Monday, January 28, 2008

Kiva

Okay - its Drowsey's fault. I've now become a fan of Kiva.

I remember reading about Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen bank a couple or so years ago & thinking that it all made economic sense and a general "why the hell not", because it just made common sense. He won a Nobel prize and I sort of thought about studying more about it......

I didn't do much about delving into it further until Drowsey kept chattering in her blog,*lol*, about Kiva, and it got me back to thinking about micro loans and to checking this "Kiva" out.

Bingo...the micro loan concept I had wanted to check out is now a really strongly practiced business practice. How kwel is that !!!.

Boy - I am impressed ! I never really had a brain concept of the number of people out there where a few coins and change could make a real difference. It's boggling, all the types of entrepreneurs and the levels of help requested (i.e. business stage they are in).

I am sure Kiva is only scratching the surface. At least they are linking all the various village banks, micro-loaneries (my new word of the day), etc., into a larger world wide data base, which facilitates ease and access to larger funding pots (minus the "big banks") for the people asking for loans.

Kiva supposedly sends 100% revenue generated to the businesses, but they do request a 10% donation (but at a minimum $25 loan, what is another $2.50.... just a super triple sized Tims coffee x 2, or less than half the price of a Starbuck's whatever, AND its not a"must").

So anyways... I'm now a happy "Kiva micro lenderer-er-er-ererererrrrr - er".

Post Note: And so is Fidel :)

Check it out.

No turnips were involved in this posting- its turnip free !!!


I'm still sorting out the "Salon" idea, for a new blog

1 comment:

Olga, the Traveling Bra said...

Thank GAWD the turnips are OK!

KIVA sounds like as great plan...I've been thinking about jumping on the turnip, I mean KIVA wagon too!