Slowly but surely, Kiva has been expanding its presence in the United States. We've launched Kiva cities in Detroit...
Continue Reading >>Blog posts tagged with lending
Apr 4, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
April recently became known as the Month of Microfinance (MoMF). But what does that actually mean?
For us at Kiva, Month of Microfinance is both a great partner organization and an activist movement that engages people in lending for change. Both were inspired by a growing, active, empowered community exploring the potential of microfinance to end poverty and transform lives around the world.
Kiva is excited to partner with MoMF again this year and encourage our incredible, impassioned community to participate in April 2013! There are a number of ways to get your... Continue Reading >>
For us at Kiva, Month of Microfinance is both a great partner organization and an activist movement that engages people in lending for change. Both were inspired by a growing, active, empowered community exploring the potential of microfinance to end poverty and transform lives around the world.
Kiva is excited to partner with MoMF again this year and encourage our incredible, impassioned community to participate in April 2013! There are a number of ways to get your... Continue Reading >>
Apr 4, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
It's always been part of the plan for Kiva to offer health loans to make surgery and medical care more affordable for the world's poorest people. Today, we took a big step toward that goal by launching a new partnership with Plasticos Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides reconstructive plastic surgery to low-income patients with health issues like cleft lips, burns, and more.
While plastic surgery may not sound like a basic need, it's exactly that for thousands of people who find themselves discriminated against or ostracized from... Continue Reading >>
While plastic surgery may not sound like a basic need, it's exactly that for thousands of people who find themselves discriminated against or ostracized from... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Did you know there's enough food in the world today for everyone to have the nourishment they need for a healthy and productive life? Yet so many people -- in both the developed and developing world -- remain hungry and even dangerously malnourished.
March was National Nutrition Month, so why are we posting about this now? Well, we want to focus on all the reasons why this issue needs attention all year long:
March was National Nutrition Month, so why are we posting about this now? Well, we want to focus on all the reasons why this issue needs attention all year long:
- Undernutrition contributes to 2.6 million deaths of children under five each year -- one third of the global total....
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
This is Renee. She's a Kiva borrower in the Philippines. She also runs her own business employing dozens of women weavers. When we talk about the ripple effect, and how helping one person can help many, this is exactly what we mean.
A particularly remarkable woman, Renee is a US-born Filipino designer who works with women from 50 villages in Eastern Samar (one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines) to manufacture and export native bags made from seagrass -- providing a large community of weavers with stable incomes.
She... Continue Reading >>
A particularly remarkable woman, Renee is a US-born Filipino designer who works with women from 50 villages in Eastern Samar (one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines) to manufacture and export native bags made from seagrass -- providing a large community of weavers with stable incomes.
She... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Here at Kiva, we’re all about deliberate and sustainable change. In order to make a true difference in lives and communities all over the world, we need to make sure people have the tools to lift themselves out of poverty. And every day, thousands of Kiva lenders help make this possible by lending small amounts of money to support businesses, education, and more.
This is one facet of a new U.S. movement coined “Slow Money.” As the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits an all time high, and more and more people struggle to find work and equitable pay, it’s... Continue Reading >>
This is one facet of a new U.S. movement coined “Slow Money.” As the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits an all time high, and more and more people struggle to find work and equitable pay, it’s... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
With our 20th class of fellows currently in the field, the Kiva Fellows Program is well into reviewing applications for the next wave (dubbed KF21).
This next class happens to fall during the summer, giving graduate students the opportunity to gain invaluable field experience during their summer breaks. While the typical Kiva Fellow spends 16 weeks in the field, we also offer a small number of shorter-term fellowships during our summer class to accommodate these students. No doubt this has contributed to the all-time high in applications received -- up 36% from last class, and up... Continue Reading >>
This next class happens to fall during the summer, giving graduate students the opportunity to gain invaluable field experience during their summer breaks. While the typical Kiva Fellow spends 16 weeks in the field, we also offer a small number of shorter-term fellowships during our summer class to accommodate these students. No doubt this has contributed to the all-time high in applications received -- up 36% from last class, and up... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Every week we receive dozens of loan updates from our partners about what Kiva borrowers are doing with their loans, how they are succeeding, and when they repay. We're excited to announce that we will be posting a weekly roundup of some of the most inspiring loan updates, starting today.
Denis lives in El Salvador with his wife and 7-year-old daughter. He's worked as a farmer for over 15 years, after learning the trade from his father.
He took out his first Kiva loan in September 2011 and used that $450 to buy herbicides and fertilizer... Continue Reading >>
Denis lives in El Salvador with his wife and 7-year-old daughter. He's worked as a farmer for over 15 years, after learning the trade from his father.
He took out his first Kiva loan in September 2011 and used that $450 to buy herbicides and fertilizer... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
There's nothing we at Kiva love more than kids and students getting involved with microfinance and making a difference early in their lives.
On a mission to help people help themselves, students at the University of Pennsylvania established their own organization dedicated to microfinance 7 years ago. Today, they are the largest undergraduate microfinance organization in the United States and the host of the first and largest undergraduate microfinance conference, which is coming up on March 30.
Saloni is a sophomore at the University of... Continue Reading >>
On a mission to help people help themselves, students at the University of Pennsylvania established their own organization dedicated to microfinance 7 years ago. Today, they are the largest undergraduate microfinance organization in the United States and the host of the first and largest undergraduate microfinance conference, which is coming up on March 30.
Saloni is a sophomore at the University of... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Water is at the root of everything. Our environment, socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and the fulfillment of the most basic human needs all depend on it.
Yet in 2013, about one-ninth of our world’s population -- 780 million people -- lack access to clean water. And about 3.4 million of these people die annually as a result.
So ten years ago today, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Water Day -- a day for the whole world to focus attention on the importance of clean, accessible water.
Each year... Continue Reading >>
Yet in 2013, about one-ninth of our world’s population -- 780 million people -- lack access to clean water. And about 3.4 million of these people die annually as a result.
So ten years ago today, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Water Day -- a day for the whole world to focus attention on the importance of clean, accessible water.
Each year... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
The last update to the Kiva website is what we call an Innovation Iteration -- the engineers got to vote on the projects they wanted to work on. The results include some fun and interesting improvements to the site.
Social Share Buttons
We've made sharing great loans with your networks even easier by adding social share buttons to loan profile pages. Now you can share borrower stories easily on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Loan Wish List
Have you seen a great loan you want to remember? You... Continue Reading >>
Social Share Buttons
We've made sharing great loans with your networks even easier by adding social share buttons to loan profile pages. Now you can share borrower stories easily on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Loan Wish List
Have you seen a great loan you want to remember? You... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Burundi
Burundi
Early in the morning on Sunday, January 27, the main market in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, caught fire -- bringing the city and the country's economy to a standstill. The blaze grew into a massive inferno, consuming the entire city.
By the time the fire subsided in the evening, the vast covered market and economic heart of Burundi was reduced to rubble. An estimated 10 people died attempting to retrieve merchandise from the stalls, and thousands of vendors and merchants lost everything they owned: property, goods, and livelihoods that had taken years to build in a... Continue Reading >>
By the time the fire subsided in the evening, the vast covered market and economic heart of Burundi was reduced to rubble. An estimated 10 people died attempting to retrieve merchandise from the stalls, and thousands of vendors and merchants lost everything they owned: property, goods, and livelihoods that had taken years to build in a... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
To conclude our Passport Series on Lebanon, we want to share a few inspiring borrower stories to remind you just how important and impactful your $25 can be.
Meet Hayat.
A 56 year-old wife and mother, Hayat lives in a refugee camp just outside of Beirut. But, as a Syrian refugee, she's not actually a Lebanese citizen.
Naturalization in Lebanon is almost impossible without marrying a Lebanese man -- and Hayat’s husband is also a non-citizen. This means that their children also live without registered IDs or... Continue Reading >>
Meet Hayat.
A 56 year-old wife and mother, Hayat lives in a refugee camp just outside of Beirut. But, as a Syrian refugee, she's not actually a Lebanese citizen.
Naturalization in Lebanon is almost impossible without marrying a Lebanese man -- and Hayat’s husband is also a non-citizen. This means that their children also live without registered IDs or... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Here at Kiva, we were honored and thrilled last week to have President Bill Clinton launch our newest Kiva City program in Little Rock, Arkansas!
Hundreds gathered at William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park to celebrate the launch of Kiva City Little Rock -- including many of the small business owners raising loans on Kiva!
Partnering with Visa and microfinance organization Accion Texas, Kiva is now offering $25 loans in the Little Rock Area -- giving lenders everywhere the chance to empower a small business and help create employment in a state where... Continue Reading >>
Hundreds gathered at William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park to celebrate the launch of Kiva City Little Rock -- including many of the small business owners raising loans on Kiva!
Partnering with Visa and microfinance organization Accion Texas, Kiva is now offering $25 loans in the Little Rock Area -- giving lenders everywhere the chance to empower a small business and help create employment in a state where... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
“I really enjoy my time with Kiva. I am honored and thrilled to be a volunteer because not everyone has this chance to help borrowers the way we do.”
City: Gurnee, Illinois
Language: Spanish
Team: Mil Puentes
Time with Kiva: One and a half years as a translator, five years as a lender!
Outstanding contributions to Kiva:
From the moment Gail started translating, her enthusiasm and excitement to volunteer... Continue Reading >>
Kiva HQ
“I really enjoy my time with Kiva. I am honored and thrilled to be a volunteer because not everyone has this chance to help borrowers the way we do.”
City: Gurnee, Illinois
Language: Spanish
Team: Mil Puentes
Time with Kiva: One and a half years as a translator, five years as a lender!
Outstanding contributions to Kiva:
From the moment Gail started translating, her enthusiasm and excitement to volunteer... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
That's right. Kiva has officially reached 1 MILLION borrowers with loans around the world!
WAHOO! HOORAY! WAY TO GO! BOOM. [INSERT CELEBRATORY EXCLAMATION HERE!]
Here's the thing: it's really YOU that's reached 1 million borrowers -- our lenders are truly the ones who made this inspiring, magical, stupendous achievement happen! You found the loans, you funded them, you touched and changed lives in fundamental ways. Your collective impact has set off a massive ripple effect of change across the world. And we can't... Continue Reading >>
WAHOO! HOORAY! WAY TO GO! BOOM. [INSERT CELEBRATORY EXCLAMATION HERE!]
Here's the thing: it's really YOU that's reached 1 million borrowers -- our lenders are truly the ones who made this inspiring, magical, stupendous achievement happen! You found the loans, you funded them, you touched and changed lives in fundamental ways. Your collective impact has set off a massive ripple effect of change across the world. And we can't... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
We are thrilled to announce that Little Rock has been added to our list of Kiva Cities this morning! Partnering with Visa Inc. and Accion Texas, Kiva is now giving lenders the opportunity to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in Little Rock, Arkansas with as little as $25.
The beauty of Kiva City Little Rock is that it is driven by local people with local solutions for starting or expanding small businesses and stimulating job growth.
“This initiative gives everyone a chance to help support local jobs and businesses in Little Rock,” said President... Continue Reading >>
The beauty of Kiva City Little Rock is that it is driven by local people with local solutions for starting or expanding small businesses and stimulating job growth.
“This initiative gives everyone a chance to help support local jobs and businesses in Little Rock,” said President... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Decades of intermittent unrest and reconstruction have left Lebanon's economy deep in debt and relatively unstable. We're proud that Kiva's presence in the country has helped -- even in just small ways -- to rebuild the economy via small business growth.
To date, Kiva lenders have made nearly 7,500 loans totaling over $9.5 million in Lebanon via two local microfinance partners.
The Al Majmoua Lebanese Association for Development is the leading microfinance institution in Lebanon in terms of the number of clients it serves. One reason that it was... Continue Reading >>
To date, Kiva lenders have made nearly 7,500 loans totaling over $9.5 million in Lebanon via two local microfinance partners.
The Al Majmoua Lebanese Association for Development is the leading microfinance institution in Lebanon in terms of the number of clients it serves. One reason that it was... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Kiva is now in Nigeria! And we are extremely excited to work in this country again with our brand new partner, Babban Gona.
One of the most populous countries in West Africa, it was named after the Niger River which runs through the country. Although playing a vital role in Africa’s economy, Nigeria has a high poverty rate of about 70% and an unemployment rate of over 23%. The number of unbanked people in the country is one of the highest in Africa, and access to banking services is particularly limited in rural areas.
Luckily, some... Continue Reading >>
One of the most populous countries in West Africa, it was named after the Niger River which runs through the country. Although playing a vital role in Africa’s economy, Nigeria has a high poverty rate of about 70% and an unemployment rate of over 23%. The number of unbanked people in the country is one of the highest in Africa, and access to banking services is particularly limited in rural areas.
Luckily, some... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s -- with the first “National Women’s Day” held in the United States in 1909, before women even had the right to vote.
Today, it's become an official holiday in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Laos, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Zambia -- just to name a few. In many of these countries, IWD is celebrated like Mother’s Day and children give small gifts to their mothers or grandmothers.
While... Continue Reading >>
Today, it's become an official holiday in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Laos, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Zambia -- just to name a few. In many of these countries, IWD is celebrated like Mother’s Day and children give small gifts to their mothers or grandmothers.
While... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
We're honored to have a guest post from UniversalGiving founder and CEO Pamela Hawley to celebrate International Women's Day -- and to showcase other women entrepreneurs who inspire us!
Start it. That's what women do. They are multi-taskers, collaborators, and community seekers. Add some healthy drive to get things done, and they are changing lives of people in their own backyard, and across the world.
We know from microloans that women are scaling their impact way beyond creating a business. They are providing... Continue Reading >>
Start it. That's what women do. They are multi-taskers, collaborators, and community seekers. Add some healthy drive to get things done, and they are changing lives of people in their own backyard, and across the world.
We know from microloans that women are scaling their impact way beyond creating a business. They are providing... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Set on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered by Syria and Israel, Lebanon is a small country with big implications for the Middle East.
The smallest mainland country in the region (even smaller than Connecticut), it is also one of the most diverse countries -- both culturally and religiously.
Originally home to the Phoenicians, what is now Lebanon was at one time or another also occupied by the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and the French (who ruled until Lebanon declared independence in 1943) -- all of which... Continue Reading >>
The smallest mainland country in the region (even smaller than Connecticut), it is also one of the most diverse countries -- both culturally and religiously.
Originally home to the Phoenicians, what is now Lebanon was at one time or another also occupied by the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and the French (who ruled until Lebanon declared independence in 1943) -- all of which... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
The International Bank of Bob burst onto the scene yesterday -- chronicling lender and author Bob Harris' journey around the world to meet Kiva borrowers and see how loans have changed their lives. Needless to say, we were very excited.
But then something even more magical happened... the book started climbing the charts! First it was #55 on Barnes & Noble and named one of Amazon's "Movers and Shakers." Then suddenly, it was #11 on Amazon's Bestselling Books list! And by the end of the day it was at #3!
Today is the... Continue Reading >>
But then something even more magical happened... the book started climbing the charts! First it was #55 on Barnes & Noble and named one of Amazon's "Movers and Shakers." Then suddenly, it was #11 on Amazon's Bestselling Books list! And by the end of the day it was at #3!
Today is the... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
It's a day we (and many Kiva fans) have been waiting for -- for a long time:
The book The International Bank of Bob is officially out today! It chronicles the journey of Bob Harris, author, television writer and Kiva superlender, as he circles the globe meeting borrowers and seeing firsthand how small loans have changed their lives. We couldn't be more excited!
First thing's first. If you love Kiva, this is the book for you, and you can pick a copy up here.
What's really ... Continue Reading >>
The book The International Bank of Bob is officially out today! It chronicles the journey of Bob Harris, author, television writer and Kiva superlender, as he circles the globe meeting borrowers and seeing firsthand how small loans have changed their lives. We couldn't be more excited!
First thing's first. If you love Kiva, this is the book for you, and you can pick a copy up here.
What's really ... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
This is a guest post from Bob Harris, author, adventurer, Kiva super lender, and captain of the incredible Friends of Bob Harris lending team. This is the second in a series of posts from Bob chronicling his travels around the world meeting Kiva borrowers. Read his last piece about traveling on a budget, and start getting excited about the release of his new book The International Bank of Bob, available starting March 5.
In the various travels that led to the book, I was lucky enough to bring a camera to more... Continue Reading >>
In the various travels that led to the book, I was lucky enough to bring a camera to more... Continue Reading >>
Pages
Blog posts tagged with lending
Apr 4, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Slowly but surely, Kiva has been expanding its presence in the United States. We've launched Kiva cities in Detroit...
Continue Reading >>
Apr 4, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
April recently became known as the Month of Microfinance (MoMF). But what does that actually mean?
For us at Kiva, Month of Microfinance is both a great partner organization and an activist movement that engages people in lending for change. Both were inspired by a growing, active, empowered community exploring the potential of microfinance to end poverty and transform lives around the world.
Kiva is excited to partner with MoMF again this year and encourage our incredible, impassioned community to participate in April 2013! There are a number of ways to get your... Continue Reading >>
For us at Kiva, Month of Microfinance is both a great partner organization and an activist movement that engages people in lending for change. Both were inspired by a growing, active, empowered community exploring the potential of microfinance to end poverty and transform lives around the world.
Kiva is excited to partner with MoMF again this year and encourage our incredible, impassioned community to participate in April 2013! There are a number of ways to get your... Continue Reading >>
Apr 4, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
It's always been part of the plan for Kiva to offer health loans to make surgery and medical care more affordable for the world's poorest people. Today, we took a big step toward that goal by launching a new partnership with Plasticos Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides reconstructive plastic surgery to low-income patients with health issues like cleft lips, burns, and more.
While plastic surgery may not sound like a basic need, it's exactly that for thousands of people who find themselves discriminated against or ostracized from... Continue Reading >>
While plastic surgery may not sound like a basic need, it's exactly that for thousands of people who find themselves discriminated against or ostracized from... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Did you know there's enough food in the world today for everyone to have the nourishment they need for a healthy and productive life? Yet so many people -- in both the developed and developing world -- remain hungry and even dangerously malnourished.
March was National Nutrition Month, so why are we posting about this now? Well, we want to focus on all the reasons why this issue needs attention all year long:
March was National Nutrition Month, so why are we posting about this now? Well, we want to focus on all the reasons why this issue needs attention all year long:
- Undernutrition contributes to 2.6 million deaths of children under five each year -- one third of the global total....
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
This is Renee. She's a Kiva borrower in the Philippines. She also runs her own business employing dozens of women weavers. When we talk about the ripple effect, and how helping one person can help many, this is exactly what we mean.
A particularly remarkable woman, Renee is a US-born Filipino designer who works with women from 50 villages in Eastern Samar (one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines) to manufacture and export native bags made from seagrass -- providing a large community of weavers with stable incomes.
She... Continue Reading >>
A particularly remarkable woman, Renee is a US-born Filipino designer who works with women from 50 villages in Eastern Samar (one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines) to manufacture and export native bags made from seagrass -- providing a large community of weavers with stable incomes.
She... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Here at Kiva, we’re all about deliberate and sustainable change. In order to make a true difference in lives and communities all over the world, we need to make sure people have the tools to lift themselves out of poverty. And every day, thousands of Kiva lenders help make this possible by lending small amounts of money to support businesses, education, and more.
This is one facet of a new U.S. movement coined “Slow Money.” As the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits an all time high, and more and more people struggle to find work and equitable pay, it’s... Continue Reading >>
This is one facet of a new U.S. movement coined “Slow Money.” As the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits an all time high, and more and more people struggle to find work and equitable pay, it’s... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
With our 20th class of fellows currently in the field, the Kiva Fellows Program is well into reviewing applications for the next wave (dubbed KF21).
This next class happens to fall during the summer, giving graduate students the opportunity to gain invaluable field experience during their summer breaks. While the typical Kiva Fellow spends 16 weeks in the field, we also offer a small number of shorter-term fellowships during our summer class to accommodate these students. No doubt this has contributed to the all-time high in applications received -- up 36% from last class, and up... Continue Reading >>
This next class happens to fall during the summer, giving graduate students the opportunity to gain invaluable field experience during their summer breaks. While the typical Kiva Fellow spends 16 weeks in the field, we also offer a small number of shorter-term fellowships during our summer class to accommodate these students. No doubt this has contributed to the all-time high in applications received -- up 36% from last class, and up... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Every week we receive dozens of loan updates from our partners about what Kiva borrowers are doing with their loans, how they are succeeding, and when they repay. We're excited to announce that we will be posting a weekly roundup of some of the most inspiring loan updates, starting today.
Denis lives in El Salvador with his wife and 7-year-old daughter. He's worked as a farmer for over 15 years, after learning the trade from his father.
He took out his first Kiva loan in September 2011 and used that $450 to buy herbicides and fertilizer... Continue Reading >>
Denis lives in El Salvador with his wife and 7-year-old daughter. He's worked as a farmer for over 15 years, after learning the trade from his father.
He took out his first Kiva loan in September 2011 and used that $450 to buy herbicides and fertilizer... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
There's nothing we at Kiva love more than kids and students getting involved with microfinance and making a difference early in their lives.
On a mission to help people help themselves, students at the University of Pennsylvania established their own organization dedicated to microfinance 7 years ago. Today, they are the largest undergraduate microfinance organization in the United States and the host of the first and largest undergraduate microfinance conference, which is coming up on March 30.
Saloni is a sophomore at the University of... Continue Reading >>
On a mission to help people help themselves, students at the University of Pennsylvania established their own organization dedicated to microfinance 7 years ago. Today, they are the largest undergraduate microfinance organization in the United States and the host of the first and largest undergraduate microfinance conference, which is coming up on March 30.
Saloni is a sophomore at the University of... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Water is at the root of everything. Our environment, socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and the fulfillment of the most basic human needs all depend on it.
Yet in 2013, about one-ninth of our world’s population -- 780 million people -- lack access to clean water. And about 3.4 million of these people die annually as a result.
So ten years ago today, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Water Day -- a day for the whole world to focus attention on the importance of clean, accessible water.
Each year... Continue Reading >>
Yet in 2013, about one-ninth of our world’s population -- 780 million people -- lack access to clean water. And about 3.4 million of these people die annually as a result.
So ten years ago today, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Water Day -- a day for the whole world to focus attention on the importance of clean, accessible water.
Each year... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
The last update to the Kiva website is what we call an Innovation Iteration -- the engineers got to vote on the projects they wanted to work on. The results include some fun and interesting improvements to the site.
Social Share Buttons
We've made sharing great loans with your networks even easier by adding social share buttons to loan profile pages. Now you can share borrower stories easily on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Loan Wish List
Have you seen a great loan you want to remember? You... Continue Reading >>
Social Share Buttons
We've made sharing great loans with your networks even easier by adding social share buttons to loan profile pages. Now you can share borrower stories easily on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Loan Wish List
Have you seen a great loan you want to remember? You... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Burundi
Burundi
Early in the morning on Sunday, January 27, the main market in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, caught fire -- bringing the city and the country's economy to a standstill. The blaze grew into a massive inferno, consuming the entire city.
By the time the fire subsided in the evening, the vast covered market and economic heart of Burundi was reduced to rubble. An estimated 10 people died attempting to retrieve merchandise from the stalls, and thousands of vendors and merchants lost everything they owned: property, goods, and livelihoods that had taken years to build in a... Continue Reading >>
By the time the fire subsided in the evening, the vast covered market and economic heart of Burundi was reduced to rubble. An estimated 10 people died attempting to retrieve merchandise from the stalls, and thousands of vendors and merchants lost everything they owned: property, goods, and livelihoods that had taken years to build in a... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
To conclude our Passport Series on Lebanon, we want to share a few inspiring borrower stories to remind you just how important and impactful your $25 can be.
Meet Hayat.
A 56 year-old wife and mother, Hayat lives in a refugee camp just outside of Beirut. But, as a Syrian refugee, she's not actually a Lebanese citizen.
Naturalization in Lebanon is almost impossible without marrying a Lebanese man -- and Hayat’s husband is also a non-citizen. This means that their children also live without registered IDs or... Continue Reading >>
Meet Hayat.
A 56 year-old wife and mother, Hayat lives in a refugee camp just outside of Beirut. But, as a Syrian refugee, she's not actually a Lebanese citizen.
Naturalization in Lebanon is almost impossible without marrying a Lebanese man -- and Hayat’s husband is also a non-citizen. This means that their children also live without registered IDs or... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Here at Kiva, we were honored and thrilled last week to have President Bill Clinton launch our newest Kiva City program in Little Rock, Arkansas!
Hundreds gathered at William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park to celebrate the launch of Kiva City Little Rock -- including many of the small business owners raising loans on Kiva!
Partnering with Visa and microfinance organization Accion Texas, Kiva is now offering $25 loans in the Little Rock Area -- giving lenders everywhere the chance to empower a small business and help create employment in a state where... Continue Reading >>
Hundreds gathered at William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park to celebrate the launch of Kiva City Little Rock -- including many of the small business owners raising loans on Kiva!
Partnering with Visa and microfinance organization Accion Texas, Kiva is now offering $25 loans in the Little Rock Area -- giving lenders everywhere the chance to empower a small business and help create employment in a state where... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
“I really enjoy my time with Kiva. I am honored and thrilled to be a volunteer because not everyone has this chance to help borrowers the way we do.”
City: Gurnee, Illinois
Language: Spanish
Team: Mil Puentes
Time with Kiva: One and a half years as a translator, five years as a lender!
Outstanding contributions to Kiva:
From the moment Gail started translating, her enthusiasm and excitement to volunteer... Continue Reading >>
Kiva HQ
“I really enjoy my time with Kiva. I am honored and thrilled to be a volunteer because not everyone has this chance to help borrowers the way we do.”
City: Gurnee, Illinois
Language: Spanish
Team: Mil Puentes
Time with Kiva: One and a half years as a translator, five years as a lender!
Outstanding contributions to Kiva:
From the moment Gail started translating, her enthusiasm and excitement to volunteer... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
That's right. Kiva has officially reached 1 MILLION borrowers with loans around the world!
WAHOO! HOORAY! WAY TO GO! BOOM. [INSERT CELEBRATORY EXCLAMATION HERE!]
Here's the thing: it's really YOU that's reached 1 million borrowers -- our lenders are truly the ones who made this inspiring, magical, stupendous achievement happen! You found the loans, you funded them, you touched and changed lives in fundamental ways. Your collective impact has set off a massive ripple effect of change across the world. And we can't... Continue Reading >>
WAHOO! HOORAY! WAY TO GO! BOOM. [INSERT CELEBRATORY EXCLAMATION HERE!]
Here's the thing: it's really YOU that's reached 1 million borrowers -- our lenders are truly the ones who made this inspiring, magical, stupendous achievement happen! You found the loans, you funded them, you touched and changed lives in fundamental ways. Your collective impact has set off a massive ripple effect of change across the world. And we can't... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
We are thrilled to announce that Little Rock has been added to our list of Kiva Cities this morning! Partnering with Visa Inc. and Accion Texas, Kiva is now giving lenders the opportunity to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in Little Rock, Arkansas with as little as $25.
The beauty of Kiva City Little Rock is that it is driven by local people with local solutions for starting or expanding small businesses and stimulating job growth.
“This initiative gives everyone a chance to help support local jobs and businesses in Little Rock,” said President... Continue Reading >>
The beauty of Kiva City Little Rock is that it is driven by local people with local solutions for starting or expanding small businesses and stimulating job growth.
“This initiative gives everyone a chance to help support local jobs and businesses in Little Rock,” said President... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Decades of intermittent unrest and reconstruction have left Lebanon's economy deep in debt and relatively unstable. We're proud that Kiva's presence in the country has helped -- even in just small ways -- to rebuild the economy via small business growth.
To date, Kiva lenders have made nearly 7,500 loans totaling over $9.5 million in Lebanon via two local microfinance partners.
The Al Majmoua Lebanese Association for Development is the leading microfinance institution in Lebanon in terms of the number of clients it serves. One reason that it was... Continue Reading >>
To date, Kiva lenders have made nearly 7,500 loans totaling over $9.5 million in Lebanon via two local microfinance partners.
The Al Majmoua Lebanese Association for Development is the leading microfinance institution in Lebanon in terms of the number of clients it serves. One reason that it was... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Kiva is now in Nigeria! And we are extremely excited to work in this country again with our brand new partner, Babban Gona.
One of the most populous countries in West Africa, it was named after the Niger River which runs through the country. Although playing a vital role in Africa’s economy, Nigeria has a high poverty rate of about 70% and an unemployment rate of over 23%. The number of unbanked people in the country is one of the highest in Africa, and access to banking services is particularly limited in rural areas.
Luckily, some... Continue Reading >>
One of the most populous countries in West Africa, it was named after the Niger River which runs through the country. Although playing a vital role in Africa’s economy, Nigeria has a high poverty rate of about 70% and an unemployment rate of over 23%. The number of unbanked people in the country is one of the highest in Africa, and access to banking services is particularly limited in rural areas.
Luckily, some... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s -- with the first “National Women’s Day” held in the United States in 1909, before women even had the right to vote.
Today, it's become an official holiday in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Laos, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Zambia -- just to name a few. In many of these countries, IWD is celebrated like Mother’s Day and children give small gifts to their mothers or grandmothers.
While... Continue Reading >>
Today, it's become an official holiday in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Laos, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Zambia -- just to name a few. In many of these countries, IWD is celebrated like Mother’s Day and children give small gifts to their mothers or grandmothers.
While... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
We're honored to have a guest post from UniversalGiving founder and CEO Pamela Hawley to celebrate International Women's Day -- and to showcase other women entrepreneurs who inspire us!
Start it. That's what women do. They are multi-taskers, collaborators, and community seekers. Add some healthy drive to get things done, and they are changing lives of people in their own backyard, and across the world.
We know from microloans that women are scaling their impact way beyond creating a business. They are providing... Continue Reading >>
Start it. That's what women do. They are multi-taskers, collaborators, and community seekers. Add some healthy drive to get things done, and they are changing lives of people in their own backyard, and across the world.
We know from microloans that women are scaling their impact way beyond creating a business. They are providing... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
Set on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered by Syria and Israel, Lebanon is a small country with big implications for the Middle East.
The smallest mainland country in the region (even smaller than Connecticut), it is also one of the most diverse countries -- both culturally and religiously.
Originally home to the Phoenicians, what is now Lebanon was at one time or another also occupied by the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and the French (who ruled until Lebanon declared independence in 1943) -- all of which... Continue Reading >>
The smallest mainland country in the region (even smaller than Connecticut), it is also one of the most diverse countries -- both culturally and religiously.
Originally home to the Phoenicians, what is now Lebanon was at one time or another also occupied by the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and the French (who ruled until Lebanon declared independence in 1943) -- all of which... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
The International Bank of Bob burst onto the scene yesterday -- chronicling lender and author Bob Harris' journey around the world to meet Kiva borrowers and see how loans have changed their lives. Needless to say, we were very excited.
But then something even more magical happened... the book started climbing the charts! First it was #55 on Barnes & Noble and named one of Amazon's "Movers and Shakers." Then suddenly, it was #11 on Amazon's Bestselling Books list! And by the end of the day it was at #3!
Today is the... Continue Reading >>
But then something even more magical happened... the book started climbing the charts! First it was #55 on Barnes & Noble and named one of Amazon's "Movers and Shakers." Then suddenly, it was #11 on Amazon's Bestselling Books list! And by the end of the day it was at #3!
Today is the... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
It's a day we (and many Kiva fans) have been waiting for -- for a long time:
The book The International Bank of Bob is officially out today! It chronicles the journey of Bob Harris, author, television writer and Kiva superlender, as he circles the globe meeting borrowers and seeing firsthand how small loans have changed their lives. We couldn't be more excited!
First thing's first. If you love Kiva, this is the book for you, and you can pick a copy up here.
What's really ... Continue Reading >>
The book The International Bank of Bob is officially out today! It chronicles the journey of Bob Harris, author, television writer and Kiva superlender, as he circles the globe meeting borrowers and seeing firsthand how small loans have changed their lives. We couldn't be more excited!
First thing's first. If you love Kiva, this is the book for you, and you can pick a copy up here.
What's really ... Continue Reading >>
Mar 3, 2013
Kiva HQ
Kiva HQ
This is a guest post from Bob Harris, author, adventurer, Kiva super lender, and captain of the incredible Friends of Bob Harris lending team. This is the second in a series of posts from Bob chronicling his travels around the world meeting Kiva borrowers. Read his last piece about traveling on a budget, and start getting excited about the release of his new book The International Bank of Bob, available starting March 5.
In the various travels that led to the book, I was lucky enough to bring a camera to more... Continue Reading >>
In the various travels that led to the book, I was lucky enough to bring a camera to more... Continue Reading >>