GIVING

It's December 1st and, as we all know, the Holiday season is about giving not just receiving. So today I made a donation to Kiva.org - a company that helps out entrepreneurs in developing countries by organizing small business loans. Business owners approach Kiva with an outline of their company, how much money they require to grow their business and an estimated repayment plan (these are loans not donations). Kiva then posts their story on the site and asks for an individual loan donation of $25 dollars which they COMBINE with other $25 dollar donations until the grand loan total is reached.
I really love that you can choose who you would like to loan your money to. I chose 3 women that run a small weaving business in Guatemala. I picked them because they hand weave and embroider Guipiles which are a traditional fabric/tunic made in the region. While I was in Mexico I went to many markets that had these gorgeous and elaborate textiles and somewhere along the way I heard that many traditional crafts (construction of Guipiles included) were dying out because no one valued the time and effort that went into creating them. I love the idea of supporting women in business, entrepreneurs AND a dying craft all in one easy click of the mouse.