I'm just curious if anyone particaptes in [URL=http://www.kiva.org/]KIVA[/URL] We have just started after having been meaning to for a long time. We have supported a group in Rwanda in farming efforts. Friends of mine do this and have felt that it was very successful.

Jane: I too had looked at this website several years ago as being a source of helping some needy people.
However, at the bottom of the page it says "Lending to the working poor through Kiva involves risk of principal loss. Kiva does not guarantee repayment nor do we offer a financial return on your loan".

Aside from that I hesitate giving Paypal or credit card information to anyone I don't personally know. My credit card info was confiscated from Barclay's bank in Kenya last December with charges of $4,000.00
illegally charged to my credit card. Thus I am skeptical about sending money to any person or organization I don't know personally.

I had wanted to send a Paypal payment to a friend in Kenya and was told PayPal doesn't send money to Kenya because of the corruption there. People in Kenya can make a payment via PayPal but PayPal won't pay them. I also tried sending a payment online via Western Union to Kenya and they wouldn't do it.

Thus my feeling is that I give to needy people I've met while there to try to help them out and have done so in the past.

If you decide to do this please share the results so we'll know whether it is legitimate or not.

Jan, I am doing it for a farming loan in Rwanda. I have several friends who have done this for a few years and speak very highly of it. As far as I know there is no financial gain from doing this; although you are to regain the money loaned. My friends just have the money reinvested in another project.

I don't have a problem giving cc info over a secure site. Here is a link on the KIVA site that talks about risk. [URL=http://www.kiva.org/about/risk]Risk and Due Diligence[/URL]

The loans are so small--as little as $25 that getting it back is not all that important and the chance to assist someone in becoming financially self sufficient is worth the risk--for me. I like the idea that there is some oversight and accountability.

Jane: Glad to know your friends have used it before with no credit card problems. As you state, one doesn't mind losing a small amount if it is not paid back, but you don't want your credit affected neatively if it gets in the wrong hands. I know one of our Bushdrums members had her identity stolen several years ago and it caused her all sorts of problems.

Will look into KIVA further. Thanks for posting it.