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Kiva.org: Loans that changes lives

 This is Rugiatu Bangura from Sierra Leone.  Her husband is a teacher and his salary isn’t enough to support their four children, so she runs a wholesale palm oil business to supplement their income.  The loan she needs to purchase her oil could come from YOU thanks to the innovative services of Kiva.org 

Kiva is a microfinance (See Muhammad Yunus) website that  creates a platform for individuals who want to help alleviate poverty to provide small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries around the world.   You can search profiles on the site and find detailed information about individuals in need, including bios, business plans, and lending history.  The loan you send (which can be as little as $25) helps your recipient establish their own financial security, which if you ask me is a lot better than just providing them with some food that will probably only last a couple weeks.  Through updated journals on the site, you can track their progress along the way and when the loan is paid back (usually 6-12 months) you can lend again or withdraw your money.  There is a lot more specific information on the site, so go see for yourself and sign up to be a lender while you’re there.

-JH 

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