Kiva Matazone Team - helping support small businesses in poorer countr Options

[Mata]

I've started a team on Kiva for Matazone people:

http://www.kiva.org/team/matazone

Kiva is an organisation set up to provide loans to individuals and groups in developing nations and poorer countries. These are people who through age, geography, or lack of any credit history are unable to get loans to help support them get businesses started or growing so that they can support their families.

Money can be loaned from PayPal accounts, and I had a fair bit of money sitting around in mine, so I've loaned a decent amount to get the ball rolling. The minimum loan is $25, but you can loan as much as you like. Yes, there is some risk, but around 97% of the loans are repaid (I've no idea if interest is paid).

These are loans - no gifts - so you are very likely to get your money back in 6-12 months, when you can choose to either take your money back or use it support a new person.

So, currently team Matazone (which is just me at the moment) is proud to have been the over-50% sponsor of Julia Marca De Anahua of Peru. http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...ut&id=88195 She runs a small business selling sheep and wants to buy some more to grow her business and support her children through school.

If you join up then you can start sponsoring someone new and we can work to support more people around the world!

[Smiler]

What an amazing idea. Yes the risks are there but for the groups of communities we'd be helping the direct investment may be worthwhile. Will have to mull but might be worthwhile.

[CrazyFooIAintGet...]

*bump*

I just got an email from them saying 1/4 of my loan has already been repaid, which reminded me that I forgot to join the group when I signed up

So yeah, now we have two members...

[Mata]

I got back $55 of my original loan a couple of days ago, so I'm now funding a chap in a country I can't even spell reliably - Tajikistan. I'll be putting the other loan money into other groups when I get more repayments. It really does rock.

And thanks for joining the group, Mat

[Mata]

Team Matazone is now helping to fund a new business. This time we're reaching out to Cagayan... Which I'm now going to go and look up on a map!

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=102424

[Cath Sparrow]

I think it's in the Phillipeans. (took a look on google earth )

[elphaba2]

Oh my goodness! I have a PayPal now! I can do this!

Consider my beer money for the rest of the month no longer my beer money. Being an ostensible grown-up is really awesome sometimes

[Mata]

Cool! Thanks for joining in. Team Matazone is now helping out Félicité Aziakpor in Tsévié, Togo too! Thanks Elph!

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=101450

Being part of this really brightens my day. I've started getting my loans back and reinvesting the money in new businesses. It's really quite addictive!

[gothictheysay]

This looks so cool! Once I figure out if I'm going to have spare money soon, I will donate! Especially after I get a job, too. I think this is a great idea!

[Mata]

Matazone is now supporting Ith Aun in the Takeo province of Cambodia.

We would have been supporting other people too, but I made the donations under the wrong team name. Doh!

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=107613

[Mata]

We are now helping Nizamaddin Mammadov, a cattle farmer in Sabirabad, Azerbaijan:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=109062

It's been a good month for corset sales so I've been putting a little more money into supporting other business people through Kiva

[Cath Sparrow]

Just joined and added a bit more to the pot.

[Mata]

Cool, thanks Cath! Warning: It's a bit addictive!

[Cath Sparrow]

hehe I dont think I'll be adding anymore for the time being probably just keep that donation bouncing round.

[craziness]

This is awesome!! I want to join the party.

[Mata]

We are now supporting the Mabongisi ya Nkolo Plus Group, specifically a lady called Elise Mayamba:

Elise Mayamba is a very courageous woman who has spent most of her life, since 1985, selling charcoal. Her business is very demanding. She has to go two or three times a week to the country to buy her merchandise and bring it back for resale to the city. Her business becomes more and more difficult during the rainy season because of the bad condition of the roads, especially in the backwoods.

In January 2008, Elise decided to join one of the groups of Hope RDC in view of finding permanent financial support which will allow her to realize her dream of one day opening a general store. She is a faithful client who has received several loans from Hope, which she has reimbursed completely and on time.

The most recent loan which she has received this month of June permitted her to diversify her business by buying sacks of dried beans, onions, vegetable oil, and salted fish to re-sell in order to increase her profit. She has a working capital of US$ 130 and her business brings in a profit of US$ 40 per week which helps her pay the school fees for her children. She sells her wares in a mountainous zone in the south-west of Kinshasa. Elise is 45, married, and the mother of 4 children, aged between 13 and 19. All are enrolled in school.

Yay! Now I do actually know where the Democaratic Republic of the Congo is, and I've heard of Kinshasa, but I don't know where that bit is so I'm off to look that up. I really do love Kiva. Anyone else fancy joining our team? The link's at the top of the thread

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=118585

[Cath Sparrow]

The money I put in only just reasonly went to Nizamaddin Mammadov the cattle farmer in Azerbaijan. I'm guessing there's a couple of MZ loans bouncing round.

[Mata]

I've now had the full value back from my first loan, so today I'm sending money over to Ghana and the Asaase Wura Group:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=122694

[Mata]

Today's new loan is heading off to sunny Nigeria, to help a lady named Mary Alaloyin run her pharmacy:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=133882

[Cath Sparrow]

I got $1.34 back yesterday so will have to wait a little before I can reloan.

[Mata]

I think I've got about $300 floating around the world with various people, and I usually pick shorter loan terms so I can reloan more often. I often get back enough each month to start helping someone new, but that's mainly because I've got so much in the system.

[Cath Sparrow]

Aye. I just put in the minimum amount and dont really have anything to top it up with.

[CrazyFooIAintGet...]

Yeah same here. My first loan just got repaid so I've lent it to another group

[Mata]

Today, money is winging its way off to Kenya, to a chap called Bedan Nganga:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=140803

[Mata]

Mirismayil Mammadov in Agsu, Azerbaijan is today's lucky chap.

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesse...t&id=141949