a preponderance of punctuation marks (reedrover) wrote,
a preponderance of punctuation marks
reedrover

Kiva.org: microlending

Almost three years ago, VValkyri introduced me to Kiva.org. I put in $100 as microfinance contribution, and have been rotating that money through various loans since then. I just got a notice of repayment that pushed my balance over the $25 minimum for making a loan, so I just went out to the website and picked another loan to fund. I'm helping Ana Maria buy pigs for her farming operation in San Miguel del Valle, Cuenca, Ecuador.

I know it's such a small thing, but it makes me feel good to know that I'm helping move mountains, one pebble at a time. Of the loans I've made, six have been paid back and three defaulted. The defaults were all through the same bank - one of the finance partners went belly up. So I've lost $34 in partial non-payments. Big deal. I've also helped six people/groups improve their businesses, and my money is off working for two other people right now, her, and her. For that initial $100, my "score" is $275 in money I've lended out. If you care, you can see my profile here. If you are interested in joining Kiva, please tell me so that I can send you an invitation and get credit for that, too.
Tags: politics
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