Tag Archive for 'kiva.org'

AmeriKiva, (or New YorKiva)

jackson published on December 11, 2008 in technology and zeitgeist. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

I was just wondering: Is there a Kiva-type organization for helping Americans in need?

If you aren’t familiar, Kiva is a company that deals out microloans to people around the world who need start up funds for small businesses.

I totally understand that the relative strength of the dollar vs. local currency, coupled with a far lower cost of living means that our money makes a larger difference in the lives of those not residing in the U.S. but that doesn’t mean I care any less.

I would love to be able to contribute to AmeriKiva, or New YorKiva. To help the people that I see everyday that are in need would make me feel really good. I can think of four folks right off the top of my head that could definitely use a microloan. Heck, make it a macroloan.

The will is there to help those less fortunate, is there an effective and modern way?

If not, well, I suppose we’ll have to investigate the feasibility of starting one.

In the meantime, here is the Kiva site.

Love,

Jackson

Handmade for the Holidays!

niki published on December 10, 2008 in build and zeitgeist. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Good Morning!

Holiday gift giving always seems a little stressful to most and I am definitely one of those people.

Trying to find the “perfect” gift and do it in the most responsible way ends up taking up way too much of my time.

This year, I’m a fan of making gifts. There are great guides out there with various DIY ideas for holiday gifts. Here are links to a couple major guides:

Treehugger
Inhabitat
Design Sponge

Another great idea is Etsy. I’m sure, most of you, are familiar with Etsy and I love perusing the site to see what beautiful things people around the world make and sell.

I’ve been wanting a pair of gloves for my son and since I am a terrible knitter/crocheter, I thought I would see if someone on Etsy could make me a pair. I found a woman in Wisconsin who makes the fingerless gloves that I thought Ethan would actually keep on his hands. She welcomed custom orders and was awesome. She gave me tons of options, was super responsive and emailed me pictures along the way to see her progress. I loved them so much, I asked her to make a pair for me, as well!

If you need a pair of gloves (or scarf or hat) you should check out Debbys Etsy store. She was amazing to work with. I’m so excited to get them. She was really fast too!

If you do not have the time or the skills to make gifts yourself, why not support these great crafters and give someone a great handmade gift that was made with love!

Happy gift hunting!

Niki

P.S. Of course, charitable donations are amazing gifts too. Here are Treehugger and Inhabitat recommendations. We are definitely Kiva fans around here.

Kiva.org News!

jackson published on January 6, 2008 in zeitgeist. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Hello All,

For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Kiva.org is a website that manages micro-loans to people around the world who are in need.

Say “Bahtiet Hudoinazarov” wants to expand his cattle rearing business in Tajikistan. He applies to Kiva, and they set up an account for him.

I, the user, can then donate money to help him expand his business. When he is able to, he repays the loan, which returns the initial loan to you to re-loan to another needy person. Marvelous.

For Christmas we got gift certificates for Kiva, but lo and behold…

When we signed on to donate, this message came up:

Apparently, EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS ON KIVA HAS BEEN FUNDED. Every single one.
Now they are looking for more people to help.

AMAZING!!!!

I’m paraphrasing here: “People are generally good, and therefore goodness will eventually prevail…”

What a great way to start the new year.

Love to all,

Jackson