kiva

I made a loan today to Julia Chamorro in Totonicapán, Guatemala to purchase raw materials for her business. I couldn't resist a Julia with a sewing machine!

I also made a loan to the Senor De Lagunas Group in Bolivia. The thirteen women who make up the Señor de Lagunas Association are all members of the Los Andes Community Center, which is located in the city of El Alto. It is a very cheerful group that works very responsibly on the center's internal activities in cooperation with its loan officer.

Most of the group members sell clothing. For example, Vicky sells pants for all ages. Other group members sell jackets, winter clothing, or baby and children's clothing, while some prepare and serve meals.

The group members are requesting larger loan amounts in order to buy more merchandise so that they can increase their sales and their incomes. They all share the ultimate goal of improving their families' quality of life.

Another Kiva loan to Julia

I made a loan today to Julia Carlotain Peru. She is 46, married, and has three children. The children are 22, 21, and 16. The older children are married; the last one is studying English.

Julia started selling sandwiches, but that was not good because there was so much competition in the area where she sold. Her sister got her into selling beauty products by catalog. She started with one line, and now she sells for three beauty companies.

Since she started with Finca, she has learned that every woman has the opportunity to advance.

She needs a loan for 1,200 PEN to buy beauty products by catalog and be able to stock her inventory.

Julia’s dream is to have a bazaar style bookstore.
I'm off to Canada for a week or so. All the best.

Kiva loan to a Julia

I made a Kiva loan today to Julia Adriana Almanza Trevino in Mexico. She wants money to finish her home and have walls.

Old Kiva loans

I made 4 loans today, the 4 oldest. All are due to expire in a few days, so I hope they get funded.

Kiva - lending to a Julias, weavers, and ladies wearing hats

I made 3 kiva loans today - to Julia in Puno, Peru for her clothing business, and to Pteronila for her weaving and to Ysabel for her crafts business.

Sponsoring a long bike ride for Unicef

I am sponsoring Jorge Mitre who is riding his bike from the Rockies to the Andes, to raise money for children in Guatemala via unicef. My sister is a big UNICEF volunteer, and works with Jorge's wife at the Calgary office.

He only wants to raise $10,000, I hope he raises significantly more. Its a very, very long way.

Kiva

I made a kiva loan to Rosa Julia in Ayacucho, Peru for firewood.

Nourish International

A friend of mine pointed out that this great project needs to raise a few more dollars by a few more people in 2 days, in order to stay on Global Giving.

So I donated today to Nourish International. Nourish is a student movement to eradicate global poverty. During the school year, undergraduate students organize as Nourish Chapters where they raise money through small businesses called "Ventures." Using the money they've earned, they select a sustainable development project to fund. Over the summer, they travel abroad to work alongside members of the community to implement the project.

Kiva loans to Honduras

I made 5 kiva loans today to Honduras.

POR UN FUTURO MEJOR Group in Honduras (Activity: Retail)
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Reina Pricila Centeno Gomez in Honduras (Activity: General Store)
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Ana Baudilia Escoto in Honduras (Activity: General Store)
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Anita Sorto in Honduras (Activity: General Store) Y
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Henry Daniel Gonzales Dominguez in Honduras (Activity: Clothing)

kiva loan to Lydia

I made a loan today to Lydia Kwakye-Boateng in Wiawso, Ghana. Lydia is my sister's name.
Lydia Kwakye-Boateng is thirty-eight years old. She is divorced and has given birth to one child, a girl, who is currently in the primary school. She lives with her daughter in a rented apartment in a commercial town called Dwenase in the Western Region. Dwenase is a suburb of Sefwi-Wiawso, the district capital.

Lydia is a food vendor. She prepares and sells rice and stew. She sells on a table at the lorry (truck) station in the mornings. She buys her goods from nearby communities and wants a loan to buy bags of rice and other ingredients in bulk. Lydia has been in business for ten years. She aspires to expand her business and give her child a good education.

Bogo light

I just bought another BOGO light, they are on sale. They are the best flashlights. My friend has even dropped his from a roof and it still works. These are worth it, even if you're not interested in helping Africans.

BoGo means Buy one, Give one. We want our lights to benefit the less fortunate; therefore, with each light purchased in the developed world, a second identical light will be donated to an organization that will distribute it in the developing world with our direct financial support. Give the Gift of Light, and Help Us Change the World!