I believe we need to be thoughtful when giving our money to candidates or groups/individuals that need financial help. On the other hand, this site and it's members have had some amazingly positive, quantifiable impact for the better. If we are thoughtful and do our research, this site can change the world (or ok, a part of it). Here is one example:
Just over a year ago, Chris Kulczycki posted a recommended diary, entitled Microcredit: be a Venture Capitalist. This diary introduced Kiva. This organization was new. The idea was basically the same as this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Grameen bank and it's founder Muhammad Yunus, that the poor have very little in capital, if anything, that would help them get out of poverty, and banks won't loan the small amounts they need (without capital either), and thus they are stuck in a cycle that is a catch-22. The idea was to loan impoverished women microamounts to start individual & collaborative businesses. The idea spread and has helped thousands.
Kiva put a twist on it and DKos made an impact.
It gave it peer-to-peer panache. Instead of banks loaning impoverished women (and men) capital, Kiva allowed individuals to loan directly to other individuals. Chris posted his diary about Kiva in late October. "Something wonderful" happened.
(Sorry for the 2001 reference, I'm a SciFi/Science/nerd/geek/)
I had loaned 550 dollars the day I read that diary. To two businesses (more on that later). A few days later I went back to loan a bit more.
But I couldn't. You see, that diary entry generated such interest that EVERY individual's business was fully funded within a few days. When I loaned my funds there were over a dozen businesses listed. They were fully funded within days of Chris' diary. Kossacks just went loan crazy :).
Such an impact that Kossites had that the cofounder wrote Chris a letter of thanks that Chris posted
in a follow up diary:
Dear Daily Kos Readers:
You are a remarkable group of people. The instant we were introduced on Daily Kos was the instant that everything changed for Kiva -- and for the lives of many African entrepreneurs. You have made a serious impact and I hope you can understand the depth of the change you have caused.
I have spent the last week trying to explain to the African staff members what has occurred. Many of them are familiar with blogs, but were previously unfamiliar with the impact they can have on the world.
Go to that diary to read the rest of that letter and more information. Several Kossacks have written about their experiences after reading that diary including mole333 and HollywoodOz (those link to one of their several diaries about their experiences).
One man has a great idea, some others run with it and give it a twist...
then one man posts a diary on some blog and dozens of businesses are born in Africa.
(I love stories of the effect one person can have on the world).
Kiva has grown, in no small part from the contribution of that one diary. A year ago it operated in one country: Uganda. Today it operates in over 15 countries on 5 continents. Of course the web site has grown and changed, adding "lender pages" and new features. But the purpose is still the same, to allow individuals to loan to individuals.. peer-to-peer micofinance.
So, let me show you how that post changed OUR lives. I said I loaned the money to two businesses, but it was my then 3 1/2 year old daughter that decided who to loan to. I thought it'd be a nice idea to teach her about starting a business, helping others and giving. She choose Faith K.
Faith needed capital to expand her small hair salon. My daughter has a love/hate relationship with her hair getting braided/combed/worked on. She hates when we do it, she loves when it's done. She chose faith after I explained to her the she wants to do other women and girl's hair. As my daughter said then "Help her not hurt people's hair." Sounded like a good enough reason to me.
We also choose Paul E who wanted to improve his pharmacy and carry medicines that were needed in his community. As my daughter puts it, "medicine makes me feel better."
That experience of choosing those people spurred us on to make giving a part of our lives. So last year we instituted a new Advent tradition. Instead of candy behind each day's compartment door, we put a slip of paper with something to do for that day. Last year it was making cookies for neighbor, making a card for a soldier, drawing a picture for a friend. This year we are including sponsoring a child (she chooses which) through "Save the Children," taking blanket, cap and socks to a homeless person, making a card for a neighbor, singing a carol for a faraway friend and more. She can NOT wait till she opens her first one today (go through her books and choose 5-6 to give to a children's library).
Reading through the periodic reports from these two business people has had an effect on her. She wants to start her own business (selling the clothes that don't fit her) and she seems to get the idea of it all. But more than that, she positively LOVES giving back. Nearly every morning now she draws a picture or pulls out a toy to give to a friend or classmate. The other day she insisted I open the car window door while we were at a light. She reached out and gave a small child the paper kite she made because "He looked bored and needed something to play with." She is very concerned about the homeless people we see around us (and thus we are taking blankets and caps to them as one advent activity). I believe sincerely that this spirit of hers is just part of her personality, but also that our experience with Kiva (and what it spurred) has encouraged and still encourages us.
Yesterday was the last day of the loan for those two. We are happy to report that 100% was paid back and those businesses are thriving and those families are better off.
So my daughter and I sat down recently and reloaned most of the funds (you can reloan or have the money returned, we have a cash flow 'situation' right now, so we are reloaning half.. more later when our situation changes).
I let her choose our new 5 individuals. She choose five women, all in Africa. She had good reasons for choosing all five. One example is Veronica Wambui:
She raises maize but it doesn't provide enough income for her and her five children. She wants to raise dairy cattle which bring in more income. SHe has land enough for eight cows and has taken workshops on dairy farming. She will start with two dairy cows with the money loaned to her through Kiva. As my daughter says "People like milk and it's good. Maybe her 2 children can go to school" (she has 5 children, 2 don't go to school).
You can see all five we lent to on our Lender Page
DailyKos has had an impact, in so many ways. We've made an impact on this country politically (which will have, no doubt about it, global consequences), but we also have also had a huge impact directly on people in Africa and around the world. Kiva is just one example. It shows that one person, connected to others can truely affect the world.
So, you know, there are over 40 businesses in need of some capital at Kiva right now. Have 25 dollars to loan to change the world? ;)
(and if you can't loan right now after the election giving and christmas, I'm going to be brash enough to ask you to recommend this diary so others will get the chance to see our impact... and maybe increase that impact :D )