a horse of a different color!

Naturally, when someone starts talking of equine animals, my mind goes to "The Wizard Of Oz".

I can't help it - that movie has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

 

That's partly what drew me to Nariman's loan at Kiva.

Horses.

Everyone else in Kazakhstan who had animals were interested in getting more cattle or more sheep.

Not him.

In his bio, he states that he "owns 174 registered horses — all documented with veterinary records and official tags".

Impressive!

This loan will help him improve his livestock facilities and develop milk processing.

Yes, that's right: this horse ranch is a dairy farm...

with products derived from mare's milk...

wow!

That's amazing!!!

I made sure to post on his loan page, to encourage others to become part of this change.

"I am fascinated by the originality of this dairy farmer! Not cows, not goats, not sheep - horses are the source! He even has an established clientele for his mare's milk products! That's why I chose this loan: to support innovation!" 

I then sent the above message to all the other Nerdfighters of Kiva to make sure they knew about this one. 

Why was I wanting to make sure others knew of Nariman?

Because of this: I was the very first person to lend to him.

That's never happened to me before.

I felt that I was meant to find this one loan amidst all of those clamoring from my attention from that country not yet in my portfolio.

Enough repayments from others I'd lent to had finally amassed to enough for a new loan, so I stipulated "countries I've not yet lent to" in the search.

Pages and pages of people with loans sprang forth!

I whittled down the list to three, including Nariman.

All had established farms, all ran them with their entire family.

But, this was the only one with horses...

this was the only one using mare's milk...

and that innovation struck a chord with me.

I do hope his loan is a success over the next 13 days.

I like the thought of, maybe, someday, trying mare's milk cheese.

gift to all of my brothers

Finally I had enough in my Kiva account for this gift to my brothers, as well as to those seeking the loan there to enrich their community!

Meet Mary, of Good Hope Sgbl, in Zambia.

She's the third from the right in this photo of the group she works with for loans.

She needs the $2,750 "to buy beers and restaurant dishes" for her customers.

What made her ask so compelling for me?

Today is Friday.

That's the day I get together with my brothers and their friends for the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta at Jalapenos of Sandfly.

Seriously, that's a real thing.

The men quaff beers and the women sip margaritas and we all sit and chat for at least an hour whilst munching chips and salsa.

Then, we order and we're there another hour, still chatting and quaffing.

Hugs all around before we go our separate ways at night's end.

Let me tell you, this time with them is very important to my social life.

I'm sure the people in Zambia who dine at Mary's restaurant feel the same need for a place to eat, drink, and be merry with those important to them.

So, Happy Christmas, Smitty and Dood!

coffee, chatting, and jewelry, too

The next time in Puerto Rico, I'll have to look up The Coffee Boutique.

I was hoping to find something woman-empowering on kiva that both Barbara and Christa might enjoy, and there it was!

Right place, right time.

Zorey found herself jobless when the pandemic struck, so she turned her hobby of jewelry-making into ZK Jewelry & More.

Now, she's ready for a new adventure... and that word is how she hooked me!

 

As a coincidence, mi amiga Sandy is also making jewelry and had her first sales show almost a month ago.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if she has another this busy Labor Day weekend!

(smile!)

And Carolyn, how would she feel about such a enterprise?

Oh, please, she wears more jewelry than all of us combined, and would love an excuse to hang out and talk about it!

(smile!)

Sure, we'd have to cruise down to Puerto Rico to do so... but that's fine.

We all enjoy a good shipboard adventure, and we wouldn't even need passports there. (smile!)

Capital One is matching all loans for Coffee Boutique, too.

Plus, there was already another Nerdfighter chipping.

I've even posted the link on fb, in hopes others will follow my lead and bring this dream to life for Zorey and others... like me and mi amigas.

(smile!)

Yes, definitely where I was meant to be on Kiva.

georgia on my mind... and india, too!

Thanks to the Nerdfighter Challenge that I stumbled upon at Kiva, I've added two more countries to my list!

Called the Mid-Year Loanathon, here's what our team captain had to say:

"If we lend $220K by June 15 we'll win a $1,000 prize. PLUS if we win there will be a fun contest with a $500 individual prize for the winning team member! All loans count, but you can filter below for team picks to see some loans we’ve vetted for you!"

 

Major coolness!!!

After filtering out those countries I've already loaned to, I settled on these two loans.

 

Davit of Georgia, a country with a coastline much like the one for my US state of Georgia, was an immediate hit with me!

"Davit is a 21-year-old determined student charting his course in marine navigation at the university. With a love for the sea and a passion for precision in navigation, he is committed to mastering the skills required to safely navigate ships across the world's oceans. However, the financial challenges of pursuing this specialized field weigh heavily on him, prompting Davit to seek a student loan to fund his education. He envisions himself as a future captain, guiding vessels through challenging waters and contributing to safe and efficient maritime transportation.
This loan is special because it allows low-income students to pursue education and find jobs before repaying. " 

Marine science!!!

Low-income student!!!

In Georgia!!!

Those are all descriptors that could have been applied to me at his age!

(smile!)

The loan for the Diaspora Co. in India took a little longer to attract me.

In fact, their ask of $100,000 was a big drawback, until I read more.

"Diaspora Co. is a woman-of-color-owned business dedicated to working with South Asia’s best regenerative family farms. Diaspora works with 140+ farm partners and 1500+ farm workers across 10 states in India & Sri Lanka to source their collection of 30+ single-origin spices and 6 house blends that are sold to their primary market in the US. Diaspora sets thriving wages with its farm partners (an average of 3 to 5x higher than commodity prices) that ensure smallholder partners and their workers are adequately compensated for their labor.
Kiva’s loan is critical for Diaspora ahead of their planting and harvesting seasons as they look to invest in seeds, irrigation, and farmworker help. It enables the company to make pre-harvest advances for the majority of Diaspora’s supply chain, allowing farmers to produce without taking on high-interest predatory loans. Lending to Diaspora supports improved, sustainable livelihoods and climate-smart agriculture practices. This is Diaspora’s second loan through the Kiva Social Enterprise program."

Here's the comment I left to encourage others to lend to them.

"This one loan will help HUNDREDS improve not only their livelihoods, but their lives and the lives of others in their community. Win, win!"

Right now, they've acquired about a third of the needed funds to make that happen.

 

I'm glad I had the repaid funds from former loans to allow me to celebrate my birthday by helping others.

 

If, dear reader, you feel inclined to help them, just click the links for the two loans.

Many thanks!

four women for international women's day!

I've been having a bit of a pity party, but what better way to celebrate the end of that moping than by helping other women?

And what better time to do so than on International Women's Day?

Indeed!

This action was especially beneficial to me because it made me feel part of something bigger than myself, part of a world family working to decrease suck.

Yes, I'm talking about being Fliss of Nerdfighters!

Three of the loans I chose were referred by that group, with a special boost: for every 5 Nerdfighters that helped each loan, the Piggy Bank would put in an extra $25.

Yes, please!

I did my part at 2 AM, before bed.

When I checked just now, those three loans had achieved that boost!!!

 

I'll have to see about adding Olga Christina to their list, so she can get the perk.

She's the one I had already selected before I came upon the Nerdfighter challenge.

She lives in Colombia - South America, not South Carolina - and has her own business selling textile products retail in the municipality of Riosucio.

After my demon-slaying foray yesterday, and given part of her name being that of my first niece, I thought helping this young Spanish-speaking starfish would be a nice part of the bday41 gift to Christina Ann.

Yes, there's an inside joke for my niece.

(smile!)

After choosing that loan, I stumbled onto the Piggy Bank challenge from Nerdfighters.

Clementine, part of the group villageoise Saint Michel in Congo (DRC), is a widow, 45 years old, and has 4 children who are all in school.

She reminded me of my mother at that age, though I was out of school and in the Navy, and Mama was already a grandmother by then.

Clementine has her own business, now 12 years old, of selling shoes and wants to expand her inventory of footwear and add handbags to sell.

She's doing that in a conflict-affected area, too.
Now she has my group helping to support her group!

(smile!)

 

Speaking of mothers who are grandmothers, Kady was the next person to benefit from me and the Piggy Bank.

That's her, the friendly woman in blue, waving from the midst of her group, in Senegal.

She is my first niece's age but has six children, as well as two grandkids living with her.

Kady sells honey and beeswax to pay for the children's education.

Glad to be of help to her!

(smile!)

 

Nadia in Egypt was next for me.

Married, she started her grocery store four years ago to help support their three children, and now she is expanding her business with more choices for her customers, maybe even buying a taxi for her husband to have a steady income as well as serve their community.

Under 30 and on top of her game!

(smile!)

valentine to brighten a gloomy and chill day

What to do when the weather has been dreary and rainy for over 24 hours?

Search elsewhere for a bright spot to soak up some sunshine for the soul!

Now, I'm 1 of 6 Nerdfighters fighting gloom in Mexico!

Yes, that's right, I went off to Kiva to find something to lift my spirits, and found it, too.

Here's the link for any who want to join in!

These are the bright flowers, with the highlight on Isabel, second from the left.

Here's her story:

"El grupo ´Las florecitas” se conforma de mujeres trabajadoras y responsables, que comparten un solo objetivo que es el bienestar familiar, viven en colonias populares donde las condiciones de vida son regulares.
Como es el caso de la señora Isabel quien tiene 2 hijas menores de edad vive con su esposo.
Se dedica a la fabricación de muebles, ella realiza esta actividad desde hace más de 5 años en compañía de su esposo es quien realiza esta actividad, durante estos meses han invertido más en su carpintería ya que tiene más clientes. Su sueño es que este negocio crezca y aumentar la producción de muebles y automatizar su taller.
Junto con Isabel componen el grupo las señoras: Yareli, Maricela, Daniela, Gabriela, Nayelis y Julia. "

Furniture makers?

As I told them, I have two brothers who make wooden furniture!

I even own wooden furniture, as I like it much better than metal plastic.

Yes, helping them has brightened my day!

Plus, I was able to practice my Spanish!

(No worries, the website has the story in English, too.)

(smile!)

turkey, with a side of cambodia

Today, I brought my number of countries supported via Kiva to 36.

Very nice!

I do like their new lending policy!

In all the years - a dozen and counting - that I've been with Nerdfighters on the Kiva crowd-sourcing site, each loan had to be a minimum of $25, or multiples thereof.

Now, the minimum amount lent is set to $5, allowing more flexibility and more lending.

That flexible option has allowed me to help finance two loans.

 

The first that I chose was to Davy, in Cambodia.

Here is the profile on the website.

"Davy is a seller and business owner. 

Since she has been making foods to sell for about 60 month. 

It has gained a good reputation and now has a strong base of loyal customers. 

She started that business to provide for her family. 

She has applied for a loan from Kiva to buy some groceries to make foods to sell. 

This business is offering her community more options and giving her the opportunity to build a better life for her family. 

More competitors and the rainy season are her major challenges.
This loan is special because it provides entrepreneurs with resources to increase income and improve their living conditions."

She sounds like she's running a diner, to allow folks to purchase meals she makes fresh.

I appreciate how valuable a service that is to her community!

 

As I have kept my sanity by such services in my own seaport, I loaned her $20.

Thanks to repayments from several of my Kiva loans, I had a credit of $42.

That was enough to make two good loans, as well as help Kiva in their funding. 

As that fee for the loan to be processed is about $3.50 per loan, that left $15 for me to make a rare second loan.

I chose Yasemin, in Turkey, for that second loan.

Here is her profile.

"Yasemin is 50 years old, married, and has a daughter. 

She started working to support her husband and daughter. She sells food containers and food storage boxes.
She will buy food containers and food storage boxes with the loan she will receive through Kiva.
This loan is special because it supports underserved women in rural parts of Turkey."

Those are all plastic, no doubt the same linear, high density, polyethylenes that I worked with for my doctorate in analytical chemistry, almost thirty years ago.

Good for her, I thought!

So, to help her loan get fully funded, I left a comment on her profile.

"How wonderful that she is selling a reusable product! 

Not only will the foods stored in the plastic containers stay fresh longer, but those foods will also be safe from infestation from bugs or animals. 

That's good for the health of those who eat the food.
- Faustina
Nerdfighters "

 

I do hope both women will soon see their loans fully funded...

and wish them much success in their endeavors!

communication in madasgar

When I finally had the funds, I didn't have time to look for someone.

Now, Jean Charles, a 34-year-old man like my nephew Michael, is one step closer to helping others stay in touch with their family.

Here's what Kiva had to say about this father of three in Madasgar.

"He is enterprising, he has been in the business of mobile phones for a dozen years. He has a place of sale at the edge of a popular street. He manages to meet his family's food, schooling, clothing and other basic needs with his earnings. However, he wants to progress. He wants to further improve the living conditions of his family and also wants to carry out major projects such as buying building land.

Jean Charles takes out loans to strengthen his selling capital. He is one of Vahatra's good partners. He profited from his previous loans. He manages to contribute savings with his profits.

Jean Charles is applying for this loan to buy various cell phones to put back on sale. He's going to buy touch-tone phones and androids. He will be able to increase his merchandise."

The need for people to stay in touch, even when at a distance, is vital for their mental health.

This nerdfighter of Kiva wishes him much continued success and applauds the fine example he has set for his children.

Kudos to you!

in memory of my middle brother

After becoming bereft from film of a football game...

and bouncing back to this time and space via a crossword puzzle...

I decided to go in search of a loan to honor memories of Ronnie.

Kiva showed this nerdfighter one that was perfect.

No, the recipient did not bear his name... but his heart is close to that of my brother's.

Marcel lives in Rwanda.

He has two children, as did Ronnie.

He is active in helping others around him and his well-liked, with loyal customers.

His store is helping those in a refugee camp to have needed supplies.

I know Ronnie, who chose to live homeless for the last years of his life, would approve.

Better yet, the loan only has a few days left to secure funding.

Right time, right place.

i thank You, God.

in honor of Mama for her bday85

Kiva has been after me for almost a month to re-lend, re-lend!

(smile)

My intention had been to do so last Saturday.

That would have been Mama's 85th birthday, had she not stopped aging at 63.

So, I've been celebrating her birthday without her for the past 22 years.

(sigh)

Today, I finally relented and went in search of someone she would have supported.

I found Anila almost instantly.

It was almost as if I had been taken by the hand and led straight to her.

Even better, she is the ONLY borrower on Kiva with her name.

Seriously.

The name is what first drew me to her, but it was her face and style that made me stay.

She looked so much like my mother had when I was a teen.

 

After making the loan, I alerted my fellow Nerdfighters to join me in supporting her.

This is the very first time I've ever done that.

I've been a member of that team since 2012.

Here, I make the same plea as I did on Kiva to my teammates.

 

"Faustina Dec 14, 2022 - 7:14 pm PST
Joined Aug 22, 2012
Anila of Albania is trying to open a fruit and vegetable stand to help support her family. 

She caught my eye for two reasons.

1) She bears a strong resemblance to my Mother, who died in 2001

2) She is a cook with healthy products.
I hope you will join me in supporting her goal.
www.kiva.org/lend/2476174
Thanks!"

 

For those who might want to let Kiva know that I was the one who made the referral, please use the link below.

 

Kiva referral link

 

I wish her much success in establishing her fruit and vegetable stand to help support her two children.

well, if they're gonna triple my donation...

I don't know why today is so special, but it must be.

Kiva.com is TRIPLING loan amounts made on this last Friday of September.

Maybe it has something to do with the end of a quarter?

I really can only conjecture at this point.

I stumbled upon the fundraiser completely by accident.

As I was reading some of my posts on another blog, one had a link to an article that I'd written about a recent Kiva loan I made to El Salvador.

When I followed the link to the lending website, I was greeted with a banner across the top:

"3X loan matching today"

I had bookmarked it, to jog my memory later.

Well, later is now.

(smile!)

In keeping with my goal to lend to new countries, I selected the Rosa Marita Group in Paraguay.

Here's a little more about them.

"The group called Rosa Mistica was formed joining friends and neighbors in the city of Curuguaty. They are looking for a way to improve their quality of living and that of their loved ones. It is a united group where everyone has set a goal of being able to grow and doing this get ahead.
Nilda Ignacia is one of them. She is married and the mother of three children. She comments that she and her husband strive to get ahead with their children and make them good people who don't lack for what they need.
She earns a living selling natural remedies. She mentions that her work is modest but it allows her to contribute to the household income.
She is requesting this loan to buy natural remedies to sell and in doing so continue with her sales as she has been doing.
In this group: Martha Beatriz, Carmen Rosio, Porfiria, Nilda Ignacia, Dilma, Licia, Marta Emilia, Maria Teresa, Clotilde, Paola, Liz Fabiola, Angelina, Perla"

(smile!)

 

I'm not sure, but this loan may have given me a new "pie" slice in the "type of product or service" category, as well as new country of lending.

Very nice!

I do hope some of the other Nerdfighters will join me for this loan!

Even if they don't, I'm thrilled to know my $25 was tripled to help these women in their goal of helping their community.

What a good deed for ending this month!

(smile!)

helping someone in a country i once visited

Back in April of 1978, my first husband and I drove from our "C" School in Pensacola to our first duty station in Panama.

All we had were our travel orders from the US Navy and our military ID's.

Good thing we had money, too!

The lack of passports, deemed unnecessary by the higher-ups, led to our payment of exit fees to leave a country, followed by entry fees to cross the border into another country.

Hey, it was an adventure!

(smile!) 

El Salvador was one of those countries we drove through on this honeymoon trip.

It's also the sole Central American country that I have not contributed to via Kiva.

I've rectified that lapse, choosing a young mother with a cool name.

You know, a cool name akin to mine.

(smile!)

Her name is Fatima Marisela.

This is not her first rodeo, so to speak.

She's already had a loan to get her business started and, with that one repaid, she's ready to expand.

To do so, she needs to buy 300 more little chicks, along with the food for them, so she can raise them to grown chickens and sell them off.

Admittedly, my recent brush with chickens most likely influenced my decision to back her on this project.

(smile!)

Plus, I was pleased to know she had included chicken feed in her loan.

That shows planning and forethought skills.

Good for her!

I've also posted the link on fb and invited all my friends to chip in, either for her or for some other worthy striver.

Oh, I do so enjoy being a nerdfighter and working to eliminate suck from the world!

Here's the link.

 

https://www.kiva.org/lend-beta/2406402?name=faustina8909&utm_campaign=social_share_checkout_variant_scle_b-normal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=social_share_link

Join me, won't you?

All it will cost is $25 to help one person support their family.

Thanks!

(smile!)

bani pentru Ion

Today marks my ninth anniversary of being a Nerdfighter of Kiva.

This year has marked the twelfth year since my father died.

Daddy loved to grow tomatoes, delighting in finding new varieties to try each summer.

Ion, of Moldova, also enjoys growing tomatoes.

He is a 53-year-old farmer and father of two in Moldova, a country lodged between Romaine and Ukraine.

His name is also a word in chemistry, which is also a draw for me.

I was in the right place, at the right time!

(smile!)

I was further blessed that my account at Kiva had a balance of $26.08, from repayments from those to whom I have lent money.

Perfect!

That was exactly the amount needed to help Ion purchase a car to transport those precious tomatoes to market, plus grant a small donation toward the administrative costs for the website serving as middleman.

Perfect!

Happy anniversary to me and to them!

dinero para betzaida and juana

I have a numberless birthday arriving soon and needed something positive to mark it.

The Universe must have heard my plea.

Kiva notified me last week that I had enough funds to make two loans.

Which borrowers have paid me back so that I can do so?

Well, there's no word on that.

I'm grateful simply to have the opportunity to help others.

 

Betzaida was chosen because of her location and her business.

I have not yet loaned to anyone in Panama, primarily because that country is new to Kiva.

I wonder if her town is above or below the former Canal Zone?

I once called that area of the world 'home', though the locale where I worked - and possibly also where I lived for almost two years - is long gone, materials repurposed elsewhere.

I do so hope she makes ceviche for her clientele -

that was always a favorite of mine, and still is!

 

Juana is a repeat borrower with a proven track record.

She isn't the type of person I usually seek out, but here's the thing: she looks like she's a little older.

I like that.

She also is going to grow coffee this time around on her land.

Last time, she borrowed to grow corn.

I like that she's rotating her crops.

Her children provide the labor for the farm, keeping them employed.

I really like that, too.

And just where is she located?

In Nicaragua, just above the other Central American country.

 

I'll be rooting for them to do well and encourage others in Panama to expand their horizons.

(smile)

a mom with good credit

Today is International Women's Day and kiva has lenders eager to match all contributions to those seeking these loans.

I chose Rusi as the benefactress of my largesse, small though it is.

Partly I chose her because of how she was described: "a mom with good credit history" - I can relate to that.

Partly I chose her because she lives in Kenya, a country I have not yet supported with my funds.

The deciding factor, though, was the wording used for the summation of her background and purpose for the loan.

 

"Rusi is a 57 year old mother living in Litein, a land of seemingly never ending beauty. She is a mixed dairy and crop farmer who has farmed for the past many years. Through farming she has given her family a solid reputation.
Rusi is seeking this loan to buy farming inputs which she plans to use to improve her production and earn more income to support her family.
Rusi is looking forward to your warm response to her loan request. Your loan will enable her to make the upcoming season good for her family."

 

Her town is "a land of seemingly never ending beauty"?

Mine, too.

She seems to have such a positive outlook on life!

I wish her much continued success, for herself and for her family.

I am grateful to have been able to lend her $25 and to have that sum matched by others.

Maybe someone else would like to help her, or another woman?

This is the link to do so.

Tell them a Nerdfighter sent you, to help fight suck in this world.

bosco for sbhf32!

For Black History Month, Kiva had several sources who agreed to match the loans to black-owned businesses in the United States.

The deal was for one day only - this day - and, even though I had a post-it on my kitchen cabinet, the opportunity nearly escaped me.

It was after 11 PM when I found my way onto the site and the pickings were slim.

Most of the businesses were car-rental establishments...

nah, that did not appeal to me.

However, one featured an invention - that's more my speed!

Moreover, it involved making music - oh, yeah, sounds good!

(Get the little pun? Yes, that was intended!)

(smile!)

So, the winner of my money is: Electrospit!

Here's a little bit about this woman-owned and black-owned business.

 

 

"A loan of $15,000 helps a black & women-owned business retain employees and build an award winning musical instrument.
 

Bosco's story

I was born in Ghana, West Africa, and raised in Portland, Oregon to a family of engineers and musicians.
At family gatherings, my grandma played the trumpet and my mom taught us math games.
I've been producing music since winning some music equipment in a breakdancing contest at 10 yrs old.
The journey's led me to Tonight Show appearances, #1 billboard hits, and Grammy nominations.
I fell in love, got married, had a kid, and moved from LA to Oakland.
I've experienced first hand the challenges and instability of a career in music, but I was determined to stick with my passion.
While searching for a new way for myself and other artists to make a sustainable living from music, I discovered the Zoo Labs Music Residency Program and Music Tech Incubator.
With some key mentorship from Zoo Labs (and a Kiva loan we repaid in full), I leveraged my USC Mechanical Engineering degree and Music Production experience to invent a new musical instrument and co-found the World's 1st Black and Women-Owned Music Tech Hardware company: ElectroSpit Inc.
This loan is special because:
It helps a repeat Kiva borrower continue to grow their business."
 

Very nice demonstrations of the instrument, too, on their website.

There was one snag, though.

The money I put forward was to have been matched, but it was not.

Still, I did my part, in honor of the 32nd Annual Savannah Black Heritage Festival.

I think Sam Johnson would most definitely approve of my choice.

This one's for you, kid!

(smile!)

8 people in 8 countries

I had not realized just how many charitable loans I made to strangers this year until I received my annual report from Kiva.

Amazing... and heartening, too.

***   ***   ***

"Kiva<contactus@kiva.org>
12:02 PM
27 December 2020
To  Faustina

It's here, Faustina: your Kiva Round Up for 2020

Faustina! Let's see how many lives you changed, how much money you moved, and how the Kiva community measured up.
 
Your impact this year:

Dollars that do good.

$200
This year you lent $200 to borrowers around the world.

8
Loans you made this year

(Just $25, given each time, letting my little bit help a lot.)

8
Countries you reached

(Jordan and Vietnam; Kyrgyztan, Ghana, and Samoa; Timor-Leste, Palestine, and Tonga)

8
Borrowers you supported

(Each borrower has been paying back on the loans, allowing me to re-lend the money to help other borrowers.)

* - * - *
 
Our impact this year:

We did this together.

It's true, we got through 2020 together.

Faustina, in a year filled with so many challenges, you changed lives and made a difference.

$140 million
Together, the Kiva community lent over $140,000,000 dollars. That's a lot of zeros.

67 countries
We came together to support 67 countries across the world. It's a big planet and that's big change.

375,000
In just 366 days (it was an especially long leap year) we joined forces to support over 375,000 borrowers.

 
Your impact this year.

Feels good to do good.

 You did good this year, thank you Faustina."

 

 ***   ***   ***

I am so blessed to be a Nerdfighter, combating the sadness of the world.

i thank You, God, for helping me to help others.

celebrating an anniversary

Last month marked my ninth anniversary as a Nerdfighter of Kiva.
Within a year, Kiva had one million supporters, people just like me, wanting to help others through a crowdsourcing platform.
Today, in celebration, I have made another three loans, this time with each of my $25 antes being matched by Hitachi, in a special bid to help during this time of pandemic.
(Get my little joke?
Maybe you need to play poker to understand!)

The first loan was to Jacinta in Timor-Leste.
The 33-year-old entrepreneur had asked for the loan to help buy additional supplies such as wood, chickens, fresh fish and other stuff to sell at her small food stall near the school.
Here's what I said about my reason for choosing her.
"I liked that she was supplying healthy snacks and food to school kids on their way home.

I am glad that my loan to her was matched so her goal will be reached sooner!"
Hussein, a musician in Palestine, requested a loan to purchase instruments for his band.
Given that I enjoyed the Savannah VOICE Festival for the last two weeks, and in memory of a guitarist who recently died, my first money in the 'entertainment' sector went for this one.

The third being the charm, I selected this one without hardly reading her bio.
What drew my attention to Fe'ofa'aki of Tonga was this.
"I simply have to like someone with a name more strange than mine!
Plus, I like that she is older and still obviously loving life - like I am!"
I liked, too, that she weaves natural-fiber mats.
Having slept on tatami mats in Okinawa, I know how important they are to clean living spaces!
I must confess to an underlying mission in my three choices: I deliberately went in search of loans to business types and countries that were something different.
My portfolio on Kiva previously reflected that my 23 loans had been to 16 countries for 17 types of businesses.
Now, how about a little perspective on that?
Kiva supplies loans to 75 countries for 163 business types.
I knew I could do better, just as I'd done with Kickstarter.
So, now, I've added three more loans as well as three more countries and three more types of business activity to the portfolio I've amassed.
(smile!)
That means I have made 26 loans, for 20 business types, in 19 countries -
making a total of six hundred fifty dollars in loans, but only actually using two hundred sixty-six dollars to do so.
That's because I tend to wait for the loans to be paid back before I lend to someone else, unless there is a special 'matching opportunity', as there was today.

Which countries have benefited from my money to their citizens?
Bolivia
Burkina Faso
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Fiji
Ghana
Guatemala
Jordan
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Malawi
Nicaragua
Palestine
Philippines
Samoa
Tajikistan
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Vietnam

What business activities have I supported?
Agriculture
Clothing Sales
Dairy
Entertainment
Farming
Fish Selling
Food Production/Sales
Food Stall
Fuel/Firewood
Grocery Store
Higher education costs
Knitting
Laundry
Perfumes
Personal Expenses
Poultry
Primary/secondary school costs
Retail
Tailoring
Weaving

In the future, as the other loans I have out there, as well as these new ones, are repaid, again supplying me with $25 aliquots to lend, I'll seek to expand the corners of the world, and of the world's economy, that those dollars support.
That's definitely a worthy goal as I head toward my decade anniversary of being a Nerdfighter of Kiva, fighting suck!
(smile!)

thank you from Ghana!

Wow!
How very kind of those folks to send this email to me!
I'm speaking of the people in Ghana associated with Meridia.
I had chosen them to receive support in honor of my birthday62 this year.
Here's the email that I received yesterday...
honestly, it made me cry that my help meant so much to them.

--- * --- * ---

kiva.org
25 June 2020 8:45 PM

Update from Ghana

This update on your loan to Meridia was written by Kiva's Field Partner.

Dear Kiva Lender,

We are all in this together. No matter where you are in the world, you are facing a new reality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Kiva lender, you are an agent of positive change. The flexible working capital that you provide to Meridia and other social enterprises now has even higher social impact.

Like many social enterprises, Meridia is struggling to sustain operations due to COVID-19 restrictions. Land mapping and titling projects have been delayed in Ghana. The result is reduced revenue and increased vulnerability for women and cocoa farmers. Land rights provide economic security during uncertain times

An investment in Meridia is an investment in financial inclusion. Your patient capital unlocks the value of a customer's most valuable asset - land. Land owners with property rights increase property value by 2x and increase agricultural productivity by up to 60%. Annual family income increases 150% and loan approval rates increase by 12%. The impact does not stop there.

Meridia focuses on gender equality. Your patient capital strengthens the role of women in rural Ghanaian communities and contributes to the wellbeing of the entire family. Women landowners earn 3.8x more income and are 8x less likely to experience domestic violence. Children are more likely to go to school and less likely to be underweight. How is that for positive impact?

We are all in this together. Meridia still needs your support to empower women and cocoa farmers and thrive together in a post-pandemic world.

Lend directly to Meridia here: https://www.kiva.org/lend/1966124.

With gratitude,

The Kiva Labs: Social Enterprise Team

nerdfighting for birthday62!

When kiva.org has a "make one loan, get money for another" deal, especially around the time of my birthday and the start of my personal new year, well, I just have to partake!
I give all credit to the 18-year-old idealist in my mind.
She still believes the world can be a better place if we lend each other a helping hand.
What an optimist she is!

The first loan went to Meridia in Ghana, to keep a community of cocoa farmers at work.
I even posted on fb about it!
"I loaned to Meridia in honor of my 62nd birthday and in honor of my friend, Jo Coleman-Williams.
Jo went to Ghana twice, once in her youth and again for her 50th birthday, to help people.
This is my way of helping, too.
I invite others to join me in making microloans to others!"

That loan netted me the $25 from Kiva to lend to Tansuluu in Kyrgyzstan!
Here's what I told the others who fight suck by my side!
"Moooove on over here and help Tansuluu purchase more cows.
Milk is a protein-rich food source for the people in her community, including children.
Plus her name reminds me of another nerdfighter from a galaxy far, far away, and that's good!"
Here's another good thing: VMware matched my money!

I only intended to make the two, but my lending account still had almost $9 in it, so I carried on!
Inspired by that matched loan to make a third, this time the funds went to Makerita in Samoa for paint, rollers, brushes, and other such materials.
"I loaned to Makerita because I know the value of having color on the walls of a house - that helps make it a home.
Plus, her name makes me feel a dance craze sweeping near!"
So, you know what that means...
gotta dance!!!
Who knew lending money could be such fun!
(smile!)