I started into micro lending to help out entrepreneurs in 3rd world nations. Let me go back to how and why. I am a curious cat…

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.)

John, among others, left some feedback on my science fiction ponderings.

At any rate thanks John for your comments on science fiction and I am glad (can’t quite match you) you got me moving in making a difference. In my Kiva case I was able to fund the remainder of a loan for this lady.

Saleh Lie is forty-years old and married with one child. She sells clothes and with her previous loans she diversified her business so that she now sells onions, sauce pans, tomato paste, etc. Saleh also opened a small shop in Kabala’s market and employed her nephew to run it. She is planning to expand her business and build a small family house. Saleh said she would like to save some income to build a small house for her grandchildren. She is requesting a loan of $275 to expand her inventory.

My action was based on his blog post that I found after John had left some feedback on Ender’s Game.

John said:

Ender’s Game is great. Another point, Valentine and Peter engage dueling mock personas. They don’t just impersonate one person they impersonate both and then debate with each other (and if I remember right at some point one debates the mock personas against each other by themselves). Though maybe this stuff takes place in Speaker for the Dead.

And that effort is not to have the mock personas win or lose directly but rather through the public debate shape the way real people think and view issues in a way that Val and especially Peter want.

Ender’s Game, and Sci-Fi, Podcasts from Jeff Doak on Ambient Findability to Social Comments on to Twitters among other Sci-fi readers seeing it as a blueprint and I circle around and micro fund- alltogether new to me…micro media and being social. It changes us- our behaviors. If you think about it- someone far away is able to fund their business, move on, get help, whatever… I know because after quite some time I was surprised to get an update, by e-mail about Saleh Lie who has made her first repayment.

Via E-mail

The business you have loaned to, Saleh Lie, has made a repayment of
$28.00. The total amount repaid is now $56.00. This repayment will be
divided amongst all the lenders who helped to fund this business,
depending upon the percentage each lender contributed.

Please note that these funds will not be credited to your Kiva account
until the loan is repaid in full or when the loan term is complete. At
that time, you will be able to withdraw these funds from Kiva.org or to
re-lend these funds to a new business.

Kiva.org is a great way to give and you can take the money out or keep lending it to another person. I hope someone picks up the baton and microfunds- let me know. Thanks to all of those who caused this social chain reaction. Sometimes Good things happen to good people we just seem to talk more about the bad.

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