Kiva: Loans that Change Lives

I'm taking a break from Wedding Related posts today to tell you about Kiva.  In a nutshell, Kiva is a micro-financing website that connects lenders, such as myself, to hundreds of Entrepreneurs worldwide who are trying to become more economically self-sufficient.  The loans start at $25 a piece - lenders come together to collect enough for an Entrepreneur's loan.  Then over the course of a few months to a year, the Entrepreneur will pay back the loan.  You are able to search different regions, genders, and types of business before you make the loan.  I've contributed to a Fish Seller in Azerbaijan and a Poultry farmer in Vietnam, for example.  Once the loan is paid back, you are able to re-lend it to other needy individuals or groups.

Most of the businesses will keep track of their progress and keep lenders updated through journal entries.  Its very fulfilling to know that just a small loan from one person can combine with loans from others to help get a small business off the ground.  Kiva makes it very easy to make a difference when you are physically worlds away.  I encourage you to check out their website and learn more about the Kiva story. Visit http://www.kiva.org/ today!