Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance

Bear with me, that title is pretty scary but what I’m about to explain isn’t.

                                   

This video shows a series of loans being made and then repaid between 2005 and 2011. The loans were made through a non-profit company called Kiva.

Kiva aim to alleviate poverty through lending money to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the developing world.  

This is the simple version of how it works:

1. You chose a borrower. Kiva have list of borrowers seeking lending from all around the world, you might want to lend to someone in a particular country or for a particular business.
2. You make the loan. Using Paypal you can loan as little as $25 (only £15.66) or the full loan.
3. You get paid back. Once the borrower has started to make a profit they pay back the loan.
4. You can re-lend the money. Or keep it, that's your decision.

You see, Simple As and non-scary. Click here to see the more complex version of how it works.

So the video shows loans being made and then repaid. It’s brilliant right?

It’s not only helping people to escape the vicious cycle of poverty but its part of a long-term solution to help them help themselves, their families and communities. I LOVE it. In fact, I’m feeling so inspired by this video I’m gonna make another loan.

There are currently (at the time of writing) 1,020 men and 1,078 women from 60 different nations across the world requesting funding for grocery businesses, timber business, jewellery businesses, land for somewhere to live... the list goes on! 

   

Wouldn’t it be great if in the next couple of years so many loans were made and then repaid that when they do the next Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance video you can’t see any of the countries because they’re obscured by all the loans!

To make a loan go to www.kiva.org and click lend. Follow the simple instructions and there you go, bingo! loan made. 

You could loan to Uhuru Karisa, a father of three from Kenya, who needs $225 to buy manure and maize seeds for planting on his farm.

You could loan to Benita Stupfs Ocampos, a 43 year-old single mother from Paraguay, who needs $900 to buy winter clothes to sell on her market stall.

Just seen a news report about poverty in a war-torn country and wonder how you can do something to help someone there? See if Kiva has anyone requesting funding in that country and make a loan.

Just read about the plight of refugees in our cities and want to know how you can help some of the people they left behind? See if Kiva has anyone requesting funding in that country and make a loan.

Need to buy a gift for the person who has everything? Give them a Kiva gift card and then they can make a loan.

Want to make a difference to a person, family and community? Make a Kiva loan.

Come on, do it, make a loan. It will make your day, not to mention the joy it will bring someone when their loan target is reached and they can step forward into a better future for them and their family.

To make a loan go to www.kiva.org and click lend. 

P.S. Click here for a TED talk by the co-founder of Kiva on 'Poverty, money -- and love.' 

P.P.S. If you want something that's not in dollars then check Deki.