Monday, June 08, 2009

Who shall I lend to?

I want to make a Kiva loan today, and for the first time I see there are more than a thousand to choose from 1135. That is more than I can possibly review. And I don't know how to choose, everyone seems worthy.

I search on Julia - no results.
I search on Honduras - no results.

Should I choose the oldest? The newest? The first one that 'catches my eye'? One from another country I like like Guatemala or Mongolia? One from one of the countries my country invaded? One from the poorer countries? Or the poorer continents? A loan to someone who looks like me? Or does something one of my relatives have done (e.g. start a catering company)? Someone doing something I find interesting like a pub or motocycle repair or cheese making? A weaver? Someone promoting cultural or regional crafts? Someone I think noone else will lend to (white males in ex soviet block countries with shoe stores or really long loans or house construction in Mexico)? Someone with a sewing machine?

I look through the pictures, and they are all so interesting. Everyone has a story. And its so facinating how most are living traditional lives, and since so many countries are in kiva you get an example of diverse life is on earth. Their lives are so different from mine, and different from each others. I love looking at all the traditional costumes.

I think I am going to make a loan to Mexico. Because it is a neighboring country and I did want to make sure it was prominent in my portfolio. Here is my Kiva portfolio to date:

Bosnia And Herzegovina0.1%
Cameroon0.1%
Chad0.1%
Costa Rica0.1%
Cote D'Ivoire0.1%
Haiti0.1%
Indonesia0.3%
Mali0.3%
The Democratic Republic Of The Congo0.3%
Bulgaria0.4%
Moldova0.4%
Mozambique0.4%
Sierra Leone0.4%
Sudan0.4%
Benin0.5%
Iraq0.5%
Afghanistan0.6%
El Salvador0.6%
Mongolia0.6%
Philippines0.8%
Samoa0.8%
Senegal0.8%
Kenya1.0%
Tanzania1.0%
Togo1.3%
Pakistan1.5%
Ecuador1.7%
Viet Nam1.7%
Dominican Republic1.8%
Ukraine1.8%
Lebanon2.1%
Ghana2.2%
Nigeria2.2%
Uganda2.2%
Cambodia2.7%
Tajikistan2.7%
Paraguay3.2%
Azerbaijan3.5%
Mexico5.9%
Bolivia6.0%
Guatemala6.2%
Nicaragua6.4%
Peru15.5%
Honduras18.8%


Seems there is only 1 loan to Mexico. Makes it an easy choice. I just made a loan to Ramón Estanislao Garza. His home is missing interior and exterior finishings. At this moment he does not have the necessary money to carry out the home improvements. Ramón Estanislao recently became widowed and is responsible for two children who are in the midst of their university studies. He is requesting a loan to carry out home improvements as quickly as possible.

4 comments:

Candace said...

Wow, Julia, I would love to have a Kiva profile like yours. That'll take me a loooong time, though. Congratulations on all you do for others.

Unilove said...

Choices, choices. No complaints here :) An apt post for those not yet bit by the Kiva lending bug.

Julia said...

Thanks. Some of these loans are from paid back monies. And $25 every now and then really adds up.

Kiva Rocks.

jan said...

agreed, Kiva Rocks !!!