The Hindu Business Line : Lend your mite

You could think of Kiva - Global as a social networking site. Only, this seeks to connect people who are interested in making donations as small as $25 to make a difference.

In a bid to redefine concepts of microfinance, the site lets you browse through various profiles of entrepreneurs and select a person you might want to lend to.

You will be kept informed about the status of the loan, repayment issues and how much progress the project has made through the Internet.

Entrepreneurs from the developing world can register themselves on the site and have donors browse their profiles.

This reworks the concept of giving and raises it to more than being just charity.

It establishes a business relation where the lender and the borrower are real people with real problems your money can help solve.

In case you feel your amount is too small to make an impact you can either form your own team to create a sizeable lending base or join another team whose profiles you like.

The site is also a lovely way to teach young children about lifestyles the world over.

Kiva in the classroom is a separate page all together where the various ways you can use the site in the classroom are depicted.

It's fun to read about the reactions of young people who have actually lent money to someone called "Moses" simply because they liked his name. Schools can join the movement by registering with the site.

In February 2008, the 2,50,000th Kiva user signed up; in March 2008, the $25 millionth dollar was loaned through Kiva.

If lending money on the Internet isn't your thing, then you can buy some of their cool mugs and wrist wear, online, to contribute to global poverty reduction.

paromita.pain@gmail.com

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