Funding Business Loans via KIVA

Many people in the world are financially marginalised and unable to access small loans to improve their working or living conditions.  Kiva is an international non-profit organisation, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco, that celebrates and supports people looking to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.  Working with ‘field partners’ in each country,  Kiva assesses the request for a loan and, if accepted, puts the details of the individual and their request on the web.  Lenders then read their stories and choose how much they wish to lend to which recipients – as little as US$25 at a time.  Since it’s a loan, not a donation, the same funds are recycled over and over to multiply the impact. 

See https://www.kiva.org/ 

 Our twinned club, Delft Koningsveld, put US$5000 with Kiva several years ago and has been lending money to people and communities ever since.  Last year we added US$5000 to the pot and swiftly loaned it out across the world!  We now take turns to lend out any repayments (usually around US$400 per month).  To date (March 2020) we have made 925 loans totalling UD$42,550 to 69 countries. 

 We have the pleasure of knowing the background of the individuals we are helping and are delighted to be working on this truly international project with our fellow Rotarians in the Netherlands.