Helping others help themselves.

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. I MAY EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.

Several years ago, instead of sending a Christmas gift, my grandmother sent me $30.  But, the money wasn’t for me.  It was for Kiva.  She told me I could cash the check and then donate it to an entrepreneur in a foreign country who was trying to start their own business.  Eventually, that person pays the loan back and you get your money back.  I could then take that money and keep it for myself, or I could chose to loan it again to another entrepreneur.

Sadly, I didn’t really know anything about the wonderful organization that it is.  Selfishly, we had a baby, and a new house.  Now, don’t go thinking I cashed that check and kept it for myself.  My grandma told me if I wasn’t interested, to simply tear the check up.  So I did.

I know.  That’s a terrible, awful thing I did.  I could have helped a mother somewhere make something better for herself and for others.  And I didn’t.  Just going and looking at all of the business women trying to make a fresh start hurts my heart.  I really wish I would have taken the time to go look at Kiva and pick somebody that could have used the money to get their business going.  There are people with restaurants, fishing businesses, used clothing stores, in construction, agriculture, farming, auto repair and more.  And, you get to pick the person you want to make the loan to. 

At the end of this past year, (2009) I took 10% of the money I made from Krizzy Designs and donated it to my church in the name of Global Missions (a project very near and dear to my heart).  This year, I am going to take that 10% and lend it to one or many entrepreneurs through Kiva to help other women and men start their businesses just like I was able to do.
 

Here’s how their program works:

1) They select Field Partners (microfinance institutions) who approve and disburse a microloan to an entrepreneur in their community. They share the story and picture of the entrepreneur.
2) The Field Partner upload the entrepreneur’s information to the Kiva website.  If necessary, it is translated into English by a Kiva volunteer.
3) Using paypal or a credit card, you select the person you would like to help with their loan.
4) Kiva gets the money to the Field Partners by putting all of the loan money together from various lenders.  Often the Field Partners use the Kiva lender funds to backfill the loan they’ve already disbursed to the entrepreneur. Loans can be disbursed from 30 days before to 30 days after the loan request is published on the site.
5) The entrepreneur takes time and repays the loan.  The Field Partner is responsible for collecting the loan payment and letting Kiva know if it was made or not.
6) Lenders get their money back.  At that time, you can chose whether you would like to re-lend to another entrepreneur, donate to Kiva, or withdraw the funds back to their paypal account.

So, if you can, and you have the chance, make a loan to an entrepreneur.  Help them support their new business.  What a great investment.  While you won’t get any interest (which, I don’t know about you, but I’m not making hardly any interest in my savings account right now anyways), you will hopefully love knowing that you were able to make a person’s dreams come true.

And, that, my friends is worth way more than any interest in a bank to me!

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23 Comments

  1. It's nice that you never forgot that and have been doing something on your own ever since. 🙂

  2. I've heard of this program but never had it explained so well!!

  3. honey that is awesome…i have never heard of this program – thanks for the info!

  4. Aww. That is awesome! Clearly you are making up for that ripped up check. 😉

  5. The geometry class at my school has done this as a class project. It's pretty amazing.

  6. Krystyn,

    Shoot,I wish I could think of something witty. I will have to work on that.

    This is really a neat idea.

    Thanks for sharing this.

  7. I had never heard about this program before and am SO glad you shared about it! Thank you!

  8. That's pretty cool. I have never heard of this before.

  9. I have never heard of this program. Thank you so much for sharing and providing such good information.

  10. I am fowarding this post to my mom…I'm sure she would LOVE to do this!! This is a terrific way to help those help themselves and I'm so GLAD you shared this!!

    Love, Mere

  11. That is a great program I never heard of this before. I love hearing about new programs like this and being able to share them…

  12. What an awesome organization. I had no idea. Love.

  13. Going to check it for sure. I also know a certain person that wants to donate more, but doesn't look into where they are donating. This information will be shared. You amaze me every day with your generosity and giving.

  14. I had no idea that this existed. thanks for sharing!!

  15. wow – how cool is that 🙂 Kudos to you & kudos to your grandma!

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