Public Service Announcement

A few years ago there was a website called how stuff works.com. It has some cool, cool stuff and explains things in simple terms. Anywho, a few of the writers banded together and started a podcast called Stuff You Should Know. I highly recommend it. Look them up on iTunes and give them a try.

One of their podcast topics dealt with microlending and a group called kiva.org. Here is how kiva works in a nutshell. Individuals in other, mostly poor, countries apply for small loans to better their lives in hopes to pull them out of poverty. Kiva users can make loans in $25 increments to help fund these loans. Usually the loans are only a few hundred dollars and the reason they go through kiva is because they either don't have access to or simply don't qualify for a loan.  These loans are repaid and in the end you get back your initial $25 investment and hopefully help someone else in need in the process.

Please visit kiva here to learn more about the organization and microlending.

I decided back in February to join kiva and I made a loan of $25 to a woman in Kenya who wanted to buy some land to expand her chicken farm. I believe the total amount she needed was $350. It felt good to help someone better their life with just a little help.

I am fortunate to have a good job, a home to live in, and food on my table every night. $25 isn't a lot to give and you eventually get it back. You can withdraw your money at any time or you can choose to reloan it to another person in need.

I actually made my second loan today. It felt really good. So, I am paying it forward and am telling my friends about microlending and kiva.

***I am in no way paid or otherwise compensated by kiva.org, howstuffworks.com, or stuff you should know podcast***

Should you decide to join kiva consider joining the stuff you should know team. They are a bunch of cool people.