YEAR TWO: Introducing Your Micro-Borrowers

Remember the recent update and request for charitable funds?

Well, thanks to the generosity of donors like you (except they actually gave me money for this), Net Cotton Content has raised $412.79 for use on Kiva. Some of that is available for roll-over from repayment of last year's loans.

So here's what we've done, as the Kiva/Net Cotton Content Portfolio:

• First, because I like round numbers, I donated $12.79 to Kiva for its operations. (That money isn't coming back to us.)
• Then I lent $200 to each of two entrepreneurs. This money will, hopefully, be repaid for our further lending next year.

Here's how Kiva describes our micro-borrowers:

Loan #1: Treats in Tanzania
Mwashambani Genda, age 42, is married and has three children, ages 8,
9, and 29 years old. She has a café in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where she sells local foods, such
as tea, mandazi (a donut-like pastry), chapati (a flat bread, like
tortillas), chips, wali (rice) and ugali (a hot, sticky dough made from
maize flour). She earns a monthly profit of around $210.

This will be Mwashambani’s first loan from Tujijenge Tanzania, Kiva's distribution partner in Tanzania. She hopes to obtain a loan to expand her business.

Mwashambani will share this loan with her loan group, Waukae, which
has 15 members. The members of the group hold each other accountable
when repaying the loan. In the photo, Mwashambani is in the back row
wearing a blue dress.

Kiva's partner has advanced her funding against her request for US$2,525. We loaned $200, which will be used to backfill that loan.

Loan #2: Bricks in Nigeria
Mabel Odigie is a married with three children in
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. She is 39 years old. She is a
hard-working woman and she hopes to lift her business and family above
poverty.

Mabel sells bricks to make a living. This is the high season for her
business and she hopes to make more profits during this season. Her
greatest joy is the one-on-one interaction that she has with her
customers. She hopes to expand her business in the future. She hopes
for a loan of US$1,150 to purchase more bricks to sell. She says
thanks to all Kiva lenders.

Again, Kiva's partner in Nigeria, Lift Above Poverty Organization, has disbursed the money. We loaned $200, which will be used to backfill that loan.

Please remember: these are real people, living valid lives, in color.

Thanks To Our Donors
So who are these generous people like you?

Here are the folks who sent money for this year's charitable lending:

Year Two Donors
Emily, Nick, Joe, Michelle, Mary Ellen, and Julie

Their money was co-mingled (mmmm…) with the money from 2008's donors, because that money was lent and repaid last year — and is part of the giving again this year:

Year One Donors
John, Rachel, Emily, Abbie, and Michelle

Thanks to all.

Why give? What goes around comes around.