KIVA Micro-Loans

[SuperDachshund]

I've heard of KIVA. I've always thought it was a good idea. I'm glad Penn chimed in on this. Thanks Penn.

[32azaf]

Good day, Ill teach you how I earn tons of money making youtube videos. Find some royalty free tunes. Upload all the stuff somewhere. Then join bee4biz (just Google it) and use them to protect your download link. Make videos advertising your royalty free download and post protected download link in description. bee4biz pays you each time people complete a survey to unlock your download link. They pay via moneybookers or PayPal weekly.

[Stuie417]

My Mom ask me to make a donation to this group as her Mother's Day gift. I sent $25 to a woman in Cambodia who is trying to purchase some piglets for her farm!

[pennsays]

Hi Penn fans. Penn Says videos have been discontinued, so you won't be seeing any new content on here. You can check out our Profile on our Channel Page for more info. We'll still be checking in, so hope to keep chatting with you all! Thanks!

[IgorSavtchenko]

Hi, Robbie!

[358Liberty]

Micro-Loans might be welfare unless they have a good legal system and property rights and protection from gov.

[axelasdf]

I really like the Heifer foundation.

[MortuusTyrannus]

I love this idea. Helping people who truly want to help themselves. Everyone wins.

[Hectortuba155817]

do penns vids take a while to load for anyone else? It doesnt take forever or anything but it isnt streaming. I would assume its cause of the amount of people trying to view it at the same time but its only got about 4500 views.

[pennsays]

@Hectortuba155817 Are you still having this problem?

[Hectortuba155817]

nope, seems to be working fine now

[pennsays]

@Hectortuba155817 Great to hear! Please let us know if you experience any other issues.

[SeriousPsyche]

It's just the processing. Videos are uploaded before they are fully processed. Or used to. Not sure about it now, though.

[tybrady64]

I just loaned $25 to a woodworker in Guatemala. The agency he is with has a 0% default rate, so in another few months or so, I should be able to loan the same money again.

Thanks for the cool "feel good" idea Penn!

[tekobari]

I sent a small amount to a co-op of women in India who wanted to start a sewing business. They paid it right off and are now making enough money to live on. So you take that money they paid back and put it into something else. Penn's right--it can be a couple hundred or ten bucks. It all goes into the pot.

It's a genius idea.

[ShortbusMooner]

Micro loans are going to catch on here in the states. It's going to be the only way to get anything done!

[Luminasita]

Gotta agree with the others who say a couple hundred is a lot of money- that's rent! ;)

Good idea, though, and I do hope to be able to try it out.. someday.

~Kat

[jlewis300]

well, the point is not to give what you cannot afford, what is cool is that you chip in *whatever* toward their goal. I have been noodling around there a bit and I really like it...

[Lutier2008]

@Luminasita $25 bucks is ALL you nees to get started. Once they pay you back after the loan is finished you can RELOAN the same 25 bucks.

By the end of 2 or 3 years, those same 25 bucks will have funded over 200 dollars in loans.

Micro financing reflects the real power of money.

[pretorious700]

I loaned money here in Thailand to build 3 houses (less than $ 20,000) for neighbors and friends..I got paid back with interest in less than a year.

[JonO387]

A couple hundred dollars is a lot to me.

[pretorious700]

two hundred dollars won't but groceries for a family of four now for a week

[JonO387]

You have strange priorities if you can't.

[pretorious700]

I don't mean me, I mean the average over-consuming family.

[kittyprydekissme]

That was Muhammad Yunis, who founded the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh in the 1970s. It's usually considered the most successful anti-poverty programme in history. And it makes a profit.

[unhappy4life9]

Serious Question: Should I buy stock in GM?

[freesk8]

No way.

What kind of management experience does the govt have in auto makers?

The best top managers will leave now that their pay is limited by the govt because GM accepted TARP bailout money.

Would you invest in Trabant? No.

[CowboyArtist]

Yup, I did this two years ago and I got all my money back within a few months. I would have let it ride but I was strapped. Thanks for reminding me, I'm gonna get back on there.

[dgmills2000]

What a wonderful idea. Just signed up and made my first loan.

[iTellYouNoLie]

capitalism strikes again!!!

:P

it's a good idea.

[pennsays]

things to remember: strippers will not repay a loan

[Artivous13]

Not with at least.

[bucjason]

Who can afford to loan money in Obama's economy?? I'm having enough trouble paying my own bills...

[jidar]

haha... Obamas economy. It's amazing how quickly people can forget...

[unhappy4life9]

At least he's better than Bush was...

[pretorious700]

wtf? He's four times worse than Bush if you can count.

[merlin4012]

I made a Kiva loan, and got the money back, and it was cool, so yeah, all right.

[gwagblade]

All I can say is

"The Planetary Society"

"The Carl Sagan Fund for the Future""

are extremely beneficial to the advancement of Technology and to the discovery of undiscovered Extra-Solar Planetary Systems

[greyed]

I loan through Prosper. Same basic concept but centered more here in the US.

[bgordon647]

I share my weed with everybody...but somehow I don't think that counts.

[boxofotters]

It counts.

[gwydion75]

Lending Club lets you make money while doin it. Kiva's nice and everything, but I don't see anyone putting tens of thousands into it without any return on investment.

[Ryan2142]

I've heard about these loans years ago. They make a lot of smart poor people rich. I'm really glad. =]

[TheLonelyImmortal]

I hear and obey.

[blackopsninja]

Penn, I get the feeling you get sued a lot.

:P

[ufo8mykat]

Microloans are a great idea! The only thing I'd look out for is the collateral people have to put up to get a microloan. It can take a whole community to put up collateral for one borrower, and then the pressure to succeed is immense.

Great words though, Penn! What else have ya got? :)

[TiktaalikRoseae]

Penn, I don't know if this was intentional on your part. But I went to the Kiva website and accidentally and almost to my great surprise and joy found that Atheists are the #1 group in the amount donated to others. If you go to the community section the Out Campaign A is on the very top! Above Kiva christians (lol). Anyway, that was a fascinating accidental discover. I guess atheists trust strangers the most (I joke). Atheists have loaned out 1 million dollars so far. The most of all groups.

[culwin]

When religion tells you to tithe a certain percent to the church, it's kind of hard to have money left over to give to other causes.

[jehjeh3712]

You had to go there, didn't you?

[GetMeThere1]

micro loans are great.

Now, if there could only be "micro internet connection," and "micro education," big things could REALLY start to happen.

[ijustwantfreedom420]

thats great i will check it out

[RDJim]

That's very christian of you Penn.

[MagnusIan]

Yeah, 'cause atheists usually kick old people down staircases and set orphans on fire. XD

[squishedlizard]

I love, love, love Kiva! I have been a member for years. I have a t-shirt from Kiva saying "Wanna help buy a goat?" which makes people ask about Kiva and gives me a good chance to explain!

I want to start an art show to benefit Kiva. Artists would donate small pieces and to purchase one, someone makes a $25 loan to a Kiva borrower of their choice. I have had a hard time getting publicity for it though and will have to wait until spring.

[TexasJoe1985]

I am glad you posted on this. I saw the site before and wasn't sure about it. But I am gonna give it ago now.

[GenshiMediaGroup]

I discovered Kiva for myself in June and contribute regularly. I myself am a struggling musician, photographer and designer; struggling because I can't get a loan for any of my projects, so I have to work a crappy day job living paycheck to paycheck, but I still have enough left over to get my $5 Starbucks each day. Now, I spend that on Kiva to help people (that are actually struggling) and I've been paid back a couple of times already. It's not about making a profit, it's about helping others!

[PhilloBaggins]

KIVA is fun...

[defect530]

i find more joy helping animals than people

thats just me

[Stargazer5781]

I loooooooooooove kiva! They kick ass.

[UnionJack26]

I've been using KIVA for a couple months now... it's great!!!

Thanks for posting, Penn!!! :-)

[Khayd4126]

Once I get a job and get the illusion of being settled, I'd already planned to check it out :)

[maniacoffroader]

This is pretty cool

[myintellectualjourny]

Kiva is great! ;)

One of the best parts is that you can turn around and use the money you loaned once its paid back and help someone else... and then just do that over and over again.

You're money is going to help people help themselves and build their lives rather than maintain a dependency (I agree, people need emergency help out there also. I'm just glad to see something that works toward a more permanent solution.)

Kiva is the boomb ;o)

[donotfeedthetroll]

i remember an activist who did this in india, and pretty much 100% of the time you get your money back, which is actually much higher than alot of middle class people asking for loans for their five story house or whatever other garbage they want

[Nades129]

I donate aids

[adelelles]

Are you dying your hair Penn?  I think it would look sweet long and grey...

[lvecsey]

I heard about this too a few months ago. I think that as long as the rate of return that is possible in the financial markets vastly exceeds charity and donations, the societal game is still rigged. It's somewhat of a guilt trip actually but I guess knowing that there are others above you isn't much of a recourse.

[tx3p]

I went to Uganda on a month long study abroad program focusing on the economic situation there. we met with some people who had gotten KIVA loans and it was amazing how the small loans could allow them to grow their business and completely change their living situation.

[Jkelquedi]

i am glad i am not forced to make a loan to someone, of course, if they paid me back with interest, i might be happy about that because then i could make a profit.

[Nate2203]

of course they want cola at their burger stand, that's how they make the real $ :-) Smart move.

[hoomelemele1]

I don't give

[a012345]

You won't receive either.

[hoomelemele1]

I don't expect to

[MikeSarno]

Kiva seems like a great idea. I actually signed up last week and contributed to two different loans.

[jetzzfan]

I just donated $25 to a man in Rwanda to expand his retail operation. I like this idea. I think I'll fund a loan every couple of weeks.

[Cailwyn]

Is this pure charity, or can you actually make a profit through this?

I think this could be an awesome way to do banking! It would give every customer a direct, personal interest in their own bank. And, at the same time, it would promote both a libertarian AND egalitarian business environment; which are two ideas which are too often opposed in peoples minds.

[lordcheetah]

It's just charity, although unlike most charities, you usually get your money back.

[Trigunflame]

Last time I checked Penn, we the US nation are the largest debtor nation in the fucking World.

If they are funding peoples start-ups, it needs to be in for people in Our nation.

[grendelee]

Yeah, but for some reason, i doubt that program with here in america. we dont seem to like eachother very often, it seems.

[haxanthrobo]

Just a thought.

Kiva is very interesting....but lots of people have good ideas here too.

how about KIVA type loans for American business? not too long ago before it was all outsourced for the bottom line, we were a productive nation. ..and doing much better because of it.

[pokerace87]

The problem is businesses in America require a large amount of investment ,even small businesses

So,.I don't think donations would help that much.

However,I would love to see private organizations impulse entrpreneurship in America. People have become entirly

dependent on Bank loans and that has to change.

[FFRQ]

They're not just getting $25 dollar loans and that's what they're using. The point is that they get a bunch of small microloans and then they invest and normally there's a return.

[haxanthrobo]

hello pokerace,

I have survived for over 20 years freelance without even one bank loan.

Outsourcing beats making goods here mainly because it uses slave labor .

so its NOT because it is too expensive to do it here ...we did it before.

Its because its LESS to do it elsewhere(more money for corporations not workers). we've been sold out by globalists.

Now the people's hard earned money is used bail out FEDERAL RESERVE bankers!!

a private banking system BTW

[Paradox3121]

I may be wrong, but I think these are mainly for people in underdeveloped countries.

[KRISTYKATERI]

I do believe that this idea is in the making in the US. The money would be given out thur churches, temples etc. ,-thur non profits- so that interest wouldn't be accured.

[zottepark]

Definitely a great organisation. Great idea.

[anonyTurk182]

Penn, I'm thrilled you have mentioned Kiva. It is a great organization and, as you pointed out, it's a lot of fun to watch people make their lives better.

[muttgooch]

second

[GermanGangrel]

The vlogbrothers shared this organization a couple years ago. Great site.

[educatedsavage]

Checking the site out right now! Pretty awesome!

[justanotherdruid]

first

[TheReasonWhyGuy]

you are the first first, to ever comment first, on the first video... go first yourself ;D