Speaking of helping the poor…

Despite the many evils that circulate on the Internet, I firmly believe that it can also be a powerful tool for good. The Kiva website is an example of what I mean.

Kiva is an example of micro-financial lending, in which participants like you and me don’t *give* money so much as *lend* it to micro-entrepreneurs who are then obliged to pay it back. Of course, by paying it back the money then re-enters the borrowing and lending cycle and can be used to help another micro-entrepreneur.

This kind of thing really tickles me, especially given my background in finance. I mentioned in my previous post how the poor are often caught in cycles of usurious loans which keep them down. These kinds of programs are a real chance to break free.