顥奇觀點 Kiva微型貸款 幫助開發中國家走出貧窮

之前在學校念過Microlending的相關文章，一直以為那是國際人道組織、世界銀行這種大型機構才能做的事，今天發現了這個網站，Kiva 提供貸款者的資料，只要有心，每個人都可以在這個網站上提供貸款，幫助開發中國家的人民走出貧窮。
有心的讀者可以繼續看下去，將虛擬的網路和真實生活結合，勢必成為下一波網路的新趨勢，事實上已經開始了，我們不只在網路上交流，也會有實質的來往、合作、聚會。這也是我常說的，人生所追求的，就是一種自己喜歡的生活方式，虛擬的世界如何美好，還是要回歸到人身上，把自己經營好，也帶給身邊的人幸福。
We Let You Loan to the Working Poor
Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.
Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.
The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.
Kiva partners with existing expert microfinance institutions. In doing so, we gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Our partners are experts in choosing qualified entrepreneurs. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva, our partners upload their entrepreneur profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them. When you do, not only do you get a unique experience connecting to a specific entreprenuer on the other side of the planet, but our microfinance partners can do more of what they do, more efficiently.
Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform. We are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle, and what effect it has on the people and institutions lending it, borrowing it, and managing it along the way. To do this, we are using the power of the internet to facilitate one-to-one connections that were previously prohibitively expensive. Child sponsorship has always been a high overhead business. Kiva creates a similar interpersonal connection at much lower costs due to the instant, inexpensive nature of internet delivery. The individuals featured on our website are real people who need a loan and are waiting for socially-minded individuals like you to lend them money.