Kiva

I have been meaning to get back to blogging for a while and there always seems to be something that takes precedence. But today I read a blog post by Karl Fisch that pushed me. I was disgusted by the news of the man who was trampled at Walmart - that buying that discounted item was more important than human decency, that stampeding into a store seemed to be acceptable behaviour. As the holidays approach I am struck by the excess consumption and by the buying of wants - not needs. Karl Fisch wrote about Kiva - an opportunity to help people, not with handouts, but with dignity. Kiva is a microlender. People who need small amounts for their businesses and for other purposes are able to get loans. They have a 97% payment record - what North American bank can match that!

Our world is in a financial crisis because people made loans for homes that were beyond their means and the financial institutions played the game. Kiva borrowers live in reality. Their stories tell of the need for small amounts to stock a pharmacy, to buy a cell phone to operate a calling service, to buy a henhouse. These small loans make these people self-reliant. I have joined Karl's group on Kiva.

This is what Karl has requested:

First, I’ve donated $25 to an entrepreneur ($25 is the minimum they accept). But I’ve also purchased two $25 gift certificates that I then emailed to two members of my PLN. I’m asking those folks to then do two things. First, they can choose which entrepreneur to loan the $25 to (they can pick the one I picked, or any of the 773 currently available). Then I’m asking them to consider doing the same thing – purchasing two $25 gift certificates and emailing them to two members of their PLN (with the same request that those folks continue the cycle, a Kiva Pay It Forward plan). It would also be great if they blogged about it and left a comment on this post.

I've made my donation and will send gift certificates to members of my PLN. Let's make a difference and make a shift from excessive consumption to generosity in meaningful ways.