Perfect Holiday Gift

Last year - Rob and I were given the "gift of giving" from Rob's grandmom. We chose a great organization called Kiva. It is a great gift to give this holiday season! You can even get gift certificates to send! 

Kiva describes themselves this way: "Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to an entrepreneur in the developing world. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending."

People who want to start businesses in developing countries often find extremely high interest rates from large banks being their only option to build capital. Kiva provides what is called microfinancing. Lenders (you and I) give our money directly to the person via the website. 

Kiva is great because ,you get to choose who you invest in, read their plans for the money, and they repay their loans. Once they repay their loans - you can invest in somebody else! 

In one year - Rob and I have made 58 loans. 12 have been paid back completely. Check our lender page! It has been super rewarding and I love to check in on how they are doing. Field partners visit quite a few people and give updates on how the businesses are doing. 

Here are some links to some of our favorite enterpreneurs we have helped fund - 

Nguyen Thi Chen - Vietnam - Soft Drinks (Rob has a love for carbonated sodas)

Nheb Tra - Cambodia - Selling Jasmine Flowers (I wish I could smell them!)

Sath Sim - Cambodia - Construction  (I always try to fund construction businesses!)

Mohammad Nasar Hayaider - Afghanistan - Food (Check out the cookies  in his picture!)

Hopefully - some of these businesses have inspired you to loan youselves!