Help people by loaning them money, not giving it to them. Small loans make a big difference around the world!

I recently got word that Celestino down in Peru has repaid the loan I gave him. Time to re-invest it.

Well, invest is probably not accurate. Loan it again is more appropriate because I receive none of the interest. I do it to help through the www.Kiva.org portal.

Kiva is a worldwide nonprofit that provides small loans so people can improve their lives. They get the money through individuals selecting which person or persons they want to help.

It's really easy to do.

First, you select a loan to fund. There are so many categories, such as agricultural (my favorite), schooling, health, businesses, and more.

Second, you fund it in increments of $25 and also a small processing fee (For me it was $3.75 to help pay for the Kiva workers). You just changed someone's life! Good on you!

Third, you get updates as they repay the loan.

When they fully repay, you can re-loan or withdraw your money.

That's it! So simple and so helpful. If you have used a site like Lending Club, it is much the same.

I found out about this when @oleg326756 made a post about it. We even are part of the (currently 9 member strong)Team Steemit loans! (Click here for the invite: https://www.kiva.org/invitedto/steemit/by/_ZmJwemJheHJsPHViZ3pudnk-cGJ6)

I decided to fund part of a $600 loan to Celestino in Peru in December of 2016. They provided a photo of him and a short description.

“Celestino is 44 years old and has a live-in partner. He lives with his partner and son in Pucara, Jaen province in the Cajamarca department of Peru. The locals here mainly work in farming, trade, and cattle raising. Celestino receives good personal and professional references locally.

Celestino makes a living raising farmyard animals, such as roosters and hens. He has more than five years' experience in the trade. Celestino is applying for a loan in order to invest in more animals such as turkey, ducks, etc, and feed. Celestino can thus earn a higher income for him and his family.”

As a business minded person, this is the type of venture I like!

Help people improve their income, help them improve their lives. It also is why I prefer this method of charity. Because I believe that if people are just given things for free, they come to expect it. A few quotes come to mind, but I will keep it simple with this one that everyone has heard.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"

In this context, it is more like “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Loan a man the money to build his own fish farm and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Sure, sometimes people need help with the expectation of having to give anything in return. After a natural disaster or another unexpected thing that wasn't their fault or result of poor decisions.

But I believe giving to people in bad situations that are the result of their own choices is often counterproductive. They have little to no motivation to improve themselves or their situation if they know that assistance is forthcoming because they are under the income level to receive it.

Tony Robbins has a great quote that I always remember. “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”

The people seeking loans on Kiva are actively trying to improve and that resonates with me. So I help them out.

I would like for you to join up. Here is the link to our Steemit team.

(https://www.kiva.org/team/steemit)

I will loan whatever I receive from this post in Kiva. So even if you don't want to join up you can still help by upvoting this post. I will update everyone what happens to the loans in the future.

Hope to see you on our team!