Kiva - Giving to the World
Posted on August 8, 2023 by Aywren
At the first of every month, I spend some time picking out a cause/individual to lend to on Kiva. My sister turned me on to the site a few years back when she sent me a Kiva card for Christmas.
I was instantly hooked! Not only can you see causes from around the world you can support, but these are loans, not donations. The idea is that the individuals will take the loan, improve on their situation - be it better returns on crops, improved output for their traditional crafts, helping with stock for their family store... you name it. Over time, they pay the loan back, and you can put that money to another cause.
I've supported everything from a cheese factory to jewelry crafting to embroidery to pig farming. It's crazy to see what all you can lend to, and feels really rewarding. Some loans in my portfolio:
You do have to drop a loan of $25 per cause at a minimum, which is all I do. But having done this the first of the month for over a year, it's built up now to a point that the projects paying me back cover the loan I go to make each month, and I usually don't have to put money into it unless I want to.
I'm not posting this to pat myself on the back, but rather to spread awareness of the site. If you have just $25 to give to a good cause here or there, this is a fascinating way to improve the life of someone else in the world.