Older loan

To find a Kiva loan today, I sorted by age and chose one of the older loans. It has 14 days left. Its for $1200 and 18 months, and he is a repeat borrower. I'm thinking that's why its not as popular. But I'm sure it will get funded.

Ismail Movludov is a 51-year-old trader who keeps a small store where he sells men's clothes, shells and other items.

I made a loan today to the Molino Belen Group through Kiva.org. They want to do a variety of things including embroidery and weaving. I hope Guatemalan fashion becomes very popular in North America. I'm helping the trend - I wear woven clothes all the time (including right now, I'm in Guatemalan shorts!).

kiva

Made a loan today to Alton Fernando Nelson Hamilton in Nicaragua for his traveling business. I'm off traveling again too - going to Canada for a few days. I'll still be trying to make the world a better place.

More cheesemakers in Peru

I really love cheese. To be honest, its the only food I really love. My favorite meals are 'melted cheese'. In just about any form.

So its thrilling to me to lend to cheesemakers. Today I loaned to a group of cheesmakers, who are coming together to increase their cheese production. The Communal Manzanayocc Bank is new, but it looks like there are productive, hardworking people in it. Good luck. the world needs more cheese.

cheesemaking in Peru

This loan jumped out at me, it was first on the list but I had to get in on it. Cheese making in Peru.

The little village of Santa Rosa is a true Eden for agriculture and cattle production and Juanita’s family improves their lives and gets the greatest benefits possible from mother nature. In the company of her beloved husband she works in agriculture, cattle production, and cheese production, which is her latest economic activity thanks to the milk that her sweet calves produce. Her performance of these noble activities allows her to offer security, well-being and education to her 7 dear children, who are the motor that pushes her to move forward. While Santiago takes care of the animals with the help of their children, Juanita works selling the delicious cheeses that she produces with much care and patience for the satisfaction of her clients’ tastes. Now this happy couple would like to buy a calf to expand their milk supply in order to increase the volume of their cheese production.

Julia in Peru

Made a Kiva loan to a Julia in Peru today - Julia Torres Pancorbo. She wants to expand her business and needs capital.

There are brush fires burning near my home tonight, they evacuated up to 3 streets away. Praying the winds stay calm.

Kiva

Made a loan today to Gumercinda for her traveling sales business in Peru. She seems like quite the entrepreneur and I'm glad I'm able to help.

Kiva

I made a loan today to Ruben Botello Soto in Mexico, so he can build fences in his back yard and have some privacy. Its a personal loan and a lot of Kiva lenders don't like them as well, but I'm just glad my money is being used to make someone's life better. Even if I'm not sure fences do that, but its not my choice. I like my very private backyard.

Weaving

I found a weaving loan by searching on Julia, Balbina makes beautiful chullos (Peruvian Andean hats), gloves and scarves that are sold wholesale in the market San Jose of the city of Juliaca.

Used clothing in Ghana

I made a loan today to Doris Dwomoh for her used clothing business in Ghana. Sure does seem to be a popular profession. Strange to think that used clothes get shipped from North America for sale in developing countries. Wonder how often they get shipped back to the country they were made in?

Cereal in Africa

I made a loan today to Afiwa Togneogna Awoussi in Adidogomé, Togo. She is asking for her first loan of 450,000 FCFA to purchase 10 sacks of corn and 6 sacks of millet.

City of Hope

I made a donation today to City of Hope, one of the leading Cancer hospitals. It is also local, and I have always thought I might end up there. So I'm not entirely sure how altruistic my donation really is! Of course I could argue that I want to make the world a better place because I want to live in a better world.

Kiva

I made a Kiva loan that I choose based on age of loan, this one had been around for a week and has only 18 days to get funded.

Maria Magdalena Rodriguez Gomez is in Mexico and wants money to increase her clothing business.

Kiva loans - lots to choose from.

Mr. Julián Mamani Mamani lives in his own home in the Fabril area of El Alto city with his wife, Mrs. Pabla Surco, and their daughter. Julián works as a public transportation driver and his wife is employed as a domestic employee in the city of La Paz. The loan he seeks will be used to demolish an old home made of adobe which because of its age is in danger of collapsing, and then construct a new home of brick in the same location. This is the sixth loan and the socioeconomic analysis qualifies him favorably to access this line of credit. Julián has been a client of Impro since 2000.

Kiva loan to Kenya

In honour of Barack Obama's ancestry, I made another loan to Keyna. The loan is to the Mahanga Fanikiwa Self-Help Group.

Kiva loans

I sorted on 'old to new' loans at Kiva and choose some old loans, 10 days or so. Kiva has 291 loans which is the most I have seen in a while. So now is a good time to invest!

One of my loans was to Davlatbiby Haitova. Davlatbiby Salimovna Haitova lives in the town of Tursun-zoda. She wants to expand her clothing business.

The other loan was to Emiliano Nuñez for his store in Mariano R. Alonso, Paraguay

Double Kiva loan

I loaned to Lidia in Juliaca, Peru today twice, to get the facebook feed. Lidia has a great name and is interested in expanding her clothing business.

I donated money today to Steven Colbert's Celebrate The Democralypse!

When Stephen Colbert ran for president, supporters donated $66,000 to South Carolina classrooms in his honor. Do Senators Clinton and Obama have the keystones to do for the Keystone State what the Colbert Nation did for the Palmetto State? Let's find out.

I am helping donate money for 'One flew over the cuckoos nest' reading. For Obama of course.

kiva loans

I made a few Kiva loans today, to a Julia Daysi Reyes Morales in Chontales, Nicaragua, and to Antonio Calamaco Castro in Mexico.

taxes

Wrote two large checks to the federal and state governments for taxes today. It is good because it means I have been blessed with making lots of income this year. But its depressing because a lot of our taxes are going to war.

So I tried to counter some of my mis feelings by donating to non-profits.

I renewed my membership in the National Museum on the American Indian, the Student Conservation Association, Sesame Workshop, SPCALA, Habitat for Humanity, Union of Concerned Scientists, Futures for Children, ACCION, Doctors without Borders, and Union Rescue Mission (one of our local shelters). And donated to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, JR. National Memorial Project when I checked my foundation membership status. They need $10 million more to begin work.

US National Slavery Museum

I donated to the new US National Slavery Museum and will be a founding member. They really need donations, and the USA really needs this museum.

I have been fascinated by slavery ever since I was a young girl growing up in Montreal. I read all I could on the topic, I just couldn't understand how people could treat other people that way, how they could justify it. I used to wonder what I would do if I grew up then, what it would be like to be a slave, or a slave owner, or the daughter of a slave owner. I never really understood how people could be so mean to each other. I still don't.

Harriet Tubman was one of my mentors and heroes. I still think her bravery is incredible. Its one thing to do the right thing when you don't have time to think about what else to do. Its easy to be a hero in an instant. But to live a heroes life is incredible. She kept going back to the south to bring out slaves, knowing what her life would be like if she got caught. She would have had many, many hours and days and movements where it would have been so easy for her to stop and walk away and live a normal life. No one would have blamed her for stopping, she had already done so much. But she kept going. She inspires courage.

Meetings and Kiva

I have just returned from Columbus, Ohio, I was invited to give a talk to the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. It was an interesting meeting.

I made a Kiva loan today to a group in Bolivia (that has a member called Julia). They are in El Alto / La Paz, Bolivia. They affirm that they need the capital to be able to buy raw materials and special machinery to make their products and thereby achieve a better quality. That way their businesses will be prosperous for them and their families.

Kiva

Another loan in Juliaca, Peru, to Nancy for her business.

kiva

New kiva loan from a search on 'weaving'.

As a good father that has to care for the well-being and security of his family, Edilberto has found himself with the need to postpone his university studies and start working so that his dear, young wife and daughter not have economic difficulties. With the savings that he has and the money that his parents have given him, he decided to buy his work tool in order to provide transportation services to the population of Juliaca. Since his dear wife Celia, who cares for their baby, also wishes to help with the expenses of their new household she is planning on buying a weaving machine in order to make beautiful garments of clothing and generate extra income to cover the basic necessities of the household. Your contribution will help to make real the project of this young couple.

kiva loans

I made two Kiva loans today, one to Zoila Azucena Cruz Guido to improve her residence in Chontales, Nicaragua, and the other to Nelly Carbajal Panduro in Morales - San Martín, Peru for her business.

Kiva loans

Made a few new Kiva loans today. One was to Rita Mercado Calapuja in Juliaca, Peru, to help her with her fruit and vegetable business.

The other was to Cesar Eli Martinez Cabrera, for a personal loan to help improve his house. He is a surgeon and his wife is a lawyer, so its a pretty good risk!

kiva loan

Made a Kiva loan to Isidoro Gonzalez Gutierrez.

Isidoro is 56 and has lived in the Villa Reconciliacion neighborhood with his wife and two children for many years. His wife started a business out of their home selling Fritanga, which is a kind of fried food, such as meat, plantains, etc. Ten years ago, using his own money, he bought a car to use as a taxi, and together, these two businesses have allowed the couple to provide for the family. They have been able to improve their family's lives and provide a pleasant home. The loan Isidoro is requesting will be used to close off the sides of their house and guarantee his family's safety. There is crime in their neighborhood, and as the head of the family, he is worried about making sure that thieves can't get into the house to rob or injure his family.

Obama and Kiva

Yesterday I went to a weekly Obama meeting. I set them up a few weeks ago at a local cafe because I was getting lots of new people contacting me and asking how they can help. I also set up weekly Thursday evening meetings and we had a great turn out at our first one this week. Its incredible to see people still wanting to get involved, months after our primary. We need to keep organizing, not just to win the general election but also to help run the country. Obama told us this over a year ago, and we rose to the challenge.

When I first got involved in the campaign I had no idea how much effort it would take. I have been meeting at least weekly since he announced in February 2007. I've also been doing a lot of work from home, processing volunteers (helped with CA, TX, and now PA), making phone calls, blogging, and more. I am looking forward to the election being over and getting more of my life back. Because it seems, politics takes all the time you have. And there is an urgent need to do everything ASAP.

I made a KIVA loan to Kenya today, the country of Obama's father. The loan is to Dr. Andrew Otieno for drugs for his clinic. He has had a few other KIVA loans before.

Honduran Girls

I got pictures today of the two young women I am sponsoring through the Honduran Girls Education Project.
Both these girls are entering University this year, which is an incredible accomplishment. The project was originally designed to get them past grade 4.

If you want to see a high return on your sponsorship, consider sponsoring a girl in Honduras.

Kiva loans

Made a loan this morning to Zarifa Agammadova in Khachmaz town, Azerbaijan. She wants capital for inventory. not sure what she sells, but I love the carpets in the picture.

facebook

I've been helping change the world on facebook (along with getting back in touch with people from the past; old friends, schoolmates, crushes and even an old babysitter).

On facebook you can promote specific charities by joining groups and have pages (Kiva has a page!), and there are applications that allow you to 'click' for non-profits. For example, The Hunger Site has an app. you can put on your facebook page. You can help save the rainforest with 'Lil Green Patch'.

Magazines for the Vets & Kiva

I brought old magazines to the VA hospital today, dropped them off at the volunteer office.

I also made a Kiva loan to the Huklla Llamkasun Group in Peru.

Helping out a communal bank in Peru

Made a Kiva loan today to a group in Peru (with a Julia).

The Communal Bank Paycasa is a bank that was established approximately 7 years ago. At the present time it has 15 cycles and 21 members. The members of the communal bank are from the Pacaycasa district , which is located 30 minutes away from the city of Ayacucho. The members of the bank note that thanks to this institution they have learned to save, to be responsible and punctual.

Guatemalan loan from Kiva

Made a loan to a Group in Guatemala, the "Chaquijya Central" who are taking out their second loan.

Ten of the women are skilled in beading; crafting beautiful bracelets, necklaces, and earrings from tiny translucent beads, and selling them in the streets of nearby tourist towns, as well as through orders that friends and neighbors place. They will invest their loans in beads and string, which they purchase from a market in Sololá. Olga Tunay says that for the first time, with the help of their previous loan, they were able to buy beads in bulk, which drastically reduced the cost, as well as the number of trips they must make to the market.

Two women are skilled weavers, producing "huipiles" (the traditional Mayan blouse) and skirts like the ones in the picture. They will invest their loan in thread to weave these intricate clothes. A single huipil can take up to three months to make, and after an initial investment of $30-$50, it can be sold for up to $200. These huipiles represent a woman's home town, her marital status, and other interests and beliefs.

Julia in Peru

I participated in a Kiva loan to Julia Alejandra Retamozo Rivera in Peru. Julia is a single mother, 38 years old, with 2 children. She sells white stone sculptures, which she arranges to be made by craftspeople in Ayachuco city and sells wholesale in Lima city.

Tree People

I renewed my membership in TREEPEOPLE today. I like to help them plant trees. Its fun.

TreePeople is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the Los Angeles area for over three decades. Simply put, our work is about helping nature heal our cities. We offer sustainable solutions to urban ecosystem problems, focusing on three areas:

1. Training and supporting communities to plant and care for trees
2. Educating school children and adults about the environment
3. Working with government agencies on critical water issues

Peru & Kiva

Zenaida, Rita and Alberta are members of the "Amauta Huamanga Community Bank" since 4, 4, and 8 months, respectively.

Zenaida is 44 years old; she is married and has 7 children. She is a street vendor and sells different types of products depending on seasonal demand. For instance, she sells school supplies during the school year and toys during Christmas.

Rital is 23 years old; she is married and has 3 children. Rita sells sandals at a shop, in the Grau market. She buys the sandals in the city of Lima and transports them to Ayacucho.

Alberta is 41 years old; she lives together with her couple and has 2 children. Alberta sells ceviche (form of citrus marinated seafood salad) but would like to stop this activity in order to sell clothes like school uniforms.

Zenaida, Rita and Alberta are asking for loans of 1000 soles (360USD) each. They will use them to buy pencils, colored pencils, crayons, sandals and uniforms.

Zeneida dreams of having her own stand to sell her products. Rita would like to study a profession and expand her business and Alberta would like to have a grocery shop.

End Breast Cancer

A few days ago I sponsored a friend who is walking in the Weekend to end breast cancer.

In her words..

The Weekend to End Breast Cancer is a two-day, 60-kilometre walk through the neighbourhoods of Montreal.
We have all unfortunately been or will be touched in one way or another by cancer.
No one is immune...yet.
Prevention is one way to help reduce risks of developing any illness, but it is not a guaranteed way of avoiding it either.
All we can do is our best within each of our own personal limitations.
This event is my own personal way to challenge myself, to be an example of strength and hope for my beloved children, to heal my own "scars" while reducing my own risks of illness, to contribute toward reducing the risks of illness for others, to provide assistance toward the quest to fight cancer and of course in memory of my relatives and friends who have been victims of cancer.
I thank you all deeply from within my heart for all your support and encouragement.
May God continue to Bless us all.
N.B.
Proceeds benefit the Jewish General Hospital, funding important breast cancer research, education, services and care. Charitable income tax receipts will be provided.

My Children are my Inspiration for the Future

Julia in Mexico

I made a Kiva loan to a group in Mexico that contained a Julia, the Lux 4 group.

It seems Julia sells shoes by catalog. What fun!

Honduran Girls Education Project

I got a very encouraging update from the Honduran Girl's Education Project.The project is located in the Department of Valle in Honduras that is a very arid and impoverished area. The goal of the project are to encourage young girls to go beyond grade 3 education and finish high school. The pilot project was started in 1997 and has become more successful than anticipated.

This is proving to be a MOST INTERESTING PILOT PROJECT! How far will these young women go? They began to be inspired at a time in their lives when they were most impressionable. All the years of encouragement and support have nurtured them to be “unusual”. How can we not try to support them as they seek their goals to help create change that would help to improve lives. Nine, that we know of so far, are now enrolled in university courses and many more have the desire.

This project is run on a very small scale, and I am in personal contact with the main organizer, Carolyn Cruikshank . This year I am sponsoring a university student, and I enclose an additional amount for discretionary funds, because there are always unexpected expenses. I think its a great project that is really helping with very limit resources.

Please consider sponsoring a girl.

It has been documented many times over in international development literature that one of the best ways to break the cycle of poverty is to empower the women of any developing country. If women can obtain more education, avoid early pregnancies and the subsequent burden of overly large families, and learn a skill to enable them to earn more money, then the whole country benefits because a significant positive change will have taken place in the social structure. Worldwide, the mean educational achievement of girls is 40% below that of boys, yet as women, they are the primary educators of the next generation. Research shows that educating girls yields the highest rate of return compared to any other investment in human development.

Kiva loans to Julia's

Found two Julias to lend to today, Juliana Dzikumu is a fishmonger in Cape Coast, Ghana, and there is a Julia in the Adela Calderon Rodriguez's Group ( Julia Cabezas Huaman) from Peru.

I do think this is a shallow reason for choosing loans, but I also feel that all Kiva recipients are worthy, and its more fun for me than randomly selecting (which I also do sometimes).

Volunteer Week

In case you haven't heard the news, National Volunteer Week in 2008 is coming up on April 27-May 3.

Every single person I know who volunteers ends up having a fantastic time and wants to do it again. Most people are just amazed at how little they can do that means so much to so many people.

Check out Volunteer Match for things you can do in your local area, and they even have some online ways that you can help. Participate. It will do you and the world some good.

Jewlery from NOVICA through igive & the Kiva Shopping Club

Its hard to think of changing the world by buying jewelry, but purchasing through NOVICA promotes artisans from around the world getting paid a fair price. And they have beautiful things. I bought two necklaced, both silver and amythest. I bought the one pictured above because it looked like one my avatar wears in second life.

Since I am a member of igive.com and signed up for the kiva shopping club, my purchases also helped Kiva loans. I have the toolbar set up so when I buy from an igive store my purchase are automatically recorded.

Julia loans at Kiva

I funded two Julia's today - Julia Ticona Bautista from La Paz, Bolivia and Julia Margarita Reyes in the Doña Ana community of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

Whole Planet Foundation

I donated to the Whole Planet Foundation today when I was checking out of Whole Foods Market. My small donation didn't add much to my bill, but it looks like our collective donations have made over $4 million in loans. Its amazing what we can do when we all add a bit.

Whole Planet Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization established by Whole Foods Market, provides grants to microfinance institutions in Latin America, Africa and Asia who in turn develop and offer microenterprise loan programs, training and other financial services to the self-employed poor.

Kiva in Peru

I loaned money to Francisca Ricra in Peru to help her with her business. She dreams of owing a mini-mart some day.