Kiva

Although I featured this site on my financial blog, it’s cool enough I want to talk about Kiva here, too. Kiva is an organization that handles microloans for 3rd world countries. Basically you choose an individual in a poor country to lend money to — a microloan — and then you get paid back with interest. Loans start at $25, and the site encourages you to “diversify” and give small amounts to several people rather than a large amount to one person. Apparently fully funded loans have a 100% payback rate and the rest is around 96%, which is pretty good. The coolest thing is that it is a really nice way to help people out while using your own money as an investment.

Mr. Morales has been a merchant all his life. Today, he has a small grocery store. He lives with his grandson, who helps him with the business. “We share responsibilities. It’s a great help to me that he stays with me. I want to improve my business, to buy merchandise and furniture to accomodate it. I am asking for $1,000.00.”

The best part is that this guy is a dead ringer for Redd Foxx, otherwise known as Fred Sanford in Sanford and Son.

It’s a bit ironic, since Fred Sanford hated the Puerto Rican neighbor in the show:
Julio: Buenos Dias, Mr. Sanford.
Fred Sanford: And beans and disease to you, too.

Fred Sanford: Ain’t you got some work to do, Oleo?
Julio: The name is Julio, Mr. Stanford.
Fred Sanford: It’s “Sanford”, Julio.
Julio: Okay, then.
Fred Sanford: Why don’t you clean your yard up? Go take a bath. Go milk your goat.
Julio: I did all that this morning, man.
Fred Sanford: Well, why don’t you go back to Puerto Rico?
Julio: Mr. Sanford, I told you. I come from New York City. And I can live in any 50 states that I want.
Fred Sanford: Well, how about Alaska? That’s a state.

Anyway, I had a little too much fun with the quotes but ah well…