KIVA

This past year, through word of mouth, Landon and I came across an organization called KIVA, which I blogged about a little back when we first found out about it. It's an organization started by a couple of guys who saw a need and had an idea of how they could help to meet that need, which I love. Basically, it's a micro-lending website, where people from all over the world can apply for loans for the businesses they are starting (or for needs they have once their business is already up and running) and people from around the world can log onto the KIVA website, browse through the profiles of the small business oweners and read their stories and then choose to loan them money.

All of the loans are done in $25.00 increments which, for most of us, won't break the bank; it would just require not eating out one or two nights this month or giving up Starbucks for a couple of weeks. But, when everyone's 25.00 combines to meet the need of the person applying for the loan, it can be life changing. And, it's a hand up, it's someone saying I believe in you enough to support what you are doing--instead of a hand out, because each of the business owners have a set amount (usually a few months to no more than a year) to repay the loan. And, I happen to think that's one of the coolest parts--because it holds the small business owners accountable to using the loan in a way that will help them have success in their industry, and you, as the money lender, can then turn around and loan it to someone else. I love it.

For Christmas this year, my parents gave Landon and I and each of my brothers a gift certificate to KIVA and let us choose which businesses we wanted to loan the money to. While I am ashamed to say that Landon and I just managed to choose our people last night, I am excited about it and have been thinking about these people, all around the world that we will never meet, who are working hard to support their family and make a living--and how cool it is that there is a place like KIVA that can connect people who have a dream and a need and people that can help meet that need.

So, without further explanation, here are our people we chose.

This woman's face and her story just touched me--

Sadio Diop is a 53-year-old mother of four from the village of Nianing in Senegal. She has been a member of the "Banc Villageois" NIANING SANTHIE for two years and has paid back her previous loans on time. Madame Diop sells dried fish and oysters, an activity in which she is very experienced. She plans to use the loan to buy fish and oysters which she will resell. With the revenue from this activity, she hopes to be able to cover her children's medical expenses.

And, I love what this group is about. It's a group of women who set up a store in one of their homes selling basic necessities, like corn and toilet paper and whatever else people in their city need. And, they live in Paraguay, which is where all of our sponsored kids from Children Inc live--so maybe by sponsoring these women some good will come to where our boys live.


The “Divino Niño Jesús” group was created in December, 2008. It is comprised of 23 women from the San Antonio neighborhood in the city of Mariano Roque Alonso.

They are primarily dedicated to the sale of basic goods such as cooking oil, milk, soap, toilet tissue, among others. They are profoundly grateful to KIVA and the Fundación Paraguaya for the opportunity offered to them.
One of the group members works in a store she operates from within her house (selling products for home use). She sells all types of products in her store and she, herself, runs the business with the help of her family. They try to run it in the most efficient manner possible as it helps them cover their housing expenses.

She is requesting a loan in order to purchase more goods for her store, such as rice, pasta, dairy products, and baked goods, among others.

If you haven't checked out the KIVA website, go do it now-- www.kiva.org. And, maybe consider making a loan!