I just made my first microloan to Mrs. Sorn Mon, who lives with her husband and five children near Phnom Penh. She mainly sells fish for a living, but would like to buy cows and piglets to expand her business.
When I first heard about Kiva.org I loved the idea, and I’ve been meaning to start lending for a while now. Kiva fights poverty by enabling entrepreneurs owners to grow their businesses with the help of microloans. It’s part of a phenomenon called microfinance, which gained fantastic traction with Muhammad Yunus’ Grameen Bank, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. (Microfinance is not without criticism of course - start here to get a fuller story)
I encourage you to peruse kiva.org and at least acquaint yourself with the idea. It’s a real, tangible way to help small business owners achieve success and self-sustenance. You can help support Mrs. Mon (see below) or select a business of your choice.
{ 0 comments… add one now }