KIVA -You CAN be a Part of Change

I recently read another bloggers site about a cutting-edge approach to lending money, one person at a time, in order to allow under-priveledged peoples the opportunity to make their entrepreneurial dreams come to life. These are people who would be very unlikely to get a regular bank loan. Kiva affords them the opportunity to take their drive to succeed and turn it into a reality with the money that they would need to get their business off the ground.

As an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it can be to get a business off the ground and yet I realize that I am in a much more privileged position than the groups on the Kiva website. I have a soft spot in my heart for those who have the drive to succeed but are missing the resources. I'm proud to be a minor part of allowing these dreams to take flight.

Please don't just take my word for it. This is a legitimate process and I encourage you to give it a look.

Here are a few facts about Kiva:

What is Kiva?

Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.

Pendo Luisi, 27 years old, borrowed $175 to open a cafe in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Kiva was born of the following beliefs:

• People are by nature generous, and will help others if given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way.


• The poor are highly motivated and can be very successful when given an opportunity.


• By connecting people we can create relationships beyond financial transactions, and build a global community expressing support and encouragement of one another.

Kiva promotes:

• Dignity: Kiva encourages partnership relationships as opposed to benefactor relationships. Partnership relationships are characterized by mutual dignity and respect.


• Accountability: Loans encourage more accountability than donations where repayment is not expected.


• Transparency: The Kiva website is an open platform where communication can flow freely around the world.

As of November 2009, Kiva has facilitated over $100 million in loans.

You can also visit the website at:

www.kiva.org