We’ve all heard the debates on the correlation between poverty, crime and socio-economic decline. Especially in the developing world it is a vicious cycle that very few people manage to escape from. In 2006 Microfinance came in the spotlight when the Nobel Peace prize was awarded to Prof. Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank. They were awarded the prestigious prize for their Microfinance efforts in Bangladesh resulting in economic and social development from below.
Great idea but how can you get involved? You can pack your bags of course, wave goodbye to your friends and go volunteer where you think you are needed. Let’s be realistic though, that just isn’t possible (or wise) for the majority of us. So, if you have 30 minutes at your disposal you can do one of two things.
Option 1: Donate directly to the Grameen Foundation. They are the experts and know where your money is going to make a difference. The minimum amount to donate is USD 100.
Option 2: KIVA loan.
Step 1 – Choose the business you want to loan to. Here you have the option to look at entrepreneurs seeking loans from a regional or even business sector perspective.
Step 2 – You’ve chosen the person you are lending money to and now you decide how much you want to put into the kitty. The minimum amount is USD 25 and this you pay via Paypal.
Step 3 – You receive regular feedback from the business you sponsor.
Step 4 – When your Kiva loan is repaid it is up to you whether you want to withdraw your funds or re-loan again.
See, I said it’s going to be easy…
I appreciate the Web even more in situations like these. Here is a person on the other side of the world, with a burning desire to improve his/her position in life. Even though you’ve never met this person we all have one thing in common – we want a brighter future for our children, our families.
Today, via the Web you can lend a helping hand.
