Kiva: Microfinance Loans

Friday Entrepreneurs: Premal Shah, Kiva.org

Kiva.org is a new website that allows individuals to make small loans to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). In this way, people like you can help provide affordable working capital for the world’s poor — money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc. — empowering them to start a business and earn their way out of poverty.

The usual loan terms are 12 months and over the course of your loan, you’ll receive periodic repayments which you can then re-invest in another entrepreneur or withdraw. In addition, you receive real business updates on the entrepreneur you’ve sponsored. So far, we’ve had a 100% repayment rate and we’re expecting at least a 96% repayment rate over time.

We think of Kiva as facilitating a kind of ‘grassroots capitalism’ — people here in the U.S. lending – not donating – a small amount to low income entrepreneurs in the developing world. For the low income entrepreneur, small amounts like $25 or $100 can provide the working capital needed to explode their small business growth, create a sustainable livelihood and enable them to repay you as an investment partner.

As I have said before, I really like helping people help themselves.

Comments

3 responses to “Kiva: Microfinance Loans”

  1. Micro Financing Entrepreneurs…

    I am glad I found John Hunter’s information packed blog after his science fiction comment on Ender’s Game…(one of the few who read all the novels I think…ok I suffered through them all.)
    While grazing around his site I found thi…

  2. Kiva is lets you loan money directly to an entrepreneur of your choice. Kiva provides loans through partners (operating in the countries) to the entrepreneurs…

  3. I have just placed an additional $150 in loans to 6 business entrepreneurs (in Honduras, Indonesia[2 loans], Tajikistan, Uganda and Ukraine), along with a $100 donation to Kiva…

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