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Jack H. Bender

Kiva: Be a World Banker

While local poverty issues are discussed here, all of us can be active in world-wide poverty reduction as well. A quick and easy activity is participating in micro loans. I use Kiva.


For just $25, I join almost two million lenders in providing loans for people across the globe. When a loan is repaid, I select another person or group to receive funding. My money can help many people over time. When a partial payment has been made, Kiva reminds me that I can add some money to the repayment amount and make another loan.


Little by little, my loan capacity increases beyond my original $25. Occasionally, Kiva offers matching funds. If I make a loan by a given date, I’ll get a “free” $25 to loan.


Kiva allows a lender to zero in on who and where to loan as well as what the loan is for. I can contribute to a loan for a woman in Chile who wants to buy chickens so she can sell eggs.


The requests for loans can be well over a thousand dollars, so I am lending $25 with a group of lenders. I have never received notice of a loan default.


Give Kiva a try.

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