I do a lot of local donations (MSF was my latest), but Kiva is the only choice I know for loans.

Here is my choice, a group from Viet Nam.  I hope others will join this effort.
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=55203

Their loan request is still at begining, so anyone willing to take part has probably some hours to join us.

Regards,
Adelaide

Done! 

I was browsing Kiva loan requests tonight and saw this one with only 6 days left.
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=52161

MLF has been a trustworthy partner and I think it's nice to support a small farmer. 

If anyone was thinking of choosing a loan, maybe this is it.

Regards,
Adelaide

Hey guys, I won't propose a new group loan this month, but here are two loans I have just helped and still need funds. 

There is this lady in Peru:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=56767

and this lady from Senegal:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=59656

I was a bit unsure for the latter because the partner is very new at Kiva, so it doesn't have a delinquence rate history, but I decided to give them a try.

Regards,
Adelaide

Kiva recently introduced partial pay-backs so we don't have to wait for the end of the loan term to see our money. 

Leaf, we an  now have a group in Kiva for MSG loans:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=community

Who is willing to make a group loan this month?

Regards,
Adelaide

I just got some paybacks so I can do it this month.

sure i'm up for it.  I have also made a 'team'

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=community&action=viewTeam&team_id=331

it doesn't look like we can make a group loan any easier, but perhaps in the future.

I have just made a loan to four smiling ladies from Mali and assigned it to our group.  I'm not sure however how this works - do we need all members take part of this loan?

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=61729

Regards,
Adelaide

No the team doesn't really have anything to do with anything other than when you make a loan it is counted towards your 'team'.  I managed to get in on the last $25 of that loan   when you make a loan you can say which 'team' it counts towards. 

I think it is used say, for example, if two businesses were competing against each other to make the most loans, or a group of people wanted to see how much of a difference they were making together (which is what we are doing i guess)

If you look at our team now (you and me ) - our team has made 2 loans
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=community&action=viewTeam&team_id=331

You know what I would love to have?  A little icon and link in my signature to my portfolio at Kiva.   

I joined the team and made a loan last night but it didn't get added to our total for some reason.

I would like to lend again but they are all full.

QuoteWe're experiencing record traffic after some exciting new feature releases--check out our new Lending Teams! While we may not have a large variety of loans on the site right now and loan requests are being funded very quickly, new loans are being continuously added. We hope you find an entrepreneur whom you wish to suppor

Yeah, i think it did get added.  There are 3 loans on the team now.

Nope! The loan I made last night does not have MSG group assigned to it in my Portfolio and does not show up on our team page.

I just made 2 more loans today and they are showing up correctly.

I see our group favours women 75/25 so I chose male entrepreneurs this time.

Just added my first loan to our group...a tailor in Afghanistan. 

I just went to make a loan and they automatically deducted $16 in my account for repayments, so I felt silly going through Paypal for $9.  Went back and added a 2nd loan.  That's clever.   Now I have lopsided loans outstanding and will likely be on the "add another one" side when I go to lend again.

With the partial pay-backs, there are very few loans to choose from. I still have credits for one more loan, but I'm waiting.

Regards,
Adelaide

The upside is there aren't anymore loans going unfunded.  I was beginning to see quite a few loans going to the wire with only a day or two left, and a lot of funding still needed.   

Probably this request will be filled soon, but if anyone is willing to lend, there is this lady from Azerbaijan who is now in our Microstockgroup Kiva group:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=66893

18 months is quite a long period, but with the partial paybacks now this is more edible.

Regards,
Adelaide

Filled allready

To anyone willing to participate, why not right now, and give needing people a truly happy New Year?
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses

I have just lended to these ladies, but I think they will be filled soon.  The one from Cambodja in fact I waited for someone to give up lending - it happens often, people take many loans, then when they go finish the transactions they pick only a few.
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=81771
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=81715
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=81676

Regards,
Adelaide

PS: We have now 22 loans in the MSG lending team:
http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeamLoans/?team_id=331

I will not be donating anymore besides my premier membership fee.
Charities are breeding throughout our modern day society like a cancer.
I am sick to death of seeing a person shaking a tin can wanting my hard earned money for    a concern i dont give two hoots about.
I have donated to the RNLI in the past because i live on an island,I have donated to charity for hospice for cancer patients as both my parents died of cancer.
Lokk after yourself and your family and let the sufferers kin take care of their own.

Except that the sufferers kin are in exactly the same boat and aren't able to help. I wonder why you even bothered coming onto this thread and posting and trying to get the attention onto yourself instead of just ignoring it .

Quote from: shank_ali on December 31, 2008, 12:50

Lokk after yourself and your family and let the sufferers kin take care of their own.

I have already made a couple of loans but went in yesterday to help my mum to do one and it said that all the loans have been funded.  If anybody notices when unfunded loans become available will you please post here as I'm more likely to look here than remember to check the Kiva website.
Thanks

Quote from: fotografer on December 31, 2008, 13:12
Except that the sufferers kin are in exactly the same boat and aren't able to help. I wonder why you even bothered coming onto this thread and posting and trying to get the attention onto yourself instead of just ignoring it .

Quote from: shank_ali on December 31, 2008, 12:50

Lokk after yourself and your family and let the sufferers kin take care of their own.

Because i am entitled to an opinion and feel quite strongly about charities in general,hence the post.Forget about giving money to charity ;try giving your TIME, go do some gardening or decorating for an elderly person in your neighbourhood.

Quote from: shank_ali on December 31, 2008, 15:47

Quote from: fotografer on December 31, 2008, 13:12
Except that the sufferers kin are in exactly the same boat and aren't able to help. I wonder why you even bothered coming onto this thread and posting and trying to get the attention onto yourself instead of just ignoring it .

Quote from: shank_ali on December 31, 2008, 12:50

Lokk after yourself and your family and let the sufferers kin take care of their own.

Because i am entitled to an opinion and feel quite strongly about charities in general,hence the post.Forget about giving money to charity ;try giving your TIME, go do some gardening or decorating for an elderly person in your neighbourhood.

I understand your opinion about charities, but I have a feeling you have no idea what this particular organization is about. It is a LOAN agency that lends to people who want to WORK for a living, and who need funds to help their businesses grow. They are required to repay the loan, and should you choose to lend, you will get your full investment back at the end of the loan term, which you can then withdraw or choose to LEND to another WORKING entrepreneur.

There is a very small risk of default on the loans, but as of yet I have not experienced any problems with that.

In any case, this is not an example of someone asking for a handout so that they can sit at home and watch their widescreen plasma that they paid for with your hard-earned tax contributions.