opportunities.
8- If whole communities can become better places to live because there are more jobs and peaceful, sustainable commerce, crime will likely decrease.
9- As the world becomes (theoretically, of course) "smaller and smaller" more and more people realize how important it is that EVERYONE has a sustainable life, not just those you see every day.
10- Go see for yourself, 10, 20, 100 more reasons why Kiva is incredible!
www.kiva.org*The charity is likely doing good things with the money. Just pointing out the benefits of this type of transparency.
I have a list of organizations ready to profile, I am so excited to get this going. Cheers to great people and groups getting the job done all over this wild world!
Feel free to add a suggestion in the comment section as to a charity or person who is profile-worthy! Thanks!
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