I know that there have been videos posted about KIVA in the past, but I thought I'd blog this charity just to re-promote it and encourage us to use it.

It is a very easy charity to donate to in that even someone who isn't making much money can do it.  You don't actually GIVE away your money.  You LEND it to people who need it at rates that are far below those available to them outside of this sort of program.  It works by enlisting a vast network of small lending organizations that work on a consept of charity and a mission of growth of economies in impoverished areas.

They let you decide who--who EXACTLY--to lend your money to based on the descriptions they give of the entrapaneurs and their goals.  If you only want to give to those producing food, or if you want to give to those producing clothing or shelter, you can choose.  They update those loans by providing journals or even videos chronicalling the result of your investments.

They aren't normal investments.  You will make no profit.  In some cases, individuals or groups of them will not be able to repay them.  Still, you offer an offering of growth to not only an individual person, but also a region who may desperately need a service that this individual can offer better with your loan.

The loans are unfortunately NOT zero interest and in some cases can seem rather high in interest, but in all cases that I've seen, the interest is lower than can be received otherwise.

I love this program in that, at the moment, I've not got much to offer, but I can offer something to people who need it while I have it and they don't.

There are lenders that are religious and there are lenders that are not.  This is not the focus of the program.  The focus is developing the undeveloped world and enabling people to do what they need to do in order to acheive this goal.

Perhaps Videosift could even start a "team" of lenders.  It would show the community's will to acheive this goal and the community's willingness to practice what it so frequently preaches in comments and posts.

Anyway, visit the KIVA.org site and check it out for yourself.  All the information is there.  Decide for yourself whether your money is better invested to gain wealth in your economy or to encourage the growth of another that needs it desperately.

I actually first heard of this from an ad, but then found Bill Clinton fervently advertising for it in an interview with Greta van Susteren on a youtube video.  I thought it was a great idea and have since found no qualms with it in performance, drive, intention, or delivery.

Check it out.