We help a man in Nigeria with 13 kids

Nigerian Man

Repayments are in so it’s time for my monthly KIVA plug!

My favourite time of the month is here so we get to relend the money back out so it can do more good and help more people.

This month we’ve decided use our $25 to help a man in Nigeria who wants to better provide for his family. Ummaru is a high achiever. He has 13 kids. That was all I read before I decided we were going to lend him our $25. Plus I liked his hat.

Here’s what Ummaru’s application had to say-

“Ummaru, 60, a maize farmer from Garangaramai village, understands that in order for his farm to financially support his family of 15, he will need to make smart investments in his land so that it provides a greater yield. Ummaru, a father to 13 children, hopes that with the help of Babban Gona, his farm will grow to provide larger profits for him to meet the needs of his large family. By receiving a Babban Gona loan, Ummaru has the opportunity to reap yields three times as high as the national average and earn at least three times as much as the average Nigerian farmer. A Babban Gona loan will provide him with seeds, fertilizers and technologies to treat his maize, as well as the means to store his crops and the ability to sell them at a premium market price.

Ummaru wants to use his Babban Gona profits from this years planting season to rear goats for sale during the dry season. Ummaru also plans to build a larger home that is well constructed, to ensure the safety of his family and limit his children’s exposure, especially the youngest, to toxic materials and bad weather. They are forced to bear these conditions as a result of an ill constructed home that they currently live in.”

Ummaru only wanted to borrow $1350, but if you consider the average income is Nigeria is $1188, this sum means a substantial boost to his coffers.

As Kiva itself says – ‘Kiva works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. 100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes directly towards funding loans; Kiva does not take a cut. Furthermore, Kiva does not charge interest to our Field Partners, who administer the loans.’

So in a nutshell, you put $25 into our Kiva account, find someone you want to help, lend them the money and they slowly repay it back. And then you lend it out again to someone else (or take the money back if you want).

We love helping people through Kiva. Our kids are learning about the world and their privileged place in it, and we genuinely believe we are doing our little bit to make the world a better place for others.

If you’re interested in having a look at what is being achieved through this wonderful organisation, click this LINK

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