Microlending... you can lend a poor african farmer money... and get paid back

Seth Godin just blogged this great site called Kiva which allows you to lend an African farmer $25 to buy seed or start a small store selling soap or other necessary commodities and you get paid back. It's these small amounts that make a real difference.

We have experienced this first hand as we have helped friends and relatives in Indonesia and Thailand get ahead with seemingly trivial amounts of money. The problem for these people is they just can't access spare cash and the money they need is too small for a bank to touch... we have set up water delivery businesses, sewing businesses, export businesses with loans/donations ranging from $100 to a few thousand. This is why we love Kiva so much... we know that some flour, sugar, eggs is enough for a village lady to make some small cakes that she can sell in a market and the profit allows her to not only pay back the loan but support her family.

The best part about Kiva is that your money goes direct to the person needing the money. So unlike many other charities out there, your money is not wasted on admin expenses or expensive houses for the aid workers overseas.

So if you want to help out, visit Kiva to learn more.