KIVA



Vid 2



Information about KIVA

KIVA is a website that allows people to lend small amounts of money (called microloans) over the internet to people in developing countries who need the help.

The loans start at $25 and the borrower will slowly start paying the loan back. Then you can reloan the money to a different borrower. On the website KIVA includes personal stories about each borrower, which include why the want the loan and what they are going to do with the loan.

KIVA is built like this to connect the lenders with the entrepreneurial borrowers on a human level. As of March 31, 2012, KIVA has distributed $300,209,450 in loans from 744,558 lenders. A total of 390,791 loans have been funded through Kiva. Kiva's current repayment rate for all its partners is 98.94%.

Kiva has a strong emphasis on supporting women and over 80% of their loans are made to women entrepreneurs. Women tend to suffer the most from poverty as the small amount of resources a family might receive are often given to the males of the family rather than the females. Women are able to empower themselves, educate their children, improve their lives and become self-sufficient through the investments given by Kiva lenders.

Our KIVA 'Business'

The e-Club Board is organising a committee of young members to manage a KIVA business as their service project.  The committee will be mentored by successful business people from the e-Club and progress reports will be submitted by the committee regularly to the Board.

The committee will create a profile on KIVA and will start to choose particular borrowers to lend money to.

Naturally all members are encouraged to have a look at the website and read through the different borrowers. It is also possible if you’re interested, to join the committee that is going to be choosing the borrowers to lend to. We will always be looking for input into who we should lend our money to.

For more information please contact our e-Club KIVA Director:  Lauren Jewson