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Want to help farmers around the world?

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Hi everyone... I do a little traveling outside the country, and it always amazes me to see farmers still using mules and hand tools as their only farm implements. I came across Kiva a year or so ago, and finally realized this is a way to help those farmers.

Kiva.org is a microlending company that coordinates small lenders with small business people. I've set up a team (called Team Tractorama) to encourage farmers to set up small loans to other farmers around the world. (These are loans, not donations -- the money is returned.)

For example, I donated $25 to a cattle farmer in Nicaragua. I used the $25 that was repaid from an earlier loan I made to a farmer in Equador. So, I keep recycling the money to different farmers.

It's pretty interesting. If you want more information, check out this page:
<a href="http://tractorama.us/TractoramaKivaTeam.html">www.Tractorama.us/TractoramaKivaTeam.html</a>

Thanks for reading, and happy new year!
KivaCattlePhoto.jpg

Tractoramas Kiva Team
 
(reply to post at 14:42:40 01/09/09)
Click to expand...

OH BOY, OH BOY!!!!!!!!!

Where do I sign???? Bubba just paid me back the two bucks I loaned him for smokes last week.

Wanna keep my money working for me....don'tcha know.......
 
This wouldnt be one of those internet scams now would it?

Even if it was I am sure that you wouldnt tell me would you.?

I aint giving one penny to your loan system, on account I think you will rip me off.

Besides you are probably in Africa anyway..
Right.!
 
i dont know the particulars on this specific organization, however you can look them up on google or yahoo. my wife worked for several years for a similar type company that supplied micro loans in third world countries for start up venture capital for individuals to start business. loans were generally under a hundred dollars us. she traveled extensively, africa, asia, eastern european block countries and the south pacific. it allowed the impoverished an opportunity to better themselves and become self sufficient. they set up banks, helped with business plans ect... not a bad deal.
 
I think I saw this on TV not too long ago. The best I remember, it starred Richard Pryor - he was standing up front of the country boy group, selling shares with one hand and stuffing 20 dollar bills in his pockets with the other hand.

(I may be wrong, but it sure sounds like a Ponzi scheme to me????)
 
There are lots companies that organize micro loans, but Kiva is one of the best known now. They've been featured Forbes, Time, Town & Country, CNN, Fox, Wall Street Journal, and many more.

Your wife has seen a lot, probably. Once you see the farmers out in the fields raking hay onto 8-foot-high piles, it changes your perspective.

Thanks for your input -- it looks like I've probably made most people upset with my post -- which wasn't my intention!
 
the company she worked for paid for travel. she did accounting work for them. not glamourous travel by any means, took anti malaria medicine, all kinds of extra vacinations for diseases that were in those countrys. accomodations were also less than standard.
 
The company is well vetted. Here's a link to the list of news agencies that have covered them:
<a href="http://www.kiva.org/about/press/">www.kiva.org/about/press/</a>.

This link includes links to the actual news coverage, too.
 
The seed of money is money, just as the seed of corn is corn. Government must leave some financial resources in the hands of citizens. The more left for citizens, the better for the economy. More seed money.
 
Jacquie, don't get us wrong here the main problem I see is that we have very, very serious problems here in the good old USA and the problem is if Washington doesn't get it soon we are going to have more starving people here at home and unlike many years ago alot of people don't even have the ability to build a fire let alone growing food to eat at least the people you're trying to help have lived with poverty most of their lives most of this generation will die without some sort of subsistance. Maybe you need to redirect your efforts with all due respects.
 
I understand your position. I certainly understand the variety of suffering around our country. This is not my only attempt to help people -- that's why I'm a teacher by profession. This is just one way to help that I believe is reasonable.

It's not a donation, it's a loan. And frankly, even though I've got less than $100 invested in Kiva loans now, my money is doing a lot better there than it is in my retirement fund! :)
 
Jackie, Thanks for the link. My son told me about Kiva a couple of years ago and I"d forgotten about it until your reminder. A most worthwhile project.
Bob seND
 
There are so many here who are loud to protest that their "Christian" values are being marginalized by our socety, yet turn away when they are asked to help their fellowman. As on the topic a few pages back about what gifts one might give to Jesus today, they convict themselves with their own words.

These people think that helping others is anti-conservative-values, and they apparently think their version of "conservative values" will be counted as righteousness when the "scores" are finally "tabulated." But my Bible says something different:

"And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:31-46).
 
When I was a student at MU in the early 70's we were sending breeding stock (hogs) to Japan and China. India was importing wheat and we were sending them seed stock. Now most US farmers are out of the hog business and India is exporting wheat. We have helped all of these third world peons out produce us. I say it is time to look out for our selves and screw the rest of them. It is not our fault or responsibility that they cannot look out for themselves.

Gene
 
Now that this dropped tot he 2nd page I should clairify - just a fun little comment based on some previous messages, hope we all are smiling together, not trying to say anything at all. :)

It's interesting how we all can look at the same world & see different things. Sometimes thats frustrating, but it's also what makes it all worth while.

--->Paul
 
So what is Chavez doing with that oil money {Yankee dollars] he is raking in? Noticed he handed out land to the peasants but left it to you for the start capital, probably needs the coin to oil his socialist [communist] pursuits.Your effort is like throwing a pebble into L. Superior,although commendable. While they are kept ignorant and poor they pose no threat.Have you noticed, over the years, no efforts have been made to improve their lot.
 
Exact quote used by "Jack a" on the 9th under topic "homework question etc" even to the extent where it says "you gave me no food". Can't see how you can give [an action] nothing. Shouldn't it be you did not give me ANY food.Also who is orchestrating this because it says "he will" which sounds like a directive.
 
I subscribe to the "I do what I can" school of philanthropy. I can't fix the problems in the world, but Kiva makes it easy and painless to help a few people who need help, and are willing to pay back a loan.

Here's a photo I took this summer of some beautiful Lake Superior pebbles!
SuperiorRocks.jpg
 
This is something like Heifer International, a charity my Parents supported for years. A bred heifer is given to a Villager and that person gives the calf to another family and so on. Both programs involve people helping themselves after a very small start from the organization. These type of efforts are intended to help people in third world countries improve their living standards and eventually join the world economy, it was only 70 years ago that a large percentage of the US population had to spend most of their time and labor just to provide the basics, food,clothing, shelter. This is a whole lot better than blanket foreign aid funds that are stolen by the receiving Goverments to buy weapons to further suppress their own people. I see several comments about people starving in the USA -- that has been a abundant buzz slogan for years, used whenever some other hysterical lie isn't getting any traction. I am sure there are plenty of little kids who are mal-nourished due to not receiving proper care from dope addicted Mothers or those who are just too lazy or stupid to care for them. I also know there are homeless on the streets, mostly due to mental illness and some sort of substance abuse who miss meals but if any full blown grapes of wrath style hobo camps full of laid off familys existed in the US you can bet it would be on T.V. 24/7. At best it can be said that most of the poverty in the US is a result of the failed abundant policies of the last 50 years, at worst the poor and uneducated are purposely kept that way to provide a block vote for the nnalert.
 
I agree, Paul. This has been in interesting exchange for me. I looked at Kiva as an easy and risk-free way to help others. But my point of view is different than others here.

This discussion has made me wonder why there's not a similar microloan service and web site to help people here at home.
 
I had heard of 'a' micro loan service thing a while ago. I assume it is the same one you pointed out.

It's not 'my' thing, but I think it's really neat idea, and if it helps people get on their feet that is cool.

I get grumpy and self-absorbed sometimes.... Nice to see programs that get to the level of helping people down on the street/ dirt path.

I kinda try to take care of my real small part of the world, and not get too far away with my support & efforts. I don't always know that those far away things are doing what they say they are.

That doesn't mean I don't appreciate programs like this for what they can do.

Hope that makes some sense.

--->Paul
 
"Be careful not to perform your good works publicly to be noticed by the people; else you forfeit reward from your Father who is in Heaven. Thus, when you give charity, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to gain glory from men. I assure you, they have their reward...Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves dig through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where no moth or rust destroys and where thieves do not dig through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."--Mathew 6: 1-2, 19-21, Modern Language translation.
 
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