What is Kiva?

      Kiva is a growing microfinance/lending organization that pools together small monetary donations from thousands of groups and individuals around the world in the form of loans to help poor people become economically independent. These are no-interest loans for specific groups and individuals that are starting, or running small businesses with a set timetable for repayment.
      I have used Kiva in the classroom, and now as a club, as a tool to both raise awareness about the value of microfinance as a positive socio/economic model to combat poverty, and as a method to introduce students to a variety of countries and cultures around the world. Students have raised over $7,000 to date, and have made over 900 loans totaling $36,000 that is now part of a revolving Kiva account I have set up for past, present and future classes. As the loans are paid back, the money is returned to the account and available for distribution to other borrowers in Kiva’s network. Rather than just being one-time, charitable contributions, these are funds that remain for perpetuity in the Kiva account which  can be accessed,  and built upon by future classes.

The Kiva Club aims to provide the following:

1)    Introduce students to an organization that is effectively addressing the persistent condition of poverty around the world.

2)    Allow Kiva club students to build a high school community of lenders and give them the responsibility to track and monitor the  funds collected and the loans distributed through Kiva while learning about the world of microfinance. 


Learn more about Kiva at   www.kiva.org