Unity

For a while now I have been looking for some way to contribute to the greater good. Inspired by Al Gore and the incredible work he has done, I have began looking for some way I can make a difference. The other night while channel flipping, desperately looking for some news on Brittany, Paris or Lindsey, come on girls, what’s up these days. I came across a show on PBS that did a piece on Kiva.org. Kiva, Swahili for "unity", is a web site started by a San Francisco couple that funds micro loans to people throughout the world. HOW PERFECT! Micro loans are sometimes as small as $25, $50 that typically go to people in third world countries, who are trying to run tiny little business on dirt floor shacks, in countries without Starbucks.

I love that this is not a hand out, but a loan. These are industrious, hard working people who want to work, and produce, and take pride in earning a living. One of the amazing things about the loans provided by Kiva is the repayment rate stands at 99.74%. Ahhem, I wonder what the current default rate on home and auto loans are in this country. I lent money to Leonardo Lucas Buque in Mozambique. He has a little cider block store at a school. He is going to use the money to get more inventory, so kids can buy snacks and school supplies without leaving the school grounds. Here is a link to his page on Kiva.

Sometimes you find little rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds, and you find people that feel the way you do and want to help make the world a better place; one person at a time sometimes works best, and definitely makes you extremely happy.