Life of Joy

If you are thinking of doing a free trial on KIVA, please give this guy a look.

He's running a natural herbs/products factory in Lebanon and has requested a loan to buy raw materials and oils. He's got $900 left to raise and only 3 days left on KIVA before his post expires. As a man, he's up against smaller odds of getting his loan fully funded. Women on KIVA get loans much, much faster than do men. As a Middle Eastern man, he is even less likely to appeal to U.S. loaners.

Plus, the portfolio yield is just above 20%---reflecting a very reasonable interest rate for an international microloan. Plus, he's in a politically sensitive area (thus his face has been hidden), so I think he could use a break. He's been on KIVA for almost a month and only 11 people have loaned to him.

You can see his profile and cut him a break here:

http://www.kiva.org/lend/392940



"Nizar is a 53-year-old Lebanese married man who lives with his wife and one child who is still studying. He’s the one taking care of his family and he is looking to enhance their way of living. Nizar has owned a natural herbs factory since 2010, where he produces and sells natural products to the neighboring areas. Today, he needs to borrow a loan from Kiva Partner Ameen s.a.l. to purchase the needed quantity of herbs and oils in order to carry on his work in a proper way. In that way, he will be able to boost his productivity and earn superior income. In the future, he plans to open his own natural products shop."

http://www.kiva.org/team/blue_star_wicca_and_friends

It took us 2 years and 9 months.

Fifty of us worked together to do it.

We loaned to 722 entrepreneurs, reaching and helping at least 2,888 people, if you assume that each entrepreneur was supporting or partially supporting at least 3 others. And this is probably a low number.

Team members, please reward yourself in some small way today.

You are part of something remarkable.

"[KIVA is] offering another sponsored "free trial," where the $25 fee is waived. As it's a sponsored trial, the repaid funds will go back to the sponsor, instead of allowing you to recycle them yourself-- but hey, why not start here?

YOU can direct where this $25 goes at the outset!

(This batch is sponsored by Reid Hoffman, Kiva board member, founder of LinkedIn & co-author of recently released The Startup of You.)"

www.kiva.org/invitedby/castalusoria

Go pick someone to loan to!

Made my 300th loan.

http://www.kiva.org/lend/355148

Took me a month shy of five years.

Not bad, to meet this goal.

...we passed the 16K mark!

Woo-hoo!

http://www.kiva.org/team/blue_star_wicca_and_friends

Way to go, amazing, inspiring friends!

http://www.kiva.org/team/blue_star_wicca_and_friends

While I was wrapping up a grant and tending to my home front, really excellent things happened at the Blue Star Wicca and Friends KIVA team:

* We broke $13,000---remember, we started this team in June of 2009. In TWO years, we've made 483 loans all over the world for a total of $13,125.

Congratulations, KIVA loaners. Every one of you is a philanthropist/international financier.

I am so thrilled with what we have done---with what you have done!

Thank you, Cynthia, for alerting us to this important benchmark.

I just got an email from Good Dogg, one of the most prolific lenders on KIVA.org. I've been watching this guy via his lender page for years, thinking, "Damn, I'd like to be like him: he loans all over the place and he's having a tremendous impact on a metric ton of Third World families." Currently, he's made 40,085 loans. I mean, damn. At $25 a loan, wow. That's a serious impact.

The message he sent me opens with: "We are on the same loan--you have good taste! And you are awesome!" and goes on from there to invite me to join his lending team. I guess he must have looked at my book's website and gotten interested, because his team description talks about traveling the world and writing a book about KIVA/microloaning.

OK, I'm so happy I could just...'xplode.

Wow!

We did it! I'm jumping up and down with joy! Thank you, Cynthia, for making the loans that pushed us over the edge. And Laura, your loans---which I think were made nearly at the same time---were also key. They not only got us over that line, but literally blew it away---great job! We are currently at $10,250.00.

And thank you, Peggy, Cat, Bill, Glen, Kristin, Eliz, and all of you who pushed us right up to the $10,000 mark so we could leap over as a group.

I am exceptionally proud and happy.

http://www.kiva.org/team/blue_star_wicca_and_friends

Another thought: This contests a whole slew of stereotypes about Pagans and money. As a community, we can be both generous and financially responsible---we can take good care of our own families and contribute to the wellbeing of our local/greater communities.

This is a beautiful day.

Hey "Blue Star Wicca and Friends" team members:

* We're doing shockingly well! As of now, we've made 255 loans---for a total of $6850.00 $6875.00, in fact---and we're going strong with 42 43 members.

http://www.kiva.org/team/blue_star_wicca_and_friends

* At this rate, we'll have made $10,000 worth of difference before the close of the year.

I never imagined that this was possible. I am extraordinarily proud to stand with you on this team.

You've touched literally hundreds of lives all over the world since we began working together last June.

I can hardly believe how far we've come in less than a year.

Thank you!

Sam's Club is offering a million dollar grant to its contest winner---and if you're a Sam's Club member, you can help KIVA win.

The "Giving Made Simple" competition allows Club members to vote for one of four organizations that help small businesses succeed. KIVA needs your vote to win.

Read more (and vote) here:

http://www2.samsclub.com/Giving/About/Kiva?utm_source=jg&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=jg_Help+Kiva+Win+A+%241+Million+Grant+by+Voting+Online+%28246110922%29&utm_content=pflister%40verizon.net