Give a Little

For the cost of a week's worth of lattes (well, not "mine" since I drink fair trade organic coffee brewed in my Cuisinart at home) - or one night of dining out with your honey - you can help make difference in the life of a far-off entrepreneur. Cue Sathy Struthers, you say? No, this isn't one of those "pennies a day adopt a kid from Ethiopia" things. Stay with me.

For my birthday, my sister Lisa gave me a $100 gift certificate to a website called, Kiva.org. The mission of Kiva is to work with third-party microloan providers to connect givers (that's me!) with small business owners around the world.

If you're not familiar with the microcredit concept, it is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to the unemployed, to poor entrepreneurs and to others living in poverty who are not considered bankable. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit. Microcredit is a part of microfinance, which is the provision of financial services to the very poor; apart from loans, it includes savings, microinsurance and other financial innovations. Muhammad Yunus launched the modern version of these loans and won a little thing called the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts.

There are some really amazing people on the site - like this guy, Jose Muentes from Guayaquil, Ecuador. He has a recylcing business and needs $675 to buy equipment and supplies.
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=21193

Marc spends that on motorcycle tires every few months. I'm actually really embarrassed to admit that.

I ended up spreading my $100 around to 3 different people:
Koleti Poasa in Somoa who needs stuff for her taro plantation. http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=21130

Hamis Mchika in Tanzania who is a local tailor and specialized in making suits. He needs an electronic sewing machine to boost his business. http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=21793

Luisa Julia Lopez Espejo in Peru needed capital to invest in her grocery store/restaurant/boarding house. Her story is really cool. http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=21858

I encourage all my loyal readers out there (a-hem ... anyone?) to check out the site. There are some amazing stories to read and it's a wonderful opportunity to do something meaningful with a little bit of money.