Sebastian, Florida and Points West

                                           KIVA + AR + 56,623 = X    What's the answer?  What's "X"?  Read on.

I see our ActiveRain has placed a banner ad- or rotating banner or whatever it is - of KIVA on the site  (or vice versa) home page.  Great opportunity for ActiveRainers to get involved - economically and spiritually. 

We also have a KIVA group on AR, found here:  http://activerain.com/groups/KIVA.

Nonprofit

KIVA is a company that provides - through "sponsors" - MICROLOANS to entrepreneurs and small business persons in Third World nations.  The receivers of these loans are carefully screened by the KIVA field partners (banks) in their own country, whereby they have a business plan and a debt repayment plan, because most of the loans will be paid back in 12 to 18 months.

You can sponsor an individual as they raise funds for their enterprise - in increments of $25.  A borrower needing $800 (these are microloans, remember?) might have a couple dozen sponsors and KIVA shares the monitoring of the fund-raising on the website (http://www.kiva.org/).  As the loan recipient pays back the loan - with interest (this is a business they have - same principles apply) - that progress is ALSO monitored on KIVA's website and through emails to the sponsors.

Bill and I have dipped out toes in the KIVA pool and are watching our two friends' progress.  Dilorom Kasimova of Tajikistan has paid back 59% of her loan and Asia Karova of Bulgaria is 50% repaid since spring of this year.  When paid back 100%, we will roll our little "investment" into another business, or maybe expand.  We can withdraw the funds if we want, too.  Dilirom has 23 lenders and Asia 19 - all sharing in the growth of these individuals and their personal and local economy.

KIVA's track record is excellent - over 99% repayment of loans.  Wish we had that efficiency in the real estate industry.

So do your own due diligence - take a look at KIVA and see if you want to involve yourself.  We have over 56 THOUSAND (56,623 right now) members in ActiveRain and can accomplish much.  If interested, join our KIVA group and post ideas, stories, and your own KIVA experiences. 

It may be time to forget our woes - real or merely perceived - and remember how much abundance we really have here.  Service makes a difference in the lives of both the receiver and the giver.  And it's a LOAN.

Check out KIVA and our group.  Intelligent ideas and energy are always welcome.

                                              Back to our equation:  KIVA + AR + 56,623 = X 

Well, X is your involvement - you are the variable to the solved equation.  (And you thought you'd never use algebra again!)  You are the solution.

Thanks.

Art Blanchet and Bill Quigley

Your Home-Your Money