Howdy folks...

I wanted to let you know about Kiva (www.kiva.org), a non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in the developing world.

You choose who to lend to - whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq - and as they repay their loan, you get your money back. It’s a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.

They've been covered by everyone from the BBC, Time, CNN, The NY Times (Kiva - Press Center) and 100s more news outlets.

Check them out! I support small food-related businesses because they help preserve local food traditions, support local economies, and bring people together from all walks of life.

www.kiva.org

GreenSurfer

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*For Entertainment Purposes Only.* Remember, spread the love and hit the +rep button. And, check out www.kiva.org

Great post. I'm sure some of these rich philanthropists on site will oblige. I'll add them to my charity list. Thanks. Great Idea BTW, the teach a man how to fish routine.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Thanks medicineman! Yea, I love this organization. You can even track your loans online, see repayments, and get progress reports on how the recipients are doing. One of my loans was just paid back in full today and I immediately reloaned the capital to another family restaurant in Peru that specializes in slow-roasted goat and employees several villagers.

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*For Entertainment Purposes Only.* Remember, spread the love and hit the +rep button. And, check out www.kiva.org

bump...support Kiva - Loans that change lives

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*For Entertainment Purposes Only.* Remember, spread the love and hit the +rep button. And, check out www.kiva.org

Sounds good. As soon as I see my grandkids though college and pay all my back taxes and current taxes owed to the IRS, I'll consider a contribution to Kiva.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Sounds good. Your loan actually comes back you after the term on the loan...so, you can reloan the money again. At first, I loaned $25 to one person's pub project as one of many lenders that completed the total loan amount requested. When that went well and I got my loan money back, I committed to 5 seperate projects with $25 each.

It is going exteremely well. Yes, cash is tight here too...but this money continues to benefit people as long as the loans are repaid and I can loan the money out again. I never feel like it is aone time donation that I never see or hear about...I am involved, the money comes back, and I control how and where it goes time after time.

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*For Entertainment Purposes Only.* Remember, spread the love and hit the +rep button. And, check out www.kiva.org

Sounds good. As soon as I see my grandkids though college and pay all my back taxes and current taxes owed to the IRS, I'll consider a contribution to Kiva.

So, the craziness is explained,~LOL~. BTW, I already contributed, and I'm pretty sure that I have a lot less disposable income than you.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Nope, I have no disposable income left, Med. It all goes to the IRS now. But ... I take heart because, after all, everything we send to the IRS is used for "charity," and to help the less fortunate, right?

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

That is awesome medicineman...see, +rep karma works! Thanks for supporting these guys.

Where do you live? Send me a PM...I'll bet it is somewhere near me

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*For Entertainment Purposes Only.* Remember, spread the love and hit the +rep button. And, check out www.kiva.org

well; in reality everything those cheating bastards wring out of us is used to support a massive bureaucracy that might some day be used to think about helping someone somewhere, but take heart nonetheless.

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When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever.
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.