catching up with KIVA

I made some loans today and I hope I can find them all. Kiva restructured their pages. And I didn't blog them when I did the lending as I should have because I was busy. Luckily Kay sent me a link to this one, to Maria Pastora in Danli, Honduras. Guess what she sells.

I also made a loan to Maria Albertina Yos Tzirín, a weaver from Guatemala. And to Adan de la Cruz for his business in Honduras.

I attended the weekly meeting of the non-profit commons in second life as the KIVA person. Those are quite interesting meetings. I'll blog more about them when I have time. I am preparing to depart for England on Monday so things here are a little busy.

Honduras loan today

Found a great loan this morning, thanks to Kay my Kiva watcher. Ermin Antonio Gonzalez Flores has a small store, and a great smile. And I had KIVA credit!

Honduras is still 43% of my loans!

2 days worth of loans

I have been so busy lately with all the Obama stuff, that I haven't been posting. But over the last 3 days I have made the following loans.

To Mirna Lila Robles for her in home clothing business, to Maria Andrea Sanchez for her home business. Both of these businesses are in Teguigalpa.
Sergio Ramon Martinez has a clothing store and I'm not sure if he is in Teguigalpa or Comayaguela, but it really doesn't matter to me. Maria Bersedaba Nuñez also has a small store she wants a loan for.

Honduras loan

I was pleasantly surprised when I did a KIVA search on Central America and found a loan today! Gloria Amada Figueroa sells cheese pastries (and other non-vegetarian items) in Teguigalpa.

Loans and loans

I wasn't intending on loaning, but I popped over to the kiva site and saw a loan for a pub.
Edwin Bar has a sucessful one in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria and wants to buy a freezer and more chairs. His loan is already funded

After I got his loan, I saw Munojot's loan, she's in Isfara, Tajikistan and her husband is a seasonal worker in Russia. I hope her store does well enough so he can move home. Her loan is already funded.

Then I decided to lend to the oldest loan, Sra. Luz Maria Gómez who wants money to fix her house. I can see why her loan is unattractive, she says she's sick and has no money so people are probably wondering how she will pay it back. I have faith the MFI has figured that one out. But we'll see.

The most unpopular loan was to Jose Feliciano Delgado Carrizales, who also wants a house loan. He is standing in front of a beautiful house that he wants to make more secure. He got this house through a government program, so he's probably quite poor and in his best clothes. And his house probably isn't in a safe part of town. At least our section 8 housing doesn't tend to be.
Both these loans still need $400. Let see how long they take to fund, and which funds first. I'm guessing Jose.

Honoring Obama with a Keyna Loan

I spent hours today at an Obama meeting. I can't believe how organized we are, and how much is going on. There were 25 Obama events within 100 mile radius of me this weekend. And 2 Hillary events.

The campaign is empowering the volunteers unlike any other campaign. We are being given training and stuff (addresses) that is usually only given to campaign staffers. And we are being trained by Harvard professors (teaching at Camp Obama) and learning skills.

In honor of Obama, I made a loan to a Keyna embroider, Ruth Achieng.

Kiva and Obama

Had a Kiva morning, spending hours with Joe (Skeeboo) in second life, learning about our new holodeck. We will be able to recreate many different scenes. Will come in handy in our office.

This afternoon was the Obama BBQ with over 50 people showing up. I finally got to put faces to names. There were several other events in LA that day, so I didn't get to see everyone. Signed us up for a few parades. I've never been in a parade before. And now I appear to be organizing 3 of them! Doo Dahing and all.

I made two kiva loans today, 'cause I wanted to. I know there were only 20 loans left. But I wanted to lend to Nataliya for her clothing business in the Ukraine, I've been looking at her picture for days now. And I haven't had a loan to Mexcio in a while. So Sra. Adriana Gonzalez has a clothing store in Mexico .

Its all about timing

I just logged on the KIVA site and found these 4 weaver loans. While I was waiting for paypal to log me in I got an email from my KIVA informant Kay telling me about the weaving loans. Kay is great, she sends me notices on loans I might like. I really appreciate it, as the loans go so quickly now and I don't have as much time to spend on the Kiva.org site. I'm not there every hour anymore, but I do still go several times a day. And when Kay sends me notices and I get them on time.

The weavers I loanded to are Angelina Guanta Tucupa who uses a mechanical weaving loom. Reyes Espantzay Serech weaves the tradional blouses,.

Elisabet Jerez Chamale Elisabet rents her small one-room shack in the back of a parking lot for about US$20/month, plus $5/month for electricity. She’s put cardboard all around the inside walls to keep the wind out. Although yarn is fairly expensive, at about $7/pound, she is making huipiles that sell for up to $10, so is finally making a little bit of economic progress. Elisabet is also buying and reselling huipiles woven by other women. She dreams of someday having her own store, maybe a big store with woven goods.

Maria Chán Ambrosio also weaves huipis and dreams of owning a store. I am so happy I can help these women. I think I'm going to bring thier weaving into second life. And see about buying their goods.

Kiva credit burns holes

Soon as I get word I have a KIVA credit, I feel I have to go spend it. So I quickly logged on this morning hoping I could find some textile workers, and I found a great loan to patchworkers in Mexico. Pascuala is 45 years old and has 10 children and needs to buy more thread. She lives in Mexico.

War

For a peace-loving hippie, I sure did a lot of WAR stuff today.

First I sent off some packages of snacks and batteries and lip balm and more. I made 1 package for my friend Sam who got deployed last month to Iraq, and 3 more to anysoldiers. (1 actually went to any marine). I included cards, and cried as I wrote.


Its really hard writing to the soldiers. What do you say to strangers in war zones? Hope all is well with you? Hope you're having a good day? So I say a lot of 'thinking of you', 'take care', 'he're some snacks'.

With Sam its easier to write, we share memories. I was with him about this time last year, we had good times wandering the hills of Pennselvania together sharing song and wine and laughter. But with Sam its also harder. I have so many fears and anxieties about him. Thinking about Sam makes me teary often.

I then furthered my WAR day by working on a grant proposal to find genes for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, for the Department of Defense. They've put out a call for proposals and I'm going to respond.

Weaving

Found a Guatemalan weaving loan early this morning. Lucia Cobo Terraza wants to buy a sewing machine. How cool is that.

Yesterday I was busy attending non-profit meetings in SL, and doing the Obama table. And working on a grant proposal to find genes for post traumatic stress disorder.

still doing things, but been busy to post

I've been so busy doing things I haven't had a lot of time to post. Besides spending time at Venice beach with some of my favorite people in the world visiting from out of town, I've made a few KIVA loans over the last few days.

To Hakima to help with her gold embroidery business and to Jesus for her clothing business. I've also been attending meetings, Obama meetings, non-profit meetings.

I joined Change.org to support KIVA. If you have a minute, please set up an account and join us. And check out the other great organizations that you can support. change.org seems to be a pretty cool way of trying to change the world. If we get more KIVA supporters we can move to the popular non-profits and get more exposure. We currently have 65 supporters, and 100 more will get us in the top 5.

Weaver and a Julia

Two loans - to a weaver in Quatemala Maria Brito Bernal and to

Julia Rodriguez, a textile worker.

Loans to Honduras

I found a few loans to Honduras this morning, good thing I was up early!

The businesses include Francisca Arriaza for her tortilla business, Paula Nuñez for her store, Edis Ermelinda Varela for her clothing business,

Textiles in Mexico

Made a KIVA loan today to textile workers (embroidery or patch work) in Mexico. Almost weavers.

More Weaving loans in Guatemala

I found two more Kiva loans to weavers in Guatemala, though one of the loans is to help the weaver Maria Tipaz Ramirez with her grocery store business.

Maria Cedillo Ceto is also a beautiful weaver. She never learned to read or write, speaks just a little bit of Spanish, and signs her name with a thumbprint impression. Her native language is Ixil. Maria's adobe home has a dirt floor and has electricity and water but the water must be boiled before consuming.

More Weavers

I just stopped by KIVA and found some more weavers to lend to. I saw Elena Gomez Brito loan and made a bid. She is helping her mother expand the business, while she is going to high school on Sundays. I hope this loan helps her end up at the University if she wants. I am also lending to Magdalena Brito Brito who I think is her mother. She has the same name and similar history. I hope they make lots of lovely clothes.
I did a search on weaving at Kiva and found another loan, to Cambodia.

Sophal Sim weaves silk and this is her first loan for supplies. She's also getting a motorbike.

Makes me want to do some weaving. Real weaving, not second life weaving like I've been doing!

Weaving in Guatemala

Made this loan last night, just had to support a Guatemalan weaver. Elena Martina Ceto is only 17, and I hope she weaves her way to a great life.

Smiles in Mexico

I got repaid on a loan today and used the credit to lend to Candelaria and Maria Antonia (and possibly others in the group). I just love the smiles. I hope they do really well.

KIVA and Obama and TIME.

Well I've been working but I haven't been posting. On Friday I attended my THIRD Obama meeting last week, we have been given direction by the campaign and there is lots to do. Luckily, we are also getting lots of help.
I've also beening doing things in SL for KIVA, and for the new SL Non-Profit Commons. I attended their meeting on Friday and agreed to make the shirt for the opening, which I did yesterday. I'll post a picture of my avatar in it when it gets approved. I'm going to donate a KIVA gift certificate for a door prize.
I made a KIVA display in SL, and now I need to get it to other lands.

Loaning to Pakistan

My first loan to Pakistan is to a Rickshaw driver! Irshad Bibi has a business and needs help to expand.