I had several different ideas for my holiday posting but when I saw this story on the Today Show I knew this was it. It's all about a web site called Kiva that allows all Americans to give small loans to poor entrepreneurs around the world, and by small I'm talking about starting at $25. These loans are then paid back with 2% interest, Kiva takes no cut at all.
I did a story about this very thing a while back on my commentary blog Here In The Future, about a guy named "Muhammad Yunus, Banker to the World's Poorest Citizens." He began loaning money to the poor, the people who really needed it and found they paid back the loans at a much better rate than rich people. And the amount they needed was ridiculously small.
The Kiva web site makes it possible for all of us to chip in and help those who need it most, and not charity but a loan. This is how economic growth really happens, from the bottom up, not from the top down. Trickle down is another way of saying getting pissed on.
1 comment:
I'm so happy that you've posted this. The more people who talk about it, the more we can help. With everyone's help, Kiva.org could change the world.
I came across the site about a month ago and am so impressed by it. One woman really inspired me. She only needed $75 to buy a small fishing boat so she could increase her income and possibly double her family's income per month. (They are in Vietnam and average $7 per person per month income.)
This loan request really puts things in perspective. $75 to us is nothing, but to her, it's the world and could mean the difference between being impoverished or rich.
It brings tears to my eyes to think that my $25 could really change someone's life. I love that you can select the person to whom you wish to lend and will be donating to a few people on there soon.
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