As I'm not doing anything today and not really making any pictures because of this, I'd like to tell you about God. haha, just kidding! Please don't run away now ;-)
Seriously, I want to introduce you to KIVA, of which I have been a member since 2009. KIVA arranges micro loans around the world. How does this work?
- You transfer the money you want to lend out to your KIVA account
- You browse people who have requested a loan
- You select to whom you want to lend money and help complete their loan
You do this without making a profit. The borrowers need to pay interest but this is to cover costs from KIVA and its field partners. These people do this for a living and also need bread on their tables you see. So basically, you do this from your heart, with money you can spare.
However, when you want to stop lending money for whatever reason, you can transfer the money back to your own bank account.
Are there risks? Yes, you do not have a money back-guarantee. KIVA (or its partners) screen the people requesting a loan but sometimes somebody can't pay back the loan afterall. However, because loans are financed by (large) groups of people, you only pay a small part of the loan and therefore your risk is very low.
My case:
I once put in $500 USD (minimum amount is $25 USD). The money in my account is now about $350 USD. The $150 USD difference has gone to donations to KIVA, I have stopped donating so much now though.
My total loss due to defaulted loans (= loans that failed to pay back) is ONLY $0,98 USD.
So briefly; you put in $25 USD or more and decide whom you want to help improving their lives, yourself. You don't -have to- donate any money.
If you are interested, please tell me because if I enlist you as a new member I get a free one-off $25 loan which is always good. (this is not my money, the loan will be paid back to KIVA, not me, but a generous person is donating money to KIVA this way and hey, every loan is a good loan)
Thanks,
Vincent.
: http://www.kiva.org
My lender page: http://www.kiva.org/lender/vincentk
