Kiva means Unity in Swahili, and the idea of unity is central to Kiva. Matt and Jessica Flannery started Kiva, because they felt like they had found a “call to action,” while in Africa. For many entrepreneurs in Africa the major problem with starting a business was that there was not enough access to capital. So to help fix this common problem, Kiva was born.
I has never heard of Kiva before my initial glance at this site. At first I actually was a little confused to see the word “loan” in the description. After doing some research on the company and its vision I was really impressed. An exceprt from an article in the L.A Times summed up Kiva’s idea perfectly; “Through Kiva, anyone with $25 and an e-mail address can make a loan to a small entrepreneur in a developing country.” How simple is that?
I know that to college students 25.00 can seem like a large amount of money, but I know that many students feel like they are not able to make an impact on the world outside of the bubble because of the hindrances of the college lifestyle. Through Kiva, even College students can make a difference with 25.00!
It would be great to see campus organizations, such as fraternities and sororities becoming involved with Kiva!
