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!

Kiva loans with Kiva Credit

I made a few loans today to use up some Kiva credit - monies that have been repaid to me.

anzragch Sereeter in Mongolia (Activity: Cloth & Dressmaking Supplies)

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Esteban Ramirez in Honduras (Activity: Clothing Sales)

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Margarito Amador in Honduras (Activity: General Store)

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Georgina del Socorro Mendiola Meneses in Nicaragua (Activity: Retail)

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Next Steps:

When the loan needs of each entrepreneur you have sponsored are met, you will receive an email containing the exact date the loan term is beginning. This may take a while after your individual loan transaction was made, as we may need to wait for other lenders to contribute before the total requested loan funding is raised. Generally speaking, loans begin at the beginning of each month.

During the Loan Term:

Throughout the course of the loan term, you will receive repayments from your sponsored business which you can retrieve, re-lend or donate. If, when you created your Kiva profile, you opted to receive updates about Kiva entrepreneurs, you may also receive periodic emails informing you on how things are going with your loan(s). Or, if you opted not to receive updates about Kiva entrepreneurs, you can always read the online journal for your business. If you change your mind about your current preferences, you may update your profile at any time on the Kiva website. We encourage you to post your own comments in response to the journal updates posted, as the partner representatives will be able to read and respond to these comments.

At the end of the Loan Term:

At the end of the loan term, you will receive a final email update with a summary of your sponsored business's overall performance and success in completing the loan repayment, as well as a complete list of options for you to retrieve, re-lend, or donate any repaid loan monies.

Kiva loans to Honduras

I had lots of Kiva.org credit, so I spent it in Honduras.

	Loan Purchase of $25 to VILLA SOL Group (business id=115138) Counted towards Barack Oblogger	($25.00)
	Loan Purchase of $25 to Carmen Elena Lagos (business id=115122) Counted towards KIVA Shopping Club	($25.00)
	Loan Purchase of $25 to Emmanuel Group (business id=114558) Counted towards Barack Oblogger	($25.00)
	Loan Purchase of $25 to Francis Jaqueline Baca Arias (business id=114881) Counted towards Barack Oblogger	($25.00)
	Loan Purchase of $25 to Jairo Rufino Flores Olivera (business id=115120) Counted towards Barack Oblogger	($25.00)
	Loan Purchase of $25 to Margarito Amador (business id=114560) Counted towards Barack Oblogger	($25.00)
	Loan Purchase of $25 to Esteban Ramirez (business id=114886) Counted towards Barack Oblogger

kiva

Made a loan today to Juliann Okonkwo in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.

Juliann Okonkwo is married, 32 years old and has five children. She sells sarongs, a business she loves because she makes a lot of sales. Juliann has applied for this loan to buy more sarongs to sell, and wants to offer her thanks to all Kiva lenders for their support.

Kiva

I made a loan today to Julia Ramos de Mamani in Punos, Peru.

Kiva's words to send to people when you make a loan.
I just made a loan to someone in Peru using a revolutionary new website called Kiva (www.kiva.org).

You can go to Kiva's website and lend to someone across the globe who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva's loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Julia Ramos de Mamani in Peru. They still need another $950.00 to complete their loan request of $1,025.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Julia Ramos de Mamani too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=113997

It's finally easy to actually do something about poverty - using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they're using it for. And most of all, I know that I'm helping them build a
sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world - one loan at a time.

Thanks!

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What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:

'Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.'
-- BBC

'If you've got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you've now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.'
-- CNN Money

'Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.'
-- The Wall Street Journal

'An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity...All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.'
-- Entrepreneur Magazine

Kiva loans to Julia's.

I made two kiva loans today- one to JULIA MAGALY BRICEÑO MEDINA in Trujillo - La Libertad, Peru for her grocery store, the other to Julia petrona Mairena in Leon, Nicaragua for Cosmetics Sales.

I wonder how I could figure out how many Julia's I have loaned to.
I've always liked my name. My parents chose it because they liked it. It rhymes with my sisters, which was also chosen for likes, and not family tradition. I find loans in her name too (Lydia). And she also does incredible things to change the world, we share a lot of the same passions. And abilities.

Julia in Boliva

Today I helped another Julia in Boliva. Julia Cruz in La Paz needs a loan for her small restaurant. She's going to purchase a freezer and some tables. Very important!

Education Generation

I'm glad I get to help Marleni out in her second year too.

Marleni wishes to study computer science, but comes from a farming family with 11 siblings (ages: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 24, 26, 28). The costs of a post secondary education are impossible for her family to contemplate. This scholarship pays the tuition fee for Marleni while Mosqoy has secured other funding for her cost of living in shared housing with other scholarship recipients.

“I would like to become a professional so that I can make something of myself and help my little siblings and parents. I would like to become a professional so that I can excel and stand out from the poor.”

Lending through Kiva.org to Julia

I made a loan today to Julia HERNANDEZ GAMARRA in Peru for her grocery store.

I also spent a lot of time thinking about how to find genes for schizophrenia.

The US loan is to start a non-profit.

I forgot to mention that the US loan is to set up a company that will help Iraqi Children.

Just Awesome to provide the community with a family-friendly game store. While serving in the Air Force, Erik learned a game from a young Iraqi which he developed into Just Awesome! He donates all of the proceeds from this game to Operation Iraqi Children. Just Awesome! will also pay to ship any board games to American troops serving overseas.

This is a really big loan ($7,500) and has lots of lenders, including Arnold Schwartzneger, his wife Maria Shriver, and at least 10 kiva friends.

First loan to the US

I made my first Kiva loan to the USA today, to Erik and Shane to help with their gaming store. They have a video and not a picture so you'll have to click through to see them.

It seems my governator is also now a Kiva lender (Arnold). We are on Erik's loan together. Our first lady (Maria Shriver) has been a kiva lender for a while, but I guess Arnold was waiting to lend to the US.

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 Herzegovina	0.1%
Cameroon	0.1%
Chad	0.1%
Costa Rica	0.1%
Cote D'Ivoire	0.1%
Haiti	0.1%
Indonesia	0.3%
Mali	0.3%
The Democratic Republic Of The Congo	0.3%
Bulgaria	0.4%
Moldova	0.4%
Mozambique	0.4%
Sierra Leone	0.4%
Sudan	0.4%
Benin	0.5%
Iraq	0.5%
Afghanistan	0.6%
El Salvador	0.6%
Mongolia	0.6%
Philippines	0.8%
Samoa	0.8%
Senegal	0.8%
Kenya	1.0%
Tanzania	1.0%
Togo	1.3%
Pakistan	1.5%
Ecuador	1.7%
Viet Nam	1.7%
Dominican Republic	1.8%
Ukraine	1.8%
Lebanon	2.1%
Ghana	2.2%
Nigeria	2.2%
Uganda	2.2%
Cambodia	2.7%
Tajikistan	2.7%
Paraguay	3.2%
Azerbaijan	3.5%
Mexico	5.9%
Bolivia	6.0%
Guatemala	6.2%
Nicaragua	6.4%
Peru	15.5%
Honduras	18.8%

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.

Helping Julian in Peru

I made a loan today to Julian in HUANCAYO, Peru. Julián, 34, lives with his wife and children in their own house, which is in their native land. He has been a farmer and raised animals since he was a child. Because he comes from a family of farmers, they taught him everything about this business. He mostly plants potatoes and raises animals like sheep and pigs. His wife and children help him all of the time. Throughout all these years of work, Julián says that what keeps them going economically while they wait for the harvest is the sale of his animals. That is why he is planning to have a bigger stable in the future. He also will extend the fields he cultivates. This is his second loan with MFP. He is one of the most active members of his community bank. He promises, again, to continue to work responsibly. The loan is to buy fertilizers and insecticides to assure a good harvest in the coming months.

Kiva of Course

I made two loans today - Kiva had over 900! I've never seen more than a thousand available before. One was to Juliana Sakyi in Suhum, Ghana for her bakery.

The other was to Juliana Omotosho in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria to purchase drinks for her grocery store. As you can see, her fridge is empty.

Education Generation

I got to lend to Guillermina again through Education Generation. We are so excited to help fund an Education Generation student for her 2nd Year Scholarship!

Guillermina is nearing completion of her first year of university in good standing, and is therefore eligible for a second year's funding!

Kiva Loans

I made three Kiva loans today.

One was to Yuri in Julica, Peru, he popped up when I searched on Julia and I just wanted to help out the single father who thinks his son is beloved.

I made a loan to Hongorzul Halzan in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 'cause I liked the idea of helping a pub in Mongolia. I would love to go for a drink. It one of the countries near the top of my list I would like to visit.

I made a loan to Maria Angelina Puluc Curup in San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, Guatemala because I found her business interesting.

She sells comales (dishes used for making tortillas) at the market in her community. She also sells comales in her home. They are made in San Raymundo and they are brought to her ready to sell. She started her business 12 years ago. She needs this loan to invest in more merchandise for the rainy season since she needs to be prepared to handle the season's demand. Because of the rain, not many comales are made during this time. Her dreams are to expand her business and to have her daughters finish their education.

Snacks to the Vets

I dropped off 'snacks' to the VA (Veterans Administration) Hospital volunteer office today. I brought a flat of 'cup of noodles' - just add hot water, and a few packages of cookies individually wrapped. I'm trying to keep the volunteer office stocked with food, so hungry vet patients don't end up stealing anything and getting put in jail. Apparently this was an issue. So I spend a few dollars a week buying snacks and dropping them off on Wednesday's when I'm there for work. I've gotten into a routine with it, its real easy for me and its worth the effort for our vets.

Lending to Julia's with Kiva.

I made a loan today to Julian Raymond Laumatia from Moamoa, Samoa. She needs capital for her clothing business, and microlending is her only access to money.

I also made a loan to Ana Julia Morales Uribe in Departamento de Ahuachapán, El Salvador. Ana Julia has her own general store, located in her home. She has been in business for 5 years. Because of the fact that this is the only store in the area, she manages to sell many products. She is requesting a loan with which she can purchase more goods, thus boosting profits. She wants to be able to help her husband with the household expenses because he is a carpenter and does not have steady work. Ana Julia hopes to improve sales and increase profits.

Kiva loans to Julia's

I made three Kiva loans to Julia's today. One was to Julia Huamani Huamani in Huayllacocha, Peru, she wanted a loan to buy animals. The second loan was to Julia Quispe de Talaverano in PIlcopata, Peru for her grocery store.

The third loan was to Julia Sanchez in Malandog, Hamtic, Antique, Philippines for motocycle transport.