Let’s Loan Some Money to a Panamanian Entrepeneur
December 18th, 2008, 6 Comments »
It’s the holiday season, and I’m down near the equator. I thought it’d be a great idea to try to raise some money to make a Kiva loan to somebody in the region.
I’m using ChipIn to collect the money, and then I’ll choose an entrepreneur on Kiva to donate it to (suggestions will be welcome). I’ll follow up in the new year with details of where the money went.
If you’ve enjoyed my blog this year, here’s a good way of saying thanks. Skip your mochaccino and pumpkin scone this morning and donate five bucks to the cause. It’ll go to good use, and as it’s a loan that can be used over and over again once it’s paid back, it’s money that will, as the kids say, keep on giving:
If you’re unfamiliar with Kiva, they’re an extraordinary success story in micro-lending to the developing world. Instead of donating money to a charity for food or development aid, you loan money to an entrepreneur who pays it back over a specified period. It’s that old teach-a-man-to-fish thing, writ large. They’ve loaned $1.2 million dollars in the last seven days. Seven days!
I’d like to post, as the kids once said, shout-outs to those who made donations. Feel free to leave a comment here, or in the payment process, or drop me an email. Thanks in advance!
UPDATE: I should have mentioned that once the first loan is paid back (the default rate at Kiva is 2.8%, so the odds are good), I’ll loan the money out again. And again and again.