“When we learned there was a possibility that they could lend us [money], a world of possibilities opened up.” + Meet Johnny Jimenez, a Peruvian artisan and Kiva borrower whose beautiful work can be purchased on Kiva’s online store, hosted by Novica! +
+ `,videoId:462763475,cta1:"Lend to a South American borrower",cta2:"Lend monthly to U.S. small businesses",link1:"/lend/filter?countries=South%20America%20%3E%20Bolivia~South%20America%20%3E%20Brazil~South%20America%20%3E%20Colombia~South%20America%20%3E%20Ecuador~South%20America%20%3E%20Paraguay~South%20America%20%3E%20Peru&sortBy=popularity",link2:"https://store.kiva.org"},{name:"Julia",title:"High School Hero",location:"New York",img:"julia",body:` +Not only does Julia lead a microfinance club at her high school, she also founded and leads a nationwide coalition of groups just like hers. Her club alone made 221 loans last year— now that’s power in numbers!
`,videoId:462773294,cta1:"Lend like Julia",cta2:"Lend monthly to students",link1:"/lend-by-category/education",link2:"/monthlygood?category=education"},{name:"Howard",title:"Voice of Compassion",location:"California",img:"howard",body:` ++ Howard Zugman was reading the newspaper on New Year’s Day in 2008 when he came upon an article sharing better ways to make a New Year’s resolution. For those tired of joining a gym only to stop going a couple of months later, the article instead suggested, among other options, lending money to the world’s most financially excluded individuals on Kiva.org. But Howard was skeptical. +
+ Initially, Howard felt that the Kiva model was too good to be true. Why would someone lend money to a stranger, possibly one who lives thousands of miles away, without the guarantee of repayment? On the other hand, he felt that if the model did work, then what an unmatched opportunity to create impact. +
+ To resolve his internal conflict and assess the credibility of lending through Kiva, Howard created a spreadsheet recording all loans fundraising on Kiva. By the time he was finished, he counted 4,000 loans of varying amounts from around the globe. This led him to conclude that Kiva was trustworthy, that “no one could be dumb enough to put all of this effort into a scam.” He decided to start lending. +
+ Howard set his sights on two goals: he would be Kiva’s most prolific lender; and he would lend $1M by January 1, 2020. He quickly realized these were expensive aspirations. Where would he get the money? +
+ Howard has been singing, for a small fee, at retirement homes for 32 years. He had been unsure of what to do with these modest earnings until he realized he could use them to help other people by lending on Kiva. With his Kiva superlender aspirations feeling more within reach, Howard began his lending journey. +
+ "Kiva has become a very important part of my life. Every morning with my coffee I make my loans. If nothing else goes right that day, I know something good has happened." +
+ As a Bay Area native, and with Kiva headquarters located in San Francisco, Howard considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet many Kivans over the years. After initially focusing his lending internationally, he realized that lending to U.S. borrowers located in the Bay Area meant that he could meet them, too. To date, Howard has met at least 70 of the U.S. borrowers he has supported. This sense of community among Kiva lenders, borrowers, and staff serves as a source of great joy and inspiration to Howard, “It’s been wonderful to be a part of Kiva. I’ve gotten out of it much more than I’ve put in.” +
+ Although Howard fell just short of his initial lending aspirations, he has created life-changing impact for thousands of Kiva borrowers over the past 12 years. Kiva’s community of generous lenders, like Howard, is fundamental to building the financially inclusive world we envision. +
+ "[Kiva] allows me to create the world that I want it to be, in a small way. That’s all because I happened to pick up the paper that day with my coffee." We’re so happy you did, Howard. +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend like Howard",cta2:"Lend monthly",link1:"/lend-by-category",link2:"/monthlygood"},{name:"Apollo Agriculture",title:"Small Farm Funder",location:"Kenya",img:"wilson",body:` +Wilson’s harvest yield increased by 600% thanks to a Kiva loan and support from Apollo Agriculture. Apollo is just one of 300+ Kiva Field Partners that work with us toward global financial inclusion.
+ `,videoId:462777675,cta1:"Support groups like Apollo Agriculture",cta2:"Support groups like Apollo Agriculture",link1:"/lend/filter?countries=Africa%20%3E%20Burkina%20Faso~Africa%20%3E%20Cameroon~Africa%20%3E%20Congo%20%28DRC%29~Africa%20%3E%20Egypt~Africa%20%3E%20Ghana~Africa%20%3E%20Kenya~Africa%20%3E%20Liberia~Africa%20%3E%20Madagascar~Africa%20%3E%20Mali~Africa%20%3E%20Mozambique~Africa%20%3E%20Nigeria~Africa%20%3E%20Rwanda~Africa%20%3E%20Senegal~Africa%20%3E%20Sierra%20Leone~Africa%20%3E%20Togo~Africa%20%3E%20Uganda~Africa%20%3E%20Lesotho~Africa%20%3E%20Malawi~Africa%20%3E%20Namibia~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Africa~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Sudan~Africa%20%3E%20Tanzania~Africa%20%3E%20Zambia~Africa%20%3E%20Zimbabwe&sortBy=popularity",link2:"/lend/filter?countries=Africa%20%3E%20Burkina%20Faso~Africa%20%3E%20Cameroon~Africa%20%3E%20Congo%20%28DRC%29~Africa%20%3E%20Egypt~Africa%20%3E%20Ghana~Africa%20%3E%20Kenya~Africa%20%3E%20Liberia~Africa%20%3E%20Madagascar~Africa%20%3E%20Mali~Africa%20%3E%20Mozambique~Africa%20%3E%20Nigeria~Africa%20%3E%20Rwanda~Africa%20%3E%20Senegal~Africa%20%3E%20Sierra%20Leone~Africa%20%3E%20Togo~Africa%20%3E%20Uganda~Africa%20%3E%20Lesotho~Africa%20%3E%20Malawi~Africa%20%3E%20Namibia~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Africa~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Sudan~Africa%20%3E%20Tanzania~Africa%20%3E%20Zambia~Africa%20%3E%20Zimbabwe&sortBy=popularity"},{name:"David",title:"The Local Changemaker",location:"Kenya",img:"david",body:`+ Growing up as the son of smallholder farmers in rural Kenya, Kiva Senior Investment Manager David Kitusa experienced first-hand the challenges financial exclusion presents. + David recollects, “When I was growing up, the nearest commercial bank was almost 30 km away. I saw how difficult it was even for my parents to be able to open a basic bank account, and of course even more difficult to get credit from a financial institution.” +
+ +David’s family’s background instilled in him an interest in finding ways to support low-income business owners, leading him to work as a loan officer in the microfinance industry and ultimately introducing him to Kiva. + Over 12 years later, David is Kiva’s longest-tenured employee and still as passionate as ever about his work supporting Kiva’s mission and impact. +
+ +As Kiva’s Senior Investment Manager based in Nairobi, David works with Field Partners in both East and West African English-speaking countries. + David scouts new and innovative local partners that are excited about financial inclusion and work with the most marginalized borrowers. + He also evaluates partners to manage risk and ensure we are able to repay Kiva lenders in a timely manner. +
+ +Working out of Kiva’s Nairobi office, David feels lucky to be based in the field, where he is able to regularly connect in-person with Kiva partners and borrowers. + He witnesses the life-changing power of microlending to underserved populations in geographies often neglected by formal financial institutions. +
+ +David recalls one particularly memorable experience witnessing Kiva partner Juhudi Kilimo’s impact. + “We partnered with them around 11 years ago when they were a complete start-up doing asset financing to smallholder farmers who did not have any other source of income. + They would give borrowers a dairy cow that's just about to calf. The borrower would use the proceeds of the sale of milk to pay back their loan.” +
+ +David has met many of the people who have benefitted from the Juhudi Kilimo model. + “That I am able to play a small part in helping a good number of low income business people get out of the poverty trap. That really motivates me.” +
+ +As for Kiva’s future, David is excited to see how new initiatives, like Kiva Capital and + Kiva Protocol, can help Kiva continue to leverage technology for social impact, + “I am really excited to be working at Kiva at a time like now, whereby we are really moving the needle around finding innovative ways of how we can increase access to financial services.” +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend to African borrowers",cta2:"Lend to African borrowers",link1:"/lend/filter?countries=Africa%20%3E%20Burkina%20Faso~Africa%20%3E%20Cameroon~Africa%20%3E%20Congo%20%28DRC%29~Africa%20%3E%20Egypt~Africa%20%3E%20Ghana~Africa%20%3E%20Kenya~Africa%20%3E%20Liberia~Africa%20%3E%20Madagascar~Africa%20%3E%20Mali~Africa%20%3E%20Mozambique~Africa%20%3E%20Nigeria~Africa%20%3E%20Rwanda~Africa%20%3E%20Senegal~Africa%20%3E%20Sierra%20Leone~Africa%20%3E%20Togo~Africa%20%3E%20Uganda~Africa%20%3E%20Lesotho~Africa%20%3E%20Malawi~Africa%20%3E%20Namibia~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Africa~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Sudan~Africa%20%3E%20Tanzania~Africa%20%3E%20Zambia~Africa%20%3E%20Zimbabwe&sortBy=popularity",link2:"/lend/filter?countries=Africa%20%3E%20Burkina%20Faso~Africa%20%3E%20Cameroon~Africa%20%3E%20Congo%20%28DRC%29~Africa%20%3E%20Egypt~Africa%20%3E%20Ghana~Africa%20%3E%20Kenya~Africa%20%3E%20Liberia~Africa%20%3E%20Madagascar~Africa%20%3E%20Mali~Africa%20%3E%20Mozambique~Africa%20%3E%20Nigeria~Africa%20%3E%20Rwanda~Africa%20%3E%20Senegal~Africa%20%3E%20Sierra%20Leone~Africa%20%3E%20Togo~Africa%20%3E%20Uganda~Africa%20%3E%20Lesotho~Africa%20%3E%20Malawi~Africa%20%3E%20Namibia~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Africa~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Sudan~Africa%20%3E%20Tanzania~Africa%20%3E%20Zambia~Africa%20%3E%20Zimbabwe&sortBy=popularity"},{name:"WWBIC",title:"Heartland Supporters",location:"Wisconsin",img:"wwbic",body:` +Over 230, 000 U.S. entrepreneurs have benefited from Kiva loans since 2011. Discover one of the many local organizations nationwide that connects local businesses with Kiva: Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation(WWBIC). +
+ `,videoId:462767209,cta1:"Lend to U.S. small businesses",cta2:"Lend monthly to American entrepreneurs",link1:"/lend-by-category/kiva-u-s",link2:"/monthlygood?category=us_borrowers"},{name:"Danielle",title:"Team Captain",location:"Canada",img:"danielle",body:` +Talk about girl power! Danielle, VP at Allan Financial, motivated her team at work to start lending on Kiva. + From 2014 to 2020, they’ve now lent a total of $1 MILLION to female entrepreneurs around the world. +
+ `,videoId:462925151,cta1:"Lend like Danielle",cta2:"Lend monthly to women",link1:"/lend-by-category/women",link2:"/monthlygood?category=women"},{name:"Zaaqi",title:"Burger Magician",location:"New York",img:"zaaqi",body:`Zaaqi Johnson had long dreamed of being his own boss. As a young entrepreneur with a passion + for creating delicious, nutritious, high-quality food, imagining himself as an entrepreneur excited him. After spending years working + for others in the food service industry, Zaaqi decided it was time to make his dream a reality. +
+ +Zaaqi recognized his talent for cooking many years ago. He worked in various food service positions before attending Monroe Community College’s Culinary Arts program in Rochester, New York. + He was working at a local resort hotel where he was responsible for Sunday brunch, during which the restaurant typically served 150 - 200 people. + Other than the occasional acknowledgement from friendly patrons, he had very little to show for the labor he was putting in while working for someone else. +
+ +This experience convinced Zaaqi that he possessed the skills and the stamina required to run his own restaurant. + To start, he sold dinners to family and friends out of his mom’s kitchen, advertising through social media. + He used the money from those dinner sales to rent and renovate a restaurant space with his family’s help. +
+ +In 2016, Zaaqi opened Zoc’s Gourmet Burgers and Shakes – a made-to-order casual dining restaurant – on the West Side of Rochester. + His goal is to offer healthy food choices to his community, food that is prepared with the care and quality that urban residents have traditionally felt the need to travel to the suburbs to enjoy. + In return, he is committed to giving back to the community by using locally-sourced produce, meats, and baked goods from the neighborhood farmer’s market and family-owned bakery. +
+ +Zaaqi’s Kiva loan helped him cover the costs of marketing Zoc’s Gourmet to grow his new restaurant. + He was able to purchase branded to-go order packaging, grow the restaurant’s social media presence, and improve the storefront’s appearance. + These improvements were instrumental in helping Zoc’s Gourmet become a staple in the West Rochester community. +
+ +Zaaqi isn’t afraid of the hard work running his own restaurant requires. Rather, he is encouraged by the idea that his hard work contributes directly to the success of his business. And a success it is. +
+ +Congratulations, Zaaqi! +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend to an American entrepreneur",cta2:"Lend monthly to U.S. small businesses",link1:"/lend-by-category/kiva-u-s",link2:"/monthlygood?category=us_borrowers"},{name:"Drew + Allie",title:"Lending Power Couple",location:"United States",img:"drew-allie",body:`During mission trips with their church, Drew and Allie witnessed the ability of small loans to create meaningful change in individuals’ lives. Then they learned about Kiva from a family member. +
+ +Fast forward to when Drew and Allie realized, while planning their wedding, that “the people who were celebrating our marriage are the people who have loved us well over the years–caring, supporting, investing in our lives in some way. We wanted to take that gift of love and support and pay it forward.” +
+ +The couple wanted a meaningful way to truly thank their guests for their love and support. So instead of handing out candy or knick-knacks as wedding favors, the couple funded loans on Kiva.org in honor of their wedding guests. +
+ +They made their first loan to a woman named Salama in Kisauni, Kenya. A year after the wedding, Salama had fully paid back her loan. Drew and Allie celebrated their first anniversary by re-lending the money from Salama to another borrower. They now celebrate every anniversary by investing in others. +
+ +“It’s been neat to learn about the needs of others in communities different than ours.” Drew explains when asked about his lending experience, “We like being able to be a part of investing in their communities.” +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend like Drew and Alli",cta2:"Lend monthly",link1:"/lend-by-category",link2:"/monthlygood"},{name:"Rachel",title:"Protocol Practitioner",location:"US / Taiwan",img:"rachel",body:`According to the World Bank, 1.7 billion adults worldwide don’t have access to a bank that can provide loans, savings solutions, and financial security. This is because many of these individuals also lack the key that unlocks access to financial services – formal, verifiable identity, such as a government-issued ID. But Rachel Chang is determined to change that. +
+ +Rachel is based in the Bay Area and is a Product Manager for Kiva Protocol – a technology platform that allows citizens to own and use their national identity, digitally. Using a thumbprint and a national ID number, citizens can open or access an account at any financial institution in their country, from national banks to local microfinance institutions. Over the past two years, Rachel has overseen Kiva Protocol from ideation, to prototype, to the first implementation in Sierra Leone in February of this year. +
+ +Rachel highlights how the story of Nancy, a mother and teacher in Sierra Leone, demonstrates the power and potential of Kiva Protocol to change lives, “I think Nancy is a great example of Kiva’s impact. She had been rejected by a local community bank because she did not have a formal ID that the bank required to open an account for her. She had a record in Sierra Leone’s Civil Registry, it just needed to be in a format that the bank could consume and use.We were able to walk her through that process.” +
+ +She is incredibly proud of the milestones and impact that she and the Kiva Protocol team have achieved so far, “It was awesome to see how this platform is providing opportunities for Nancy to begin the banking process. And she was able to do this in front of the President of Sierra Leone, and in front of government officials. To see Nancy prove out the huge potential in a country that is trying to digitize its government, it’s very empowering for me to see that.” +
+ +Rachel was initially drawn to Kiva for its mission of global financial inclusion and its identity as a non - profit that operates at the intersection of technology and social impact. For Rachel, this spoke to her drive to use innovation to help lift up low - income communities. And she is doing just that. +
+ +In Rachel’s mind, she’s just getting started. +
+ +“I aspire to continue moving the needle and pushing the boundaries for what we can do for financial inclusion. If we can continue building on Kiva Protocol and adopting new technology in the context of financial inclusion, that is something that will be groundbreaking, and it is something I want to continue pushing forward.” +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend to African borrowers",cta2:"Lend to African borrowers",link1:"/lend/filter?countries=Africa%20%3E%20Burkina%20Faso~Africa%20%3E%20Cameroon~Africa%20%3E%20Congo%20%28DRC%29~Africa%20%3E%20Egypt~Africa%20%3E%20Ghana~Africa%20%3E%20Kenya~Africa%20%3E%20Liberia~Africa%20%3E%20Madagascar~Africa%20%3E%20Mali~Africa%20%3E%20Mozambique~Africa%20%3E%20Nigeria~Africa%20%3E%20Rwanda~Africa%20%3E%20Senegal~Africa%20%3E%20Sierra%20Leone~Africa%20%3E%20Togo~Africa%20%3E%20Uganda~Africa%20%3E%20Lesotho~Africa%20%3E%20Malawi~Africa%20%3E%20Namibia~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Africa~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Sudan~Africa%20%3E%20Tanzania~Africa%20%3E%20Zambia~Africa%20%3E%20Zimbabwe&sortBy=popularity",link2:"/lend/filter?countries=Africa%20%3E%20Burkina%20Faso~Africa%20%3E%20Cameroon~Africa%20%3E%20Congo%20%28DRC%29~Africa%20%3E%20Egypt~Africa%20%3E%20Ghana~Africa%20%3E%20Kenya~Africa%20%3E%20Liberia~Africa%20%3E%20Madagascar~Africa%20%3E%20Mali~Africa%20%3E%20Mozambique~Africa%20%3E%20Nigeria~Africa%20%3E%20Rwanda~Africa%20%3E%20Senegal~Africa%20%3E%20Sierra%20Leone~Africa%20%3E%20Togo~Africa%20%3E%20Uganda~Africa%20%3E%20Lesotho~Africa%20%3E%20Malawi~Africa%20%3E%20Namibia~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Africa~Africa%20%3E%20South%20Sudan~Africa%20%3E%20Tanzania~Africa%20%3E%20Zambia~Africa%20%3E%20Zimbabwe&sortBy=popularity"},{name:"Eduardo",title:"Kiva's Chronicler",location:"United Kingdom",img:"eduardo",body:`+ A story that comes full circle -- Eduardo grew up in Peru and now lives in the United Kingdom. As a Kiva volunteer, he is able to keep in touch with his home country, as well as explore many others from the comfort of his home. +
+ Because Kiva borrowers are from all parts of the world, not all loan profiles come to us in English. As a volunteer translator, Eduardo receives the borrowers’ stories in their original language, in his case Spanish, and translates the text into English. More than 400 volunteers around the world, like Eduardo, translate and edit Kiva loans before they reach the site. +
+ Eduardo has been translating for Kiva for 3 years. In this time, he has seen some borrowers come back to the platform to request their second and third loans. To see borrowers thriving in their endeavors and growing more successful makes his volunteer work with Kiva even more rewarding. +
+ “I want to see people succeed and I know that Kiva provides opportunities for people to do that.” +
+ Kiva helps people move ahead in life, whether it’s to kickstart their business ideas, finish their studies, or improve their living conditions. For Eduardo, this was a major draw for him to Kiva. It struck him that many around the world are already so skilled; they just need an extra push from a Kiva loan to capitalize on their existing skills. +
+ Through the Spanish loans that Eduardo translates for Kiva, he is able to stay connected to his roots in Peru, while also playing a crucial role in Kiva’s work of expanding financial inclusion. +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend to European borrowers",cta2:"Lend to European borrowers",link1:"/lend/filter?countries=Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Albania~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Armenia~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Georgia~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Kosovo~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Moldova&sortBy=popularity",link2:"/lend/filter?countries=Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Albania~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Armenia~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Georgia~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Kosovo~Eastern%20Europe%20%3E%20Moldova&sortBy=popularity"},{name:"Lev",title:"Refugee Advocate",location:"California",img:"lev",body:`Lev Plaves was working with youth in Palestine when he learned about Kiva. While there, he found that one of the biggest obstacles youth faced to pursuing their dreams was a lack of access to formal financial services, like bank accounts and lines of credit. Recalling his introduction to Kiva, Lev says, “It seemed like this perfect bridge between the work that I had been doing and what I saw as this financial gap.” +
+ +Lev is now Kiva’s Senior Investment Manager for refugees and displaced populations. +
+ +In his early days with Kiva, Lev worked largely with refugee and displaced populations in the Middle East. However, since the refugee crisis has become increasingly global, Lev’s geographical focus has expanded to include working with refugee populations in Latin America and East Africa. +
+ +As Senior Investment Manager, Lev manages Kiva’s relationships with our Field Partners in these regions. Kiva’s Field Partners are local nonprofits, microfinance institutions, schools, social enterprises, and NGOs. In addition to disbursing lenders’ loans and collecting repayments, many Field Partners provide other services to borrowers, such as business counseling, entrepreneurial training, and literacy skills. +
+ +Lev sees Kiva’s relationships with Field Partners as a two-way street. “We can help them, we can guide them, but we also learn a ton from them. They’re the ones on the ground, and they can tell us what their local communities need most, then it’s on Kiva to best support that.” +
+ +Lev feels particularly proud of how much Kiva’s impact on refugee and displaced communities has grown over the years, “In 2016, our lenders funded about $1 million dollars worth of loans to refugees. Fast forward to today, about 4 years later, we’ve loaned over $18 million to more than 22,000 refugees around the world.” +
+ +One Syrian refugee had a distinctly profound impact on Lev. Samira fled Syria with her family and resettled in a small mountain region east of Beirut. Syrian refugees wanting to get married in their host country often could not afford the high cost of hosting a wedding, preventing them from marrying. However, this obstacle was no match for Samira’s ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. +
+ +“She had been a make-up artist and hair stylist in Syria, so she started a home-based business initially doing make-up work for brides who were getting ready for their wedding day. Then, to grow her business, she used her Kiva loan to buy wedding dresses she now rents out to women who can’t afford the cost of buying a dress themselves.” +
+ +Samira’s creativity and drive help her family to afford rent for their apartment in Lebanon while also filling a gap in need within her community. +
+ +This work is an important start, but the need is still huge. “I think we have had a great start at Kiva, but moving forward, how can we start serving refugees in new countries? How can we expand to other regions, like to Asia, where there is a large refugee population? How can we expand our work here in the U.S. with resettled refugees?” +
+ +Expanding financial services to the global refugee community will truly take a village, but we believe the Kiva community is more than up to the challenge. +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend to refugees",cta2:"Lend monthly to refugees",link1:"/lend-by-category/refugees-and-i-d-ps",link2:"/monthlygood?category=refugees"},{name:"Linh",title:"Community Campaigner",location:"Australia",img:"lihn-do",body:`+ Linh Do's journey to becoming a Kiva lender began at a young age. "My parents came to Australia as refugees. Even though we didn't have a lot ourselves growing up, they always instilled in my brother and me that we could be doing something to help other people,” she said. Her family's background and values combined with her interest in the "idea that a dollar can go further than just what a dollar represents” sparked her interest in Kiva's model of crowdfunded microlending. +
+ "I really love being a lender on Kiva because it makes me embrace and practice the values that I have.” +
+ Linh is based in Melbourne, Australia. However, before the COVID-19 pandemic, she traveled often for work. Her travels heightened her awareness to "the fact that when you're a tourist or in a specific location for work, you don't get to see everything that country has to offer. That includes the problems that exist there. So I tend to try to support [loans] in locations that I'm also working in or a place that I've read about, just to learn a bit more about the world.” +
+ Linh prefers to lend to female entrepreneurs and small business owners. She recognizes that women typically have more difficulty accessing, or entirely lack access to, traditional funding sources, like banks. She wants to help Kiva bridge this gap, even if in a small way. +
+ Linh's favorite aspect of lending on Kiva.org? The short-term, tangible impact that lending as little as $25 can have on people's lives. "There's such a thrill about being able to browse a website, and rather than doing online shopping or something for yourself, knowing that every time you click to add a loan to your basket, you're actually helping someone else in the world. It feels like such a privilege to be able to do that.” +
+ She also enjoys sharing this passion for lending through Kiva with her community and often recruits new lenders. "One of the most impactful things that I've really enjoyed being able to do is telling other people about microfinance and expanding the number of people in my own community that have since joined Kiva.” +
+ It's been particularly interesting for Linh to have these conversations about Kiva and to see people realize that they, too, can have life-changing impact on people's lives without it requiring a large sum of money. "All of us can participate.” +
+ In the future, Linh is eager to see just how impactful Kiva can be, "Kiva turning 15 is pretty amazing. It proves all of the naysayers wrong that microfinance isn't something that works, isn't something that makes an impact, or isn't something that people would be interested in. I'm really excited to see how Kiva can continue to extend its impact.” +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend like Linh",cta2:"Lend monthly to refugees",link1:"/lend-by-category/women",link2:"/monthlygood?category=women"},{name:"Nilda",title:"Architect on Stilts",location:"Philippines",img:"nilda",body:`+ Meet Nilda! As a married mother of six children, she works hard to support her family. Nilda lives in the Philippines, where she owns a nipa – a stilt house indigenous to the Philippines – roofing business and earns additional income from raising pigs. +
+ Nilda borrowed her 12th loan through long-time Kiva Field Partner NWTF to buy nipa leaves, bamboo sticks, and other materials to continue to grow her business. She hopes that her hard work, along with a helping hand from NWTF and Kiva, will help her achieve her dream to save enough money to pay for her children’s college tuition. +
+ `,videoId:null,cta1:"Lend to a borrower like Nilda",cta2:"Lend to a borrower like Nilda",link1:"/lend/filter?countries=Asia%20%3E%20Cambodia~Asia%20%3E%20Indonesia~Asia%20%3E%20Kyrgyzstan~Asia%20%3E%20Philippines~Asia%20%3E%20Tajikistan~Asia%20%3E%20Vietnam~Asia%20%3E%20Bangladesh~Asia%20%3E%20Bhutan~Asia%20%3E%20India~Asia%20%3E%20Lao%20PDR~Asia%20%3E%20Myanmar~Asia%20%3E%20Nepal~Asia%20%3E%20Pakistan~Asia%20%3E%20Thailand&sortBy=popularity",link2:"/lend/filter?countries=Asia%20%3E%20Cambodia~Asia%20%3E%20Indonesia~Asia%20%3E%20Kyrgyzstan~Asia%20%3E%20Philippines~Asia%20%3E%20Tajikistan~Asia%20%3E%20Vietnam~Asia%20%3E%20Bangladesh~Asia%20%3E%20Bhutan~Asia%20%3E%20India~Asia%20%3E%20Lao%20PDR~Asia%20%3E%20Myanmar~Asia%20%3E%20Nepal~Asia%20%3E%20Pakistan~Asia%20%3E%20Thailand&sortBy=popularity"},{name:"Busie",title:"Cross-Cultural Connector",location:"Zimbabwe",img:"busie",body:`+ Just over 2 years ago, Busie from Zimbabwe happened upon a social media post from Kiva. + It was a call for volunteer translators! The role couldn't be more perfect for her. + Her professional skills and personal interests in microfinance and financial literacy paired well with Kiva's mission. +
+ +Fast forward to today. Busie plays a crucial part in amplifying borrowers’ voices and bringing their stories to a wider audience on Kiva’s lending platform. + She is one of 400 volunteers who review and translate every single loan on Kiva’s website. Kiva borrowers are from 94 countries, so not all loan profiles come to us in English. + Not only does Busie review and edit loans that have been translated to English, but she also leads a Spanish translation team. +
+ +Busie touches millions of lives when she reviews loans for Kiva. Her work allows potential lenders to understand the difference their money could make + for borrowers around the world. Borrower stories are the bridge between lenders and borrowers that make Kiva such a personal experience. +
+ +Busie’s most memorable moment while volunteering with Kiva was reviewing a loan for a borrower from Zimbabwe, her home country! + She was well aware of Kiva’s global reach but it never occurred to her that someone from her own community would also benefit from a Kiva loan. + This touching experience brought Kiva’s impact closer to home for Busie. +
+ +Over 2 years ago, Busie didn’t know that Kiva could take her on such an emotional and rewarding journey. + When she looks to the future, Busie sees herself as a Kiva volunteer for the next 15 years as Kiva expands and continues to provide economic opportunities + for entrepreneurs and small businesses around the world. +
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