I love, I love, I love this time of month, when the repayments from our previous KIVA loans come back into our account and we get to lend the money out to the next person.
We enjoy helping people through Kiva. We like what Kiva does. We believe in trying to make the world a better place for others.
But for a family on a tight budget, Kiva offers one more thing. The chance to have the same dollars do some good over and over again. When you contribute your US$25 towards helping someone in Africa buy fertilizer or someone in Bosnia buy some cattle, the money is repaid to you over a set term. As the repayments come back into your account you can relend the money to others.
Maybe, just maybe, I chose the girl in the picture as the recipient of this month’s loan because of her lovely smile. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because my daughter, Mishaela (otherwise known as Mishi) is home in G-town at the moment and when I saw this lady’s name I just couldn’t click past it.
Whatever the reason is, we’re helping Mishi from Kenya this week to purchase maize flour, soap, cooking oil, rice and beans for her business which will get her a step closer to establishing a wholesale shop.
Here’s what Mishi’s application to Kiva had to say:
“Mishi is a hardworking and enterprising woman. For the past two years, she has operated a general store where she sells to her neighbors and passersby. Mishi owns a house with electricity and running water. Her major business challenges are seasonality and theft.”
And here’s what Kiva has to say about themselves:
“We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.”
If you’d like to check out this organisation, click on the link. You’ll be invited to make a loan using someone else’s money (a free trial!) so you can experience what Kiva is about without having to dive into your own pocket. If you like the experience, well there’s lots of people out there trying to help themselves to a better future.
