2014 was the first year of our Kiva giving campaign.
For those new to this blog here's skinny. Kiva is a non-profit micro-lending organization that makes no interest business loans to low income entrepreneurs, mostly in the developing world. Such individuals are typically neglected by traditional lending institutions for lack of collateral, making escape from grinding poverty all but impossible.
Each person or group puts $25 toward a loan, which is combined with the contributions of dozens or even hundreds others. The borrower uses the funds usually to purchase initial supplies or to expand an existing business. Once the $25 is paid back you can re-loan it to other borrowers in an indefinite cycle.
I signed this blog up as an Amazon.com affiliate, which means I get a percentage of any items purchased at the online store that was accessed through banners on my website. I then issue 100% of those profits in Kiva loans. I chose this organization over all others for two reasons. 1.) It is my favorite charity because it enables people to lift themselves out of poverty. 2.) Since the money gets paid back and re-issued indefinitely it magnifies the impact of your purchase many times over, enabling you to make a difference in lives for years, turning this blog into a mini micro-lending foundation.
Let's review 2014 for a demonstration. Here is my earnings report for 2014.
It shows I earned $177.53 in affiliate profits for 2014. With each loan at $25 that means I could issue a minimum of seven loans for 2014 (not including Kiva operating fees, which is a few dollars per loan). For 2014 I issued nine Kiva loans and with an additional two today, because repayment on some of the other loans came in enabling the funding on additional loans, plus the payment schedule runs two months behind (one listed expired and didn't get filled by Kiva so I re-loaned those funds today).
I still need to receive a small amount from December, which will be issued in February and loaned out on 2015 schedule even though I'm accounting for that income on 2014. I hope that's not all too confusing to follow.
These are the faces of real people you, along with other Kiva lenders, are helping to lift themselves out of poverty. You see parents here who are now able to send their children to school (many of these countries don't have free public education), people that can now expand their homes beyond one room, have local access to clean drinking water. Thank you. I will continue to keep you update on the progress of new loans.
Here are three of the most recent.
From the Kiva website: "Kulumkan is 43 years old, married, and she is raising four children. She has been involved in animal husbandry since 1994, and this activity constitutes her family's main source of income. She currently owns three dairy cows, four young bulls, three horses and 25 sheep. She sells milk to the local residents on a daily basis. She receives a high demand for the milk that she produces, thus making a nice profit. In order to further develop her business, she has turned to Bai Tushum Bank CJSC for a loan of 130,000 som (KGS). She will use this loan to buy young bulls for fattening and resale. She is planning to reinvest the earnings from her loan into further increasing her farming business. She also wants to repair her house. "
Kiva: "Joseph is a 57-year-old, proud father of seven children. He is a group leader, who is often described as a very friendly person. Here, he is representing his group of 13 farmers in Teso District. Since joining One Acre Fund in 2012, Joseph has noticed that he has had more profits from each harvest.
Joseph says his harvest was very good last year, but he believes he can have a better one this year by continuing to work with One Acre Fund. He is very excited to be purchasing a solar light this year, in addition to fertilizer and maize seeds, because now he will have light during dark hours for his children to study by. With the profits from this season’s harvest, he plans to send his children to school.
With this loan, Joseph’s Group members will purchase enough inputs to plant a total of 6.25 acres of land, and purchase a total of 11 solar lights."
Kiva: "The Mujeres de Fe Bank is applying for its second loan. Currently, the group has 8 members, all with productive ideas already begun, and with business natures to succeed in their undertakings. The activities that they carry out are livestock and trade.
Kimberly is part of this group. She is a very young woman with a child who is only 1 year old. She is the head of her household and her activity is one that allows her to pay her and her child’s basic expenses. She counts on only a small pension that the father of her son provides her.
This woman who is so brave makes a living raising and breeding pigs. With the first loan, she was able to consolidate her business, and with this new investment she is thinking of increasing her production purchasing more animals and the supplies necessary for its development. Kimberly’s aspirations are many, but mainly that her activity continues to be the self-employment that she needs so much to be able to see her child without having to leave her home."
To participate in our Kiva microfinance campaign simply access amazon.com through the banner on this website whenever you make a purchase and 100% of my affiliate profits will be put to Kiva loans. I review potential borrowers carefully as well as the field partner who sponsors them. I only select borrowers who have very low risk of default, so that your contributions have the best chance of continuing indefinitely.
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