Loans that Change Lives

In support of Blog Action Day 08, I wanted to shed some light on a altruistic organization that connects people through lending. Kiva.org lends money that changes lives. The best part is that you can be a lender and actually KNOW that you are making a  REAL difference. You can literally change one person’s life in an extraordinary way with a small amount. I know we are in tough times but giving back to others will always come back as a bigger gift to you.

How it works.

• 100% of your funds will be sent to a local partner who will disburse your loan
• You’ll receive periodic updates showing the impact of your loan
• When you receive a repayment, you may withdraw the funds or sponsor a new entrepreneur

The people you see on Kiva’s site are real individuals in need of funding – not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs’ profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.

I gave a loan to Husnigul Sharipova:

And here is her story:

Sharipova Husnigul is 45 years old. She is married and has 3 adorable children. Eleven years ago Husnigul, opened a small shoe store in the central market of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. With the assistance of loans through IMON, Husnigul successfully expanded her business. A skilled businesswoman, Husnigul is known throughout the market for her reasonable prices, reliable home delivery, and individualized customer service.

Husnigul requests a loan of 3000 Somoni ($900) to purchase additional inventory of children’s shoes for the upcoming season. With the additional profit, she plans to continue developing her business so she can support her children’s education at university. Husnigul and her children sincerely thank you for your support.

You can help!

Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

You can help others succeed to and help fight poverty by lending money and changing lives.

What do you think? Can this make a real difference?