35 Gifts Challenge Gift 3 & 4

You may recall that I am undergoing a 35 gift challenge— giving 35 gifts to others as my 35th birthday approaches. 

Gift 3 was a Kiva loan. Last year, as part of my birthday goal list, I decided to make a Kiva loan. Kiva is a micro-finance organization that allows individuals to partner with others who all lend a small amount individually (which can add up to a significant amount together) to help enterpreneurs around the globe obtain a loan to start or buoy their business.  You are repaid your original loan amount fairly quickly and Kiva gives you the option of cashing out or reusing that $25 to finance someone else.  I had forgotten that I had money in my Kiva account that I could reloan and so, today, I reloaned that amount to a group of 8 female entrepreneurs in Mali.  Because nearly three out of four of the world’s poor are women and girls, these female entrepreneur groups can make a dramatic impact.

Gift 4 was volunteering to drive people to the polls.  I love the democratic process– voting chokes me up everytime.  I relish the process and want others to have the opportunity to appreciate how amazing it is, too.