2020-10-17
About a decade ago, I discovered a non-profit organization called Kiva somewhere on the Internet. They introduced me to the idea of a world with financial inclusivity. A world where all people hold the power to be able to improve their lives even if they themselves lack the means. This is the important work that technology and globalization need to be solving right now.
I started lending with a little excess cash I had from juggling a few jobs during my undergraduate studies. It wasn't much: $200 to start. On Kiva, I read stories about entrepreneurs, farmers, and families with dreams my money could help them to solve. It captivated me knowing that these micro-loans (free of interest, of course) could do so much for someone. What I'd spend on overpriced movie snacks and tickets could help someone feed their family or keep their business afloat.
Over the course of the next year or so, I built up my small pool of funds on Kiva to $700. As this went on, something magical happened. Nearly all my loans from all over the world were paying me back in full, and I had my money back on my hands. I had more to show for it than dollars and cents though.
Mrs. Rocio from Mexico had expanded her chicken farming business. She was using few and far between profits to support her son Juan's accounting courses. She was also ensuring Karla and Héctor were well-equipped to work hard through high school.
Pauline from Guadalupe was able to expand her clothing business. She started with a small corner of her home selling children's clothing. From there, she expanded into her town and became a major retailer of clothing for all ages. Pauline would go onto another round of fundraising for further expansion too!
I've been ever so fortunate and privileged in my life to never have struggled with my basic human needs. Poverty is a struggle that I have only seen friends and acquaintances struggle with, and through a very limited lens at that. At times where my cashflow was tight or unemployment insurance couldn't cover it, I made it work. I've never been afraid to seek out two-day-olds from the nearby bakeries or pay-what-you-can meals from local restaurants when I needed it.
These days, I'm feeling pretty secure with my income and livelihood. I've never needed help affording chickens or clothing. With all that said though, I still think a lot about our global food supply and distribution of wealth. Our climate crisis worries me; I fear for scarcity, famine, and agricultural instability. I'm no saint when it comes to my volunteer work or donations, but I know every little bit helps now more than ever.
For a stretch of years, I left my Kiva account open and kind of on auto-pilot. To be honest, I'd all but forgotten it was there save for the occasional email that I would archive or delete. By the time I dusted the account and opened it back up, I was struck by what I saw.
My $700 had resulted in tons of different loans, which has amounted to:
$700 did that. The same $700 that gets one a decent cell phone every few years, an overnight road trip somewhere fancy for an anniversary weekend, or a pretty solid bicycle/laptop. As I get back into my rhythm increasing my monthly pool of funds on Kiva again, I can't wait to find out what $7000 can do in due time.