Today, i have subscribed a fantastic organization. Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community.

Kiva partners with existing expert microfinance institutions. In doing so, we gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Our partners are experts in choosing qualified entrepreneurs.

Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform. We are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle, and what effect it has on the people and institutions lending it, borrowing it, and managing it along the way.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hien  would like to borrow 3,180,000VND to purchase more fruits and vegetables to sell. Besides, Mrs. Hien sells fruits and vegetables in the market, so her family's average monthly income is about 3,500,000VND (about 225USD). With her current income, she can easily repay the loan on an installment basis. 

Come and provide some happiness to people all around the world.

Check it out!
https://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=register&_isc=bd75e47a-aae2-102b-ac3c-ecd46065da15

DJ Markie was an drunken excellent hostess, as usual. She played a few of our favorite songs!

She also scored us a few shots from those delicious Absolut/SKYY boys. (Neither one could confirm if it was SKYY or Absolut they were serving us...)

But a quick note about the boy on the right. See that tie? Yeah, he wears that tie to every event. We've spotted him on three separate occasions in the last month. Same tie. Should we start a "New Tie Fund?"

If you're interested, e-mail us.

All kidding aside, the most amazing news out of Sunday, besides me getting home in one piece: Zoe Williams, my personal No. 1 fag hag won a free trip to Las Vegas on Kiva! We saw the details, the trip, like the drinks, are no scam.

Kiva hosts a delicious brunch every Sunday with $2 mimosas, margaritas and Bloody Mary's. The Absolutely Fabulous Brunch -- when you, too, can win a free trip to Las Vegas -- is the third Sunday of the month.

Stay tuned, the Smut Squad maybe making a special apperance...

]]> http://yunusphere.wordpress.com/?p=272 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:12:20 +0000 Lilly http://yunusphere.wordpress.com/?p=272 My personal experience shows that learning from mistakes is the most powerful. This is also borne out by a large number of entrepreneurs as well as educational experts and organisational learning practitioners. However, true examples are rare. Thus, coming across the post below is very valuable.

How to Write About Failed Bottom of the Pyramid Ventures
Submitted by Rob Katz on July 17, 2008 - 09:47.
Published in: Microfinance | Miscellaneous

Like any business, base/bottom of the pyramid ventures fail - often. I have neither the space nor the inclination to list those I know of - besides, writers from Erik Simanis to Aneel Karnani to Anand K. Jaiswal have done some of the heavy lifting for me.

We don't talk enough about failed bottom of the pyramid ventures. After all, what CEO wants to risk his company by talking about all the things they did wrong?

Answer: Matt Flannery. The Kiva CEO is incredibly forthright when discussing what they've done well and what they haven't. His latest blog post is practically a how-to guide for talking about failure inside a BoP venture.

Ultimately, Flannery's self-effacing and honest tone makes me trust him and Kiva more, even as he discusses huge loan defaults in their portfolio. Why does this work?

1. Know what you did wrong, and say it. Don't equivocate. Matt comes out and admits - in plain English - that Kiva rushed into partnerships without sufficient due diligence.
2. Don't blame others. Sure, the political situation in Kenya is tough, and corruption in many African countries is high - but Matt isn't trying to pass the buck.
3. Be personal. Matt isn't using corporate communications lingo - instead, he offers a "(sh**)list of partnerships that closed in bad faith." Unprofessional? Only if you're a corporate communications consultant. To the rest of us, this is honesty, plain and simple.

For maximum effect - and to learn from the master - read Matt's post. While you're there, subscribe to his Kiva Chronicles blog. You won't be disappointed.

But which dog to take? Common sense would have said to take one of the dogs that runs lead for me since they'd be running solo with me and I'd want them to stay out in front of me and pull. On the other hand, Kiva has the most energy and is most in need of an outlet for some of it. However Kiva has made it quite clear that she does not want to be a lead dog. I ask her to try it once a winter and each year she goes forward for a few feet, then realizes she's in lead and backs off. Chris had taken Kiva for a walk on a long leash yesterday and said she pulled like crazy, so I took a chance and decided to take Kiva.

I found my skijor belt and line, then grabbed a harness, and loaded Kiva into the car. We went to the bike path I've been running on, got dressed, and headed out the trail. Kiva wasn't sure what she was supposed to do despite being in harness. She pulled some of the time, but was distracted by potential side trails, squirrels, and birds. At least she mostly stayed out in front. After 10 minutes, we stopped and turned around to go back. We took a brief rest and I told her how good she was doing, then we started back toward the car. Kiva seemed happy to go back: she pulled the whole time and even listened when I told her to go on-by the cross streets and driveways.

It was definitely different running with a dog pulling me. I ran faster, but didn't feel like I worked that much harder. I also focused on the dog more than my efforts, so the time and distance went by faster. Or maybe that was because I was running faster? Either way, it was fun having a dog along. Might have to try it again soon. I might even take Kiva again.

I am a bundle of excitement, curiosity and anxiety. I have never lived in a developing nation before. I don't know anyone in Vietnam. As I have been studying my Vietnamese phrase book this past week I notice that my tongue does not curl as easily around this language as it does European languages. My first-generation migrant work ethic coupled with my perfectionism makes me want to be the very best Kiva Fellow I can be - I am so desperate to add value to my partner SEDA and not have them think "Kiva sent us a bit of a dud". I peruse my latest web-site discovery 'The New Hanoian' and get giddy with the anticipation of all the stimulating new experiences that await me in my new hometown. I have been to Hanoi once before 6 years ago, when I merely skimmed the surface of the Hanoi of enchanting markets and graceful lakes, but this time I will be frequenting the habitats of the real people. Most of all I look forward to meeting the SEDA staff and customers who like everybody else are trying to provide a better life for themselves and their family.  

I am quite a goal oriented person, so I sit and think of what goals I want to achieve over the next few months. My mind re-connects with a story I once heard that went something like this:  "If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today? Whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, you know you need to change something".

So, in the simplest sense, my goal is to have very few "no" days over the next few months and hopefully help other people have "no" days too.

Last week I was watching the Today show when I saw the most amazing story. A  15 year old girl named Hannah Salwen convinced her family to sell their 6,500 square foot Atlanta home for another half the size. Half of the price difference between the two homes (over $800,000) would then be devoted to combating hunger in Africa. (Her brother Joseph made a video of their story which can be seen above, and they have been covered in the media as well.)

Hannah's Lunchbox, as they call it, is an amazing new take on what normal American families are willing to do to help needy people around the world. One day while driving home, Hannah saw a man begging for money on the street while a Mercedes was idling at a red light right next to him. The epiphany she had was that if normal Americans cut back on some things which were truly luxuries, they would be able to use that money to help countless others.

This selfless act forces us to think what we can possibly cut back on in order to help others. While the Salwens donation of 3/4 million dollars is amazing, small donations really can make a difference. Drinking tap water over bottled water can save a lot of money; buying clothing from target instead of Banana Republic can save a lot of money; sharing DVDs, CDs and video games with friends instead of buying multiple copies can save a lot of money.

A number of websites can now allow you to support small projects in countries around the world, with very little money. Kiva is a Web site where you can choose from hundreds of entrepreneurs who would benefit greatly from loans as small as $200 to buy supplies for their businesses (and that's money you get back in the end!). FINCA is an organization that doesn't let you choose who to help, but does similar loans to small business-people. Donorschoose.org is a great site that allows people to finance small projects and supplies in low-income schools across the United States.

So think about it - what can you live without? Tell us your story.

Thanks to Kevin Rush

CNET, February 8, 2008

“Kiva, a peer-to-peer online microlending nonprofit organization, is changing the dynamics of microfinance by linking people who have money to loan up with entrepreneurs in developing countries who need some capital, all over the Internet. What is considered pocket change for many people in the United States can go a long way toward helping a struggling businessman get started in another part of the world.”

Did you know that there are still around 1 billion people living at the margins of survival on less than US$1 a day, with 2.6 billion—40 percent of the world’s population—living on less than US$2 a day? (HDR 2007/2008, p. 25) An organization called Kiva allows you to lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world--with the aim of getting people out of poverty...because let's face it, poverty sucks.

...which brings me to my latest wallpaper.

Click on the image to view it larger. (What is my screen resolution?)

Poverty Sucks 1280x800

Poverty Sucks 1024x768

Poverty Sucks 800x600

Poverty Sucks 1280x1024

Poverty Sucks 1600x1200

You will receive a version of this image without watermark once I process your purchase.

The principles recounted in this essay truly inspired me, and after reading it several times, I resolved to giving more and giving more often.  I would encourage everyone to give it a read and think about ways to help those in need.  (Hey that rhymes.  Sweet.)

Continuing my exploration, I also found at LDS Cooperative a link to Kiva.org, an excellent non-profit, person-to-person microcredit organization.  With my desire to help others rekindled, I signed up (for free of course) and began looking over all of the profiles of people who are looking for a leg up.  I found the experience both humbling and invigorating.

Kiva is a very bare-bones website.  There’s no-over-the-top marketing compelling people to lend, Sally Struthers doesn’t jump out of the screen and cry all over you until you pull your wallet out.  It’s really just a basic interface that lets you make loans from your Paypal account to people all over the world who are trying to build up their businesses – farmers, tailors, merchants, construction workers, mechanics, etc. – each with a very basic profile of their situation and needs.  There’s no return on investment at Kiva, and there’s no guarantee of repayment either (although repayment rates are generally above 99%).  But read Kate’s essay and you will understand that ROI should not be the goal, and that’s fine by me.

So, for family night last week, we sat down with the kids and looked over a huge map of the world.  We talked about living conditions in various places and some of the basic reasons why some countries are very poor.  We then dialed up Kiva and looked over some of the profiles from South America, Africa, East Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe, etc..  And when the kids made their choices we marked on the map the countries where our loans were going.  Olivia chose a tailor in Bolivia who needed money to buy a new sewing machine to keep her business running and Audrey chose some ladies in Uganda who want to open a clothing store. 

The lesson was very simple: we should always be looking for opportunities to help others, be they across the world or right next door.  This was a very good experience for all of us and I am looking forward to continuing it for years to come. 

jph3

* FYI – 'Bloggernacle' is a term that refers to the many LDS-themed bloggs out there.  But beware, some are good, some are not.

This is a question the Intelligent Giving Blog asks. I won't lie I got a fright when I saw it. They make the point that charities were mostly set up at a time when people needed a way to connect with those that required help. Therefore it made perfect senst for people to doante to an organisation in that field that could direct the money to those very people. But of course that means there is a middle man.

Intelligent Giving notes that now that there are more sophistacted means of donating, ie online,  and that there are a wide range of sites which allow people to give directly to those they want to benefit from the donation, cutting out the middle man (ie the charity).

So sites like Kiva, Globalgiving, and the Big Give all list projects or individuals that you can donate directly to. And therefore, with this development, Intelligent Giving asks, is there really a need for charities?

I think it is true that there will be, and should be, a shift. The more that funds can get directly to those in need the better, so if you give directly to a project and can cut out the middle man great. But I suppose the question needs to be asked, can we ever really cut out the middle man? Is there a risk that people will manipulate the system and funds will be directed to projects that arent "real causes".

I dont think this is the end of charities!! So fret not. But I do agree with Intelligent Giving when they say that ..... they’ll (charities) need to work harder to show what they can do. Charities will need to argue their case strongly and be able to show that its just as important, or in fact maybe more important to give to them rather than directly through the likes of the sites above. Maybe it comes down to streamlining and dare I suggest merging??

Read the full article here

The team, which recently won some vital seed funding, plans to incubate a handful of apps over the next couple of months - and they're actively seeking ideas and suggestions, so jump on over. Social Actions has grown rapidly in six months, and I believe the effort may well be a harbinger of the next big development in the CauseWired space; the API and the startup's vision is entirely open and collaborative, in my view, and an and  welcome addition to the sector. Here's a handful of the possibilities posted thus far:

• WordPress Module - "Possibly Related Social Actions"
• Firefox Extension - Replace Ads with Social Actions
• Corporate Social Responsibility Made Easy
• Social Actions Maps
• Craigslist.org integration
• Create a hook for Convio user profiles

That last one was mine; I think using a connector to a leading provider of high-end software to the nonprofit sector may be a winner for the various platforms. What are your ideas?

Chan Soben is a grocery seller in Sangke Meanchey Village, Siem Reap Province, while her husband, Mr. Kuy Mengleang, is a house construction worker. They have eight children, four of whom are married. One of their children works with Mr. Mengleang to help support the family’s expenses. Because of increasing transportation costs, Mrs Soben is requesting a loan of $400 which, when added to her savings, will permit the purchase of a motorcycle for use in her family, thereby reducing their expenses. Mrs. Soben's husband is pictured.

Go here to help out.

You've heard of Kiva. It's where individuals can loan money directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

Now Kiva, the first person-to-person micro-lending website and Advanta, one of the nation’s largest credit card issuers in the small business market, have teamed up to create Kiva B4B.  Kiva B4B encourages small business owners and entrepreneurs in the U.S. to support entrepreneurs in developing countries. These are not handouts, they're a hand up. On the Who's Giving page you'll find a software engineer, a dressmaker, a plumber and an auto repair shop owner.

The Kiva B4B Project Grant Cycle:

1. Select an aspiring business owner through Kiva and make a grant using your Advant BusinessCard. Advanta matches the amount of your grant, dollar for dollar (up to $200 per account per month in total). Your grant is doubled!
2. Kiva distributes the funds.
3. As the fund are repaid, the money is deposited into your Kiva account. You wll be able to withdraw those funds or use them to fund another business owner.

Some small businesses are using Kiva as a cause related marketing campaign. For example, Jama Software switched all of their money budgeted for Google Adwords to making Kiva loans, hoping that the exposure would actually generate more exposure for them. See Erik Brownstein's post, Guerilla Marketing Meets Cause Related Marketing.

This is where businesses can "do good".

Here are some of the latest statistics from the Kiva website.

• Percentage of Kiva loans which have been made to women entrepreneurs: 76.99%
• Total value of all loans made through Kiva: $35,368,335
• Number of Kiva Lenders: 312,691
• Current repayment rate (all partners): 98.15%
• Average size of loan for funding: $484.97

Resources:

• Kiva
• Kiva B4B

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Di negaranya Barack Obama, United Way merupakan lembaga filantropi/karitas (charity) terbesar. Lihat saja, setiap tahunnya lembaga ini dilaporkan memberi bantuan senilai US$ 4 miliar. Toh, William Jefferson Clinton, mantan Presiden Amerika Serikat yang juga dikenal aktif dalam kegiatan penggalangan dana untuk kemanusiaan, menyarankan pengelola United Way untuk belajar dari Kiva (www.kiva.org) – lembaga pengelola karitas yang baru didirikan pada 2005, dan sejauh ini baru bisa menyalurkan dana senilai US$ 22 juta. Yang disarankan Clinton pada United Way dari Kiva adalah cara kerjanya. "Apabila mereka (para pengelola United Way) melakukannya, mereka akan bisa mengumpulkan lebih banyak dana", kata Clinton. "Saya pikir mereka punya kapasitas berkembang yang tak terbatas".

Bukan rahasia lagi, meskipun kredibilitas United Way sudah dketahui banyak orang – terbukti dari banyaknya dana yang dipercayakan para penderma pada lembaga ini – tak sedikit dari pemberi dana yang mengaku tak tahu persis apa yang dilakukan lembaga karitas ini.

Sebaliknya dengan Kiva: serba transparan dan terakses, kendati dana yang disalurkan dipakai di ujung dunia lainnya. Dengan sistemnya yang unik dan inovatif, setiap pemberi pinjaman (lender) bisa memilih ke mana dana itu hendak disalurkan, seberapa besar tingkat risiko pengembalian dari peminjam (borrower), hingga gambaran bagaimana dana itu dimanfaatkan. Saking terkesannya, Clinton sampai mengungkapkan kekagumannya pada Kiva dalam bukunya yang berjudul Giving.

Dalam wawancaranya dengan MSNBC pada September 2007, Presiden AS ke-42 ini juga menyebutkan perkembangan dunia filantropi yang makin menarik berkat perpaduan ide yang inovatif dan pemanfaatan teknologi Internet. "Kita masing-masing sekarang juga bisa menjadi mikrobankir, terima kasih buat sebuah website kecil bernama Kiva.org", kata pendiri lembaga filantropi bernama the Clinton Global Initiative ini.

Clinton juga menceritakan, setelah bukunya memuat Kiva dan The Oprah Winfrey Show memanggungkan para pendirinya, hanya dalam bilangan tiga hari, banyak pengusaha mikro di Afrika, Asia, Amerika Latin dan di berbagai negara dunia ketiga lainnya, yang segera memperoleh pendanaan dari orang-orang yang memberi pinjaman berkisar US$ 25-200. "It was amazing", katanya. "Sekarang semua orang (pemberi pinjaman) bisa memperoleh laporan dan mengetahui kapan pinjaman mereka akan dibayar kembali. Mereka bisa menariknya atau meminjamkan kembali (ke peminjam lain). Dan kita, bahkan dengan nilai uang yang sedikit, dapat memberikan dampak besar. Coba pikirkan. Anda dan saya bisa menjadi semacam bankir bagi para pengusaha mikro itu, dan kita pun dapat memonitor kemajuan mereka", papar Clinton yang mengagumi mekanisme kerja Kiva.

Kiva memang pantas dikagumi. Di tengah makin tingginya kesadaran orang (terutama kalangan the haves) untuk menyumbangkan sebagian kekayaannya ke kalangan orang yang kurang beruntung, Kiva menawarkan pendekatan berbeda. Dengan model sebagai networked organization, Kiva memadukan aktivitas filantropi dengan pola microfinance khusus (tepatnya peer-to-peer lending) dan pendekatan Internet mutakhir (Web 2.0).

Cara kerja Kiva bisa dijelaskan singkat seperti berikut. Untuk menyalurkan pinjaman ini dan mencari pengusaha mikro potensial sebagai calon penerima kredit, Kiva bekerja sama dengan lembaga microfinance di seluruh dunia, yang disebut sebagai Field Partner. Para mitra lapangan inilah yang akan mem-posting profil pengusaha mikro yang memenuhi syarat ke portal Kiva. Para donatur atau lender tinggal memilih seorang pengusaha mikro yang akan didanai. Mereka mengirim dananya lewat kartu kredit menggunakan sistem PayPal yang dipasang di portal Kiva. Lalu, Kiva, lewat sistemnya, mengumpulkan dana pinjaman yang masuk dari tiap individu pemberi pinjaman dan mentransfernya ke Field Partner yang sesuai untuk didistribusikan (sekaligus diadministrasikan) ke pengusaha mikro yang pas. Ketika para pengusaha itu mencicil pengembalian pinjaman itu, Field Partner akan mentransfernya ke Kiva. Bila sudah lunas, pemberi pinjaman diberi hak untuk menarik kembali pinjaman yang sudah dibayarkan oleh pengusaha mikro yang menjadi nasabah Kiva. Toh, berdasarkan kenyataan, sejauh ini sekitar 90% dana yang telah disalurkan dan dibayar kembali itu diresirkulasi ke pengusaha mikro lainnya.

Dana yang ditransfer ke Kiva lewat PayPal tidak dikenakan fee (berbeda dari transaksi lainnya, karena biasanya PayPal mengutip 2%-3% dari tiap transaksi yang melalui sistemnya – Red. ). Begitu pula, karena terkena regulasi AS, para pemberi pinjaman tak akan memperoleh manfaat bunga (inilah yang membedakannya dari lembaga microfinance online lainnya, seperti Prosper.com dan MicroPlace milik e-Bay – Red.). Adapun Field Partner berdasarkan pengalaman umumnya mematok bunga pinjaman tertentu pada pengusaha peminjam. Kiva sendiri mengklaim memantau berapa besar tingkat bunga yang diterapkan oleh Field Partner dan tak hendak mengakomodasi tingkat bunga yang tidak fair.

Berbeda dari lembaga lainnya, pada dasarnya setiap proposal peminjaman yang masuk ke Kiva bersifat pre-approved, alias disetujui di muka. Karena itu, tak heran proposal pinjaman bisa didanai dalam waktu 24 jam.

Yang juga unik dan menarik dari Kiva adalah sistemnya yang memberi batasan sebesar US$ 25 untuk tiap donasi individual. Boleh jadi, ini cara Kiva untuk menjaga kepercayaan, dan fokusnya menjamin kualitas terbaik dari layanannya. "Kami tidak dibatasi oleh berapa banyak dana yang bisa kami kumpulkan, melainkan oleh pertanyaan apakah kami bisa menyalurkan dana ini dengan pas", ungkap Ramsey, salah seorang eksekutif Kiva. Cara ini jelas membalikkan paradigma lama bahwa aktivitas filantropi adalah milik kalangan bangsawan atau pengusaha kaya raya. Dengan model limitasi donasi Kiva, seorang nenek tua yang hidup dari pensiun atau seorang anak sekolah yang diberi uang jajan – tentunya dari negara berpendapatan relatif tinggi – sudah bisa menjadi seorang filantropis.

Yang pasti, akibat aturan main ini struktur demografis donaturnya tersebar dan beragam: tua-muda, kaya ataupun orang biasa saja. gIni pintu gerbang minim batasan untuk orang-orang bisa memberi,h kata Premal Shah, President Kiva. gWebsite kami sekarang kedatangan 15-20 ribu pengunjung tiap harinya,h kata pria Asia lulusan Jurusan Ekonomi Stanford University ini.

Bermula dari sebuah kesadaran. Jessica, 30 tahun, mengaku tergerak untuk mendirikan sebuah organisasi nonprofit, setelah mendengar ceramah ikon filantropi dunia, Muhammad Yunus, di Stanford mengenai upaya memerangi kemiskinan lewat microfinance. Ceramah ini menginspirasi dirinya dan sang suami, Matt Flannery (juga 30 tahun), melakukan perjalanan ke Afrika Timur selama tiga bulan. Di sana, mereka melihat banyak orang yang tak memiliki akses, bahkan ke kredit yang masih terjangkau. "Kami mewawancarai orang setiap hari selama beberapa minggu, dan berbicara mengenai rencana bisnis dengan mereka", cerita Matt, lulusan Stanford University yang jago komputer.

Sekembalinya ke Kalifornia, bermitra dengan beberapa orang lainnya, pasangan ini mulai menyiapkan konsep dan portal Kiva. Nama Kiva sendiri diambil dari bahasa Swahili yang berarti unity. Kadang mereka menggarap konsep ini di warung kopi, ataupun di apartemen kecil milik mereka di San Francisco. Tujuan mereka adalah ingin lebih memperlihatkan pada dunia bahwa ada dinamika dan semangat bisnis yang tersimpan, seperti yang mereka rasakan di Afrika. Setahun dibutuhkan untuk mematangkan konsep Kiva dan membangun portalnya sebelum diluncurkan. Begitu diluncurkan pada Oktober 2005, Matt mengundurkan diri dari pekerjaan tetapnya di TiVo, untuk mendedikasikan penuh waktunya sebagai CEO lembaga nonprofit ini. Sementara sang istri, Jessica, diposisikan sebagai Chief Marketing Officer.

Dari segi teknologi, portal Kiva ini dibangun dari software yang dikembangkan khusus oleh Matt. Ketika membangunnya, Matt menginginkan portal ini terkesan sederhana dan mudah digunakan (seperti bisa kita rasakan sekarang), walaupun di belakangnya ada sejumlah kerumitan. Yang jelas, user bisa menikmati kemudahan portal ini. Contohnya, berkat tool yang disebut Business Operating Wizards, para mitra microfinance bisa dengan mudah menata dan mengadministrasi profil ataupun account para peminjam. Di dalam portal ini juga sudah disediakan sistem reporting sendiri. Sekarang, ada empat insinyur yang mengelola lingkungan TI Kiva. Menurut Jeremy Frazao – salah seorang insinyur – mereka menggunakan standar teknologi LAMP, yakni Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP. "Kami sedang menyiapkan arsitektur multiserver", katanya membuka diri.

Meskipun merupakan organisasi nirlaba, boleh dibilang lembaga ini punya jantung Silicon Valley. Pendekatannya pun bagaikan sebuah perusahaan lazimnya. Lewat Kiva, pendonor (pemberi pinjaman) menjanjikan pinjaman bebas bunga. Bila lembaga lain biasanya mengutip US$ 0,40 dari tiap dolar yang didonasikan untuk biaya administrasi, Kiva menyalurkan 100% ke para peminjamnya. Ini berkat kemurahan hati PayPal, lembaga pembayaran online yang membebaskan biaya pemrosesan pembayaran. Agar Kiva tetap bisa menjalankan server-servernya dan membayar 16 karyawannya, disertakan donasi yang bersifat opsional sebesar 10% dari tiap pinjaman yang diberikan.

Berbeda dari lembaga filantropi kebanyakan di mana donatur tinggal menuliskan cek atau mentransfer uang, kemudian para ahli yang melakukan, Kiva memperlakukan para pemberi pinjaman ini seperti halnya broker memperlakukan para pemilik uang. Antara lain dengan menyediakan informasi penilaian risiko di depan ataupun informasi pascainvestasi. Misalnya, di halaman muka website Kiva tercantum tingkat gagal bayar. Kiva sendiri mengklaim saat ini tingkat pengembalian pinjaman para nasabah mereka 99,7%. Lalu, di situs ini bisa pula diklik foto-foto peminjam gagal itu. gPada dasarnya pemberi pinjaman lebih menginginkan kejelasan informasi ketimbang ingin uang yang telah diberikannya kembali,h kata Matt.

Mulanya, Matt mengaku rada sulit menjelaskan ide dan konsep Kiva kepada banyak orang. "Salah satu ciri ide bagus itu apabila bisa menantang pikiran lama kebanyakan orang", ujar pria yang sebelumnya bukanlah idealis berpengalamanh ini. Toh, sekarang Kiva berhasil menggaet hampir 250 ribu pemberi pinjaman, dan menyalurkan dana sebesar US$ 22 juta di 40 negara. Adapun jumlah usaha mikro yang telah didanai lebih dari 30 ribu proyek, dengan rata-rata nilai pinjaman US$ 565 per proyek. Kiva sendiri menargetkan bisa menyalurkan dana US$ 100 juta hingga 2010, dan mencapai US$ 1 miliar dalam satu dekade usianya di tahun 2015.

Dalam hal menjalin mitra lapangan, Kiva juga terkesan konservatif. Tiap hari datang sejumlah permintaan kemitraan dari banyak pengelola microfinance dari seluruh dunia. Manajemen Kiva harus melakukan proses due diligence satu per satu, baru kemudian meneken kerja sama dengan Kiva. Meskipun begitu, dari jumlah yang masuk itu paling-paling yang diterima hanya sekitar 2%-nya. Sebagai informasi, kalau kita masuk ke website Kiva saat ini, dari Indonesia baru ada satu lembaga microfinance yang bekerja sama dengan Kiva, yakni kelompok peternak babi di sebuah daerah di Bali.

Daya tarik Kiva bukan cuma membetot kepercayaan orang banyak di seluruh dunia untuk meminjamkan duitnya ke pengusaha mikro yang butuh modal di negara dunia ketiga. Melainkan, anak-anak muda berbakat pun mendedikasikan diri di lembaga ini. Perlu diketahui, sebagian besar eksekutif dan sukarelawan di Kiva adalah para mahasiswa perguruan tinggi ataupun MBA yang baru lulus. Tentu, Shah salah satu contoh terbaiknya, yang rela melepaskan posisi Manajer Produk di PayPal untuk bergabung dengan Kiva pada Maret 2006. Dia rela pula menempuh perjalanan via pesawat hingga 30 jam ke berbagai pelosok dunia, baik untuk menandatangani kontrak dengan LSM microfinance yang baru menjadi mitra Kiva, maupun melihat langsung para pengusaha mikro bekerja. Pasangan Flannery ataupun Shah mengutarakan, yang lebih mengikat mereka pada dasarnya keinginan untuk mengatasi masalah kemiskinan dan ketidakadilan.

Juga, Shah merasa, karena sistem kerja Kiva yang menempatkan baik pemberi pinjaman maupun peminjam dalam posisi setara. Ia mencontohkan perjalanan kelilingnya ke kalangan pengusaha mikro yang didanai Kiva di Uganda. "Kami bertanya pada mereka, 'Bagaimana bisnis Anda, bagaimana tingkat keuntungan Anda'. Pendeknya, kami tidak menanyakan masalah kemiskinan melainkan pada kemampuan bisnis mereka", papar lelaki yang murah senyum ini. "Ini sebuah hubungan yang lebih bermartabat, ketimbang kami datang seperti orang kaya yang membawa-bawa kamera", sambungnya bersemangat. Di AS, Shah sendiri sudah seperti selebriti yang tampil di iklan BlackBerry, dan tampil di panggung terhormat seperti pertemuan the Clinton Global Initiative.

Aura kemanusiaan rupanya dirasakan pula oleh para donatur. Setidaknya sebagian dari mereka. Contohnya Elisabeth Idnurm, bankir investasi asal Australia (30 tahun) yang tinggal di New York. Selama ini ia sudah bekerja sukarela dan menyumbangkan donasi pada lembaga riset kanker payudara. Toh, ini tak bisa dibandingkan dengan ketagihannyah pada Kiva. Dia memiliki sekitar 300 portofolio pinjaman di Kiva, yang menurutnya dicek tiap hari. "Anda bisa tahu bagaimana rencana bisnis mereka, bagaimana foto mereka, dan Anda bisa memperoleh update rutin", katanya senang. "Bagi saya, kepuasan itu datang karena saya bisa melihat fakta bahwa saya bisa membantu orang melakukan apa yang mereka ingin lakukan".

Memang, total pendanaan yang disalurkan Kiva baru sekitar US$ 22 juta, jauh dibandingkan dengan nilai total karitas dunia yang mencapai US 300 miliar. Namun, kiprah Kiva telah nyata membantu dunia dan menghidupkan minat filantropi banyak orang dan lembaga lain. Yang pasti, dengan keberhasilan Kiva, Michael Schreiber, CTO United Way, mengaku memerhatikan saran Clinton. gIni memang sangat menantang. Peran yang harus kami lakukan adalah membantu menerapkan konsep yang berhasil seperti Kiva. Juga, mengembangkannya pada konstituen dan isu yang lebih besar,h ia berujar.

Sekilas Kiva

Jenis usaha: Organisasi nirlaba di bidang microfinance (kredit mikro).
Pendiri: Matt dan Jessica Flannery.
Berdiri: Oktober 2005.
Kantor pusat: San Francisco, Kalifornia, Amerika Serikat.
Alamat website: www.kiva.org.

Tokoh kunci:
Matt Flannery, Chief Executive Officer.
Premal Shah, President.
Jessica Flannery, Chief Marketing Officer.
Olana Hirsch Khan, Chief Operating Officer.
Sam Mankiewicz, Chief Technical Officer.

Total dana yang disalurkan: US$ 22 juta di 40 negara.

Siklus Kredit

(1) Pemberi pinjaman (lender) memilih sebuah bisnis (pengusaha mikro) yang akan dibantu, dan memberi pinjaman menggunakan kartu kredit.
1)
(2) Kiva mentransfer dana ke mitra microfinance lokal (setempat). Sang mitra ini kemudian menyalurkan dana itu ke tiap bisnis.
2)
(3) Mitra lokal melakukan penagihan cicilan pinjaman dan sekaligus menyediakan update informasi mengenai pinjaman itu pada situs Kiva.org.
3)
(4) Dana yang sudah dilunasi dikembalikan kepada pemberi pinjaman. Sang lender boleh menariknya atau meminjamkan kembali ke tempat lain.

BOKS 3:

Bila Anda Ingin Jadi Donatur
di Kiva

Langkah 1:
Pilih seorang pengusaha mikro

Jenis proyek (proposal pinjaman) di situs Kiva selalu berubah. Data ini di-upload oleh mitra microfinance Kiva di seluruh dunia. Anda bisa menemukan data proposal terbaru di halaman Fundraising.

Langkah 2:
Berikan pinjaman

Kalau Anda sudah memilih pengusaha yang akan didanai, Anda bisa mengirim dana itu menggunakan kartu kredit (lewat PayPal). Anda bisa mengirim US$ 25 untuk sekali pengiriman. Proses checkout-nya dijamin mudah dan aman karena menggunakan PayPal.

Langkah 3:
Terima jurnal dan pembayaran

Secara berkala Anda akan menerima informasi dari para pengusaha yang Anda danai. Perwakilan mitra siap menuliskan langsung ke website, sehingga Anda selalu memperoleh informasi mengenai kemajuan yang dicapai sang pengusaha. Anda bisa menerima beritanya via e-mail.

Langkah 4:
Tarik dana pinjaman atau pinjamkan lagi

Begitu pinjaman Anda dibayar kembali oleh sang pengusaha (hingga lunas), Anda bisa memilih untuk menariknya atau meminjamkan kembali ke pengusaha baru lainnya.

SUMBER: http://www.swa.co.id/swamajalah/swadigital/details.php?cid=1&id=7564

I write you from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, across the border from Laredo, Texas. On one of the local radio stations (local to Texas? local to Mexico? Hard to tell, since radio waves don’t obey borders) they refer to them as “Los Dos Laredos” – the two Laredos. If you just looked at the people, it would be hard to guess where one place starts and the other begins. As I walked through downtown Laredo, Texas I rarely heard English, the majority of the stores announce sales in Spanish only, and nearly everyone looks Mexican. The chile selection in the supermarket is overwhelming, and the only sign of the Texas that I had imagined was a lanky aging cowboy in line at the supermarket. His belt buckle was studded with shiny Texas stars, matching his sunglass holster and his cellphone clip. At least one of my simplistic stereotypes of the Lone Star state was satisfied.

You can’t mistake the border between the two towns. To English speakers it is the Rio Grande (“Big River”), to Spanish speakers the Rio Bravo (“Rough River”, “Angry River” (?)). Putting aside the philosophical questions raised by this difference in names, it should be noted that the river looks neither big nor angry. It seems too small, in fact, to be the demarcation of this, one of the most storied and frequently traversed borders on the planet. Maybe it used to be bigger and angrier before they installed the dams upriver.

Drawn neatly on a map, borders always seem like such an objective but imaginary line, as if you could step across them the way that you could step across a line drawn by a playmate in a childhood game. At this border the asymmetry is clear. Those who enter the U.S. are scrutinized (residents and non-residents both) while walking into Mexico is effortless, not even requiring the flash of a passport. I considered declaring my recently purchased groceries just to right the balance a bit.

Once I stepped into Mexico the environment changed, reminding me of the Latin America I knew from previous travels. The informal businesses (let’s call them entrepreneurs) started at mid-bridge with a squeegee man about a boot’s length over the border, squeezing out his living (sorry :) washing cars heading to the U.S. On the other side of the bridge the streets had a Sunday bustle rarely found in any small American city I’ve ever visited (Correction: any affluent section of an American city). In the crowded town square near the bridge, walking merchants were ready to satisfy your every need, whether it happens be a pack of razors, 3D soccer cards, or a yummy mouth-staining shaved ice. (were any of these Kiva borrowers?) Unless, that is, your immediate need was a map of the city, which took me an hour to find.

A clown entertained children in the middle of the plaza, his bullhorn competing with a group of parents asking for donations for a seven year old girl’s eye operation. Cars strapped with sound equipment announced the latest sales, mingling with a 20 mph chorus of reggaeton. I had forgotten how high the volume is turned up in Latin American cities.

The first night, Sunday, I spent at a budget hotel, where big groups of young Mexican men spilled out of their shared rooms into the parking lot as they relaxed on their day off. (Apparently migration to the border area from poorer southern states is common.) The next day I looked for an apartment, and I found a little place with a fig tree in the back yard, about a 15 minute bus ride from the office of the Kiva field partner. The old ladies across the street already have started to churn the rumor mill about what I am doing here. When I step out my door the blast of dry heat reminds me of that I’m at the edge of a desert extending south. If I walk a block north I suddenly get American cell phone coverage, reminding me how close I am to the U.S. Although this place feels very Mexican, it is also clear that I am living in a place between places, and it is going to be interesting to see how this impacts people here in Nuevo Laredo.

I just started work at the microfinance organization where I will be working for the summer -- the Fundacion para la Vivienda Progresiva, or Progressive Housing Foundation. The first day is still sinking in, so I will blog about that later. Stay tuned -- it will be a fascinating summer!

To see all currently fundraising loans from FVP on Kiva.org, please click here.

For the month of July, I would like to highlight KIVA, an organization that helps people in developing countries literally get out of poverty through micro-lending. According to their website, "Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world."

I really appreciate how practical Kiva's plan is for alleviating poverty and how easy it is for anyone to get involved in their efforts. As a potential donor, you are able to review on their website entrepreneurial activities from developing countries along with a photo of the person(s) benefiting, their loan information and a description of the need (including the specific amount needed). The loan amounts I saw on their website varied from  as low as $100 to over $1000. Furthermore, there is a percentage bar that shows how much of the loan has been raised to date.

The following is some more pertinent information from their website:

The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.

Kiva partners with existing expert microfinance institutions. In doing so, we gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Our partners are experts in choosing qualified entrepreneurs. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva, our partners upload their entrepreneur profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them. When you do, not only do you get a unique experience connecting to a specific entrepreneur on the other side of the planet, but our microfinance partners can do more of what they do, more efficiently.

Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform. We are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle, and what effect it has on the people and institutions lending it, borrowing it, and managing it along the way. To do this, we are using the power of the internet to facilitate one-to-one connections that were previously prohibitively expensive. Child sponsorship has always been a high overhead business. Kiva creates a similar interpersonal connection at much lower costs due to the instant, inexpensive nature of internet delivery. The individuals featured on our website are real people who need a loan and are waiting for socially-minded individuals like you to lend them money.

Please consider involvement this month with KIVA and let's help to alleviate poverty around the world!

Catalysts for Change: This group is dedicated to living as catalysts for cultural change as it relates to the injustices of the world. Each month, I will highlight a non-profit that is making a significant difference in the world to bring relief and development for people who experience injustice. My hope is that these highlights would bring awareness, create conversations, strengthen networks, and mobilize us into action. I invite you to add your comments about and experiences with the various organizations highlighted each month.

Link to Catalysts for Change Facebook Group (Click Here)

Link to Catalysts for Change Virb Group (Click Here)

Yeah, its pretty crazy. Anyway... I was there with Jesse and his sister-in-law Liz, here are some pictures...

]]> http://updatedude.wordpress.com/?p=63 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:28:28 +0000 updatedude http://updatedude.wordpress.com/?p=63 Nago-san? Kengo-san? I must have them both!

Visit Amiami.com for Japanese swag.

Looks

A 1/18th scale figure, something struck me odd when I was playing around with my Kiva and Indy Jones. After putting them back to back, it seems Kiva's almost a head taller than Indy. Indeed, while the other Riders are taller than Indy to begin with, Kiva stands taller than most. This is actually a good thing, as it gives the Motion Revive Series guys more personality to have differing heights. With his metal jacket, Kiva's not only tall, but bulky. He's definitely a heavyweight among 1/18th scale figures. Either that or he's 1/17th scale.

Appearance-wise, he's Kiva. He looks dang good. Although the paint between his chest and jacket feels a little sloppy. It doesn't take away too much. The default Kiva form is very aesthetically pleasing, much more so than his variants. In a set that's relatively weak, Kiva helps push it toward the positive spectrum.

**** out of 5.

Articulation

Standard Motion Revive Series. Meaning it's good. In fact, it blows the frickin' brains out of stuff like Indy or (some/most/all) Star Wars. He can't raise his arms to the side as much as say, Rider 1, but it's not such a big loss in this case, he still looks good.

****1/2 out of 5.

Accessories

Kiva comes with a really cool alternate right hand, which you can see in the picture above. As well as an extra right shin and right foot. These are his regular "chained" leg parts. When he does his finisher, you can pop the right leg off, and stick on the red/green shin and foot pictured above, as well as plug in a set of "bat wings" to the back of said leg. Being the default form, Kiva doesn't really need/come with a lot, but what he has is still cool.

Additionally, the cape from Series 2's Vega Form can be plugged into Kiva. This gives him a pretty awesome "lord" look.

Edit: Kiva also comes with his Fustle pack(s?).

**** out of 5.

Overall

A fun figure, awesome even. But just missing that one little push to it above and beyond. Nonetheless, if you open up a MRS box and you got a Kiva, your luck's holding good.

**** out of 5.

Since you're on the internet already, take a look at what GAFC and Kiva are doing. The concepts behind these groups are pretty fabulous, and the microfinancing movement is becoming big news. This is the sort of trend that makes the internet a source of democratic power, and is a potential venue for action that can have help equalize the messed-up global distribution of wealth. Don't mind the global distribution of wealth? Feel free to point someone towards kiva.org next time they start complaining about it. We live in San Francisco. It'll happen.

My favorite things aren't always tangible. Such is the case with Kiva. Kiva is a non-profit that allows folks to extend micro-credit loans to people starting small businesses in some of the most impoverished countries in the world. You don't need to fully fund any one project and can loan as little as $25.

Once the project is fully funded you get to hear regular updates about how the business venture is going. The entrepreneurs make regular payments on their loan & eventually your money is returned to you. You can either put it back in your own bank account or lend it to another entrepreneur.

I think my favorite thing about Kiva & the principle behind micro-credit lending is that it's about empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty, not just giving hand outs. Imagine what you can inspire someone to do for themselves, their family & their country if you take the $25 you spend on lattes and loan it to a budding small business owner in a place like Cambodia.

If you're like me & you've realized you just have so much stuff - why not ask friends & family to make a gift to an organization like KIVA in your name on your next birthday or holiday? Or have a summer lemonade stand with your kids to raise money for a specific entrepreneur? What a great way to raise awareness in your own neighborhood and teach your kids the power of interdependence and global thinking.

Flannery, as many may well know, is the founder of Kiva.org, and he will be explaining his vision via chat through VOA. You can catch this here: http://www.voanews.com/english/t2a.cfm

Thought I would let you know! -Ktizo

Visit Kiva.org

We are trying to think of ways to raise some cash at work to support more entrepreneurs like Clarial.