One of my favorite "charities" is actually not truly charity, and it doesn't involve giving away my money. Instead, it's about loaning money.
Through Kiva (a non-profit organization that links up lenders with people who need micro-loans) I've loaned a total of $8,800 to 40 different people. My actual outlay for that money is a bit over $1000, slowly added into that loan-pot over several years. As my loanees repay the money, I just lend it back out again. I really enjoy the chance to see what people all over the world are doing -- Kiva posts their stories and gives me updates.
Because I can loan out at little as $25 at a time, and because I could always choose to get my money back or to reloan it to another person, this is a frugal way to help people all the way across the world.
The stories of the people I'm loaning to have an indirect impact on they way I view my own life, too. For example, in the US there are actually more automobiles than drivers. But when I loan somebody $100 so she can buy a bicycle to transport her goods to market, that puts my own car into a different context. I like those reminders; they make me more content with what I already own.
Through Kiva (a non-profit organization that links up lenders with people who need micro-loans) I've loaned a total of $8,800 to 40 different people. My actual outlay for that money is a bit over $1000, slowly added into that loan-pot over several years. As my loanees repay the money, I just lend it back out again. I really enjoy the chance to see what people all over the world are doing -- Kiva posts their stories and gives me updates.
The stories of the people I'm loaning to have an indirect impact on they way I view my own life, too. For example, in the US there are actually more automobiles than drivers. But when I loan somebody $100 so she can buy a bicycle to transport her goods to market, that puts my own car into a different context. I like those reminders; they make me more content with what I already own.
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