instead of something useless...

i have mentioned kiva on twitter before and i think that maybe that pushed to facebook and buzz and whatever else i have connected. i like kiva. you should too. please watch the video and then keep reading.

...also, check out the website. here is a link in case you missed the first two. KIVA.ORG!!!!!!

please finish my blog. thanks.




just under a year ago i found out about this website via a television commercial. i got excited about their idea very quickly. i think i had typed the URL in my browser bar before the commercial was even over. that is one benefit of having your laptop by your chair at all times. i read about the organization on their website, wikipedia, and a few other sites because i wanted to make sure they were true to their mission. i have a real problem with shady causes and charities. like cancer walks that spend too much money on t-shirts and bumper stickers. i was pleased with my research and decided to make a loan.

i made just one at first and within a few weeks i had seen some of that money come back to me. as a result, i made a few more loans. once enough had been paid pack, i re-loaned that same money. as i look back over the past year, it seems as if i am making about one loan per month. the coolest thing about that, a good portion of what i am spending is just repaid money from people who have paid off their loans. the fact that i can impact multiple lives all from the same initial loan is just awesome to me. another great aspect of this (in my opinion) is that you arent just handing money out to a homeless guy that you are worried will spend it on booze or drugs. you are providing help to someone who is committed to making their life better. someone who is accountable. responsible and goal oriented. someone who is improving their local economy. i am a much more satisfied with putting my money into something that has hope and drive behind it.

My Kiva Profile

i am not going to apologize for cliche... but the smallest loan you can give is 25 bucks. do you really not have 25 bucks? i bet if you cut out a few things from your overwhelmingly important and event filled life, you could scrounge up 25 bucks. i dont even need to come up with good ways to do it, because they are all right in front of you. also, i am not saying 25 bucks a month. im just saying 25 bucks. once youre repaid for that, you can lend it again. your 25 bucks will go on forever. or you can be a crap head and get it back once its repaid. just freakin'n do it... and then invite 5 friends to do it and make them invite 5 friends. 5 successful invites gets you another 25 bucks to lend.

thanks for finishing.