As a skipper on an inland European cargo ship, Kiva lender Nathalie has plenty of time to contemplate while she’s at work.

Of course, overseeing the movement of goods around the waterways of Europe requires her utmost attention, but Nathalie often takes the peaceful moments on the ship to think about the state of the world and how she can help make it better for all.

“If I...

New Zealand and Southeast Asia are almost a thousand miles apart and contain vastly different cultures. And yet, Kiva lender Ken feels a distinct kinship with Vietnam and Laos, two countries in the South East Asia region.

“Technically speaking, we’re still considered Asia,” says the 74 year-old retired IT project manager from his home in Wellington, NZ.

Continental inclusivity aside,...

This article is a guest post from Eleanor B Hildreth, captain of Kiva’s Climate Pilots lending team. 

Net zero. Everyone's promising to get to net zero. That's when the good you do for our climate balances off the bad — that is, your emissions for the year. 

President Biden pledged that the US federal government would achieve net zero by 2050. China promised to do it by 2060. But as an individual you can likely do it right away by supporting eco-friendly loans on Kiva, like this one from Altech.

More than 1.4 billion people around the world remain unbanked—meaning they don’t have access to financial services that can improve their quality of life such as credit, savings accounts and insurance.

Kiva’s approach to microfinance focuses on promoting financial inclusion among these underserved communities, while employing...

For over 6000 years, people have lived along the western banks of the Nile River in what is now known as Upper Egypt. Cities there thrived during the time of the ancient pharaohs, connected by vibrant culture and a robust system of commerce still admired today.

In more recent times, however, the effects of colonization and political upheaval have left modern Egyptians with high poverty rates and widespread...

Natural disasters, widespread violence, and rampant unemployment are among the causes cited by hundreds of thousands of migrants who have left Guatemala for a better life.

This month, Kiva announced a new deal motivated by the goal of strengthening economic resilience for Guatemalan entrepreneurs and supporting...

When you choose a loan on Kiva, or receive a repayment from a borrower, you might see details about currency exchange gains and losses. Here are some helpful details about what that means and why you’re receiving this information:

Currency exchange refers to the amount of local currency that is equivalent to 1 US dollar. Kiva’s currency conversion rates come from XE.com, an online currency exchange provider, which calculates its rates using live, up-to-the-minute mid-market currency rates.

The starting amount...

Like many people in developing countries, Neriman works hard to provide basic needs like food and shelter for her family.

The soft-spoken mother of nine lives in rural Turkey, where the average annual income is less than $20,000. Neriman wanted to work to support her husband, and had thought about borrowing money to provide her with a way to earn an income, but she didn’t have the credit history or collateral to be...

This article was originally published on Next Billion.

As impact investors seek investable opportunities worldwide, their focus includes enterprises and other organizations that both improve their customers' livelihoods and are financially sustainable. To direct their capital effectively and track its impact, these investors typically rely on output measurements, such as total capital invested by theme, or number of people served. This focus on outputs can help inform their investment decisions and reveal the impact of their funding to some degree, but more must...

It’s hard to imagine creating a positive impact around the globe by simply swinging in a hammock, but Joe Demin and Rachel Connors have made it possible to do just that.

The married co-founders of Yellow Leaf Hammocks sell their comfy, colorful wares using a scalable business model that brings reliable income to the Mlabri and other hill tribes of Thailand’s mountainous northern region—where more than 64 percent of people live below the poverty line.

“I realized if we focused on quality and design first, it could potentially create a sustainable path out of...

Kiva is happy to share the release of the 60 Decibels Microfinance Index, the world's first microfinance social performance report based entirely on data from the people it serves.

Improved quality of life, increased incomes, better resilience against economic shock—the results confirm the positive social impact of microfinance, with no better source for this information than the clients themselves.

Over 18,000 microfinance customers across 41 countries participated in interviews for the study conducted by 60 Decibels, an independent impact measurement...