Nice visit with reality. But it’s no way to sell ads for luxury goods in the rest of the paper.
Category Archives: Kiva and Microfinance
Kiva and Microfinance and why you should know about it.
How cell phones = banks in the 3rd world
It’s microfinance on speed-dial: from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, check out how ordinary cell phones are transforming finance in the developing world.
And here people think the iPad is a game-changing technology.
My 650th Kiva loan
Goes to this group of 20 small entrepreneurs in Trou-du-Nord, Haiti.
If you’re just tuning in, I’m writing a book about microfinance for Bloomsbury. Kiva is quickly becoming the microfinance equivalent of eBay. Great place to start if you’re interested.
Want to do something cool today? Go visit, open an account, and loan a few bucks halfway around the world. (Hundreds of loans now, I haven’t lost a dollar yet. That’s unusual, but their default rate is less than two percent.) It’s not charity; you get the money back, they get to build their business, and you get to keep loaning the money right back out, over and over if you like.
My plan is to make 1000 loans this year. I’m a little behind right now, but I’ll catch up. After that, I’ll just keep re-loaning the same money over and over. It’s a great addiction, if you’re looking for one. Highly recommended.