A previous co-worker of mine had his birthday today. I took him out to this really awesome restaurant called La Boheme in Hollywood and had a great time.
When the check came, he wouldn't let me pay. I insisted. He said, "Well, if you have extra cash in your checking account, give some to Kiva."
With a puzzled look I asked him to explain what Kiva was about. And then after a 10 minute explanation, I was utterly fascinated.
You lend money (you do get it back) to Kiva. You select the project and person to lend it to. You get reports on what the money is being spent on and the state of the business and finally, when the borrower is able to pay back the loan, you get your money back. Kiva selects microlending partners in areas across the globe and acts as an intermediary to connect them to people who want to make a difference.
Learn more about Kiva here. Even Bill Clinton's on board. Take a look.
So, I put down my first contribution. $185 to a goat farmer in South America.
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