I joined
Kiva
on March 28, 2009, after reading about it in
President Bill Clinton's
book
Giving.
I immediately went online, joined Kiva, and began
contributing to the effort. The microloan system is
spiritually rewarding. It's amazing how a small
amount of $25 can make such a great
difference in the lives of people somewhere else in
the World.
Most of my loans are made to widowed mothers in
areas were their financial options are scarce,
sometimes non-existent. There's no financial
gain to me as a lender. As a matter of fact,
there might be some financial loss, because from
time to time there might be situations in which a
customer may default. But of all the money
I've lent, I've only lost $4.38. When you take
into consideration that many people live in regions
embroiled in war and hardship, losing the price of a
Starbuck's cup of coffee doesn't sound all that bad.
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How you can help:
Join me at Kiva. Become
part of my group and start giving out your own
loans. Each loan must be at least $25.
Click here and join my KIVA Team
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Sarah: Chapter One
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Sarah is a 62 years
old widow and the mother of seven children.
They live in Twifo Praso in the
central region of Ghana.
She has been selling cooking utensils
for the past 20 years. She has been able to
see a growth in demand, but her inventory can't meet
that demand. Earlier this year she requested a
$700 loan and I, together with 16 other Kiva
members, funded her loan. The loan has been
disbursed and we are anxious to see how this loan
helps meet her goals.
I know what you are thinking: What can anyone do
with $700? I say, Lots! According to the
Global Policy
Network, the national average household
income in Ghana is $947/year. The poorest 20%
of the population earns less than half of that.
With this modest loan, we've given Sarah the ability
to increase the cash potential of her business.
In doing so we are helping Sarah provide for her
family.
I can't wait to see how the next chapter in Sarah's
life plays out.
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I have never met Sarah, I probably never
will, but it is such a wonderful feeling knowing
that I am part of touching someone's life. I
want to be part of this effort for as long as I
live. |
