What if you were a talented, enterprising goat farmer in sub-Saharan Africa who could produce enough meat and milk to feed only your family. And what if, with a little capital infusion, you could acquire several more goats for breeding stock and be able to expand your herd in order to sell extra meat and milk in a nearby city market. And with that extra revenue, you might be able to pay for one or two employees to help build your capacity and expand your goat product market even further. And, eventually, you've built a business that not only sustains your family, but can also help your kids get inexpensive computers, attain a much better education than they might normally, and, ultimately, build a higher quality of life.
Kiva is the outgrowth of a single idea by a TiVO programmer, who, several years ago, set his mind on creating a "microlending" system to do this very thing. Kiva uses a very robust web platform to assemble individual investors around the world who provide seed capital used in very small increments--$75 to a few hundred--to help a farmer acquire a few animals, a textile merchant acquire a loom, or a village pharmacist provide new medicines to patients. Lenders, people like you and me, can communicate directly with those receiving the funds.
It is one of the kuhlest concepts I've come across. And one that is changing the world.
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