Want to help buy a goat?

If you haven't checked out kiva.org, then I suppose it's time you had.

What is it? It's a place where your small contributions can make a huge difference.

I should elaborate. I'm not really into the whole "charity" thing. Not having charity, but just giving people money doesn't appeal to me that much. There are exceptions. I just don't like the idea of my money going to buy something like alcohol, drugs, etc. No, not everybody does that with donations. But it does happen. I've seen it happen many, many times in the area I grew up.

What I do like is someone who is willing to work. Some people are quite willing to work hard, but just need an extra boost. That's where Kiva comes in.

Kiva is a "microloan" collection center. I don't really know if that's the right thing to call it. But a person such as you or me can go and give these microloans to people who are trying to better their circumstances (or even survive in some cases.) These are people looking for small loans to start or expand business. And some of the loans are quite small. I've seen some in the $200 range. It may not seem like much to most of the world, but to these people it can be a Godsend.

Now, you don't have to loan $200 to participate. You can loan as little as $25, which will be aggregated with other people doing the same thing, to raise money for the people seeking the loan. (The loans are all handled through outside partners.) The site provides pictures of the people requesting loans (usually within their business environment) and a small description of what the loan is for, repayment terms, etc. The beauty of the system is how much good can be contributed with such small amounts. Plus, the money you "spend" almost always gets fully replaced as the person pays off their loans. You can then put the money back in your pocketbook, knowing that you've helped make the world a better place, or you can put it back into the system by giving out another loan.

Kiva, of course, is a non-profit organization. They really seem to be making a difference, too. Now you can make a difference, too. And you can do it knowing that you're just not throwing money at some nameless, faceless entity & wondering if your money really is going to help someone, or just lining someone's pocket. Go take a look - see what you think. You haven't got anything to lose, and you may have much to contribute.