photo from the Socialedge Kiva Chronicles blog

Over the past few years there has been a new brand of charitable organization helping people around the world: the microloan charity.  It works like this:  Individuals around the world are given small loans ($350, $500, even $1000 us) to help begin or improve a business.  The money comes in the form of a small loan of as little as $25 US from many people in many countries.  The individual then improves their situation and consequently pays back the loans.

Kiva is the first one of these programs I came across a few years ago,  and after looking at their website they have come a long way in that time!  Go take look and read the journals that debcribe each recipient and how they used their loan.  There are about 2400 PAGES of recipients and nearly all of them have payed back their loans.

Sounds like a great investment to me!