MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => Off Topic => Topic started by: leaf on November 15, 2007, 17:28
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I just stumbled upon this today and think it is a pretty great thing.
check it out here
kiva.org (http://www.kiva.org)
it is a non profit organization which connects people who are willing to give a loan to someone in a third world country needing a loan to start up a business. - and has been featured by some big newspapers and Oprah and so on
You give loans for as little as $25.... if that helps someone on the other side of the globe build a business so they can support their family, I am all for it.
Seeing as most of the people on here are probably quite entrepreneurial I imagine most of us might have a week spot for a project like this. I just sent off $25 to support a butcher in Attecoube, Cote D'Ivoire :)
perhaps $25 for the next micropayment cheque can go to a microloan ?? :)
ps. funds are added using paypal... which is also great for us.
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leaf!
this is great!
/lena
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Thanks for the link Leaf!
I really like the concept
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Wow!
This shows us the power of the web when it is used wisely...
Claude
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Thanks Tyler. A great concept. I worked for 20 years in Zambia and I know how far a little cash can go with putting someone on their feet in a business.
I'm signing up ...
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imagine what someone could do - say in malaysia, where there was mostly really poor people in a place that was developed - and internet was around but people were so poor they didn't stand a chance to get educated or 'off the ground' with a business.
If they could raise the cash for a cheap computer and camera... it would be pretty easy to make a couple bucks a day on microstock - if that is what was needed to live.
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Leaf - are these loans interest free? I couldn't see anything on the site that talks about interest rates paid to contributors or terms relating to the loans.
Thanks.
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From what I understand, I will not receive any form of interest from my contribution; and it is ok for me.
But I can't see anywhere how much the "receiver" will pay for the loan. I sincerely hope that the loan will be interest free; but then how this organization will maintain its operation?
Claude
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I'm pretty sure that they are interest-free.
These loans are to individuals who, for the most part, seem to be ready and willing to pay them back. By our standards they're tiny loans and, to us, any interest on them would be negligible. But to the recipients, having to pay interest on them could mean the difference between success and failure.
As as I'm concerned my 'interest' on a loan would be the knowledge that I'm helping someone set up an independent business and pull themselves out of poverty.
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Leaf,
This is interesting and I would be willing to participate. Do you have however any reference about this particular site? There are many fake/scam NGOs out there.
I remember an article, on National Geographic I think, about a NGO that lends money to women in 3rd world countries. Why women? Because quite often they are left by their husbands/partners with their kids, and so they are the ones responsible for the families, and they are, according to the statistics, more serious and careful about getting a loan and using it wisely. There were examples of women buying cell phones in remote villages of Bangladesh, and people would pay to use their phones.
Regards,
Adelaide
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Kiva is here in San Franciscao and while I can't vouch for them doing things right I can say that they have been featured in a number of well-respected radio shows that I have heard (I first heard about them on National Public Radio) . So far my approach was to trust that NPR did its research before having the founder on one of their shows. If anybody else knows differently, please let us know.
Tina
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Leaf,
This is interesting and I would be willing to participate. Do you have however any reference about this particular site? There are many fake/scam NGOs out there.
I remember an article, on National Geographic I think, about a NGO that lends money to women in 3rd world countries. Why women? Because quite often they are left by their husbands/partners with their kids, and so they are the ones responsible for the families, and they are, according to the statistics, more serious and careful about getting a loan and using it wisely. There were examples of women buying cell phones in remote villages of Bangladesh, and people would pay to use their phones.
Regards,
Adelaide
no i don't really have a way of knowing they are not a scam other than a good number of respected sources have given them an applaud for great work. I haven't done the background check on them, but I am willing to trust that oprah, and the like did their research before 'advertising' for them
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I just searched Kiva on Oprah.com, here's her link. The second page points to Leaf's URL also.
http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200709/20070904/slide_20070904_350_111.jhtml (http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200709/20070904/slide_20070904_350_111.jhtml)
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Thx LeaF!
This is great.. my dad had mentioned organizations like this and Kiva seems very professional. I feel very lucky to be able to live well as a photographer and I will encourage other entrepreneurs as much as I can!
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Hey, great idea, I will look into it! Just a sidenote, if you give a loan to a woman, you are more likely to receive it back. Thats what I heard on the subject of microloans :)
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Strobist mentions Kiva in his blog today. He has had 100% payback on his loans. (BTW, his blog is worth bookmarking if you haven't already).
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/11/google-strobist-you-and-mavis.html (http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/11/google-strobist-you-and-mavis.html)