Kiva is no island

By Nick Lewis, Kiva Fellow 9th Class, Bali, Indonesia

To this particular motivated caller, Kiva was the alpha and the omega; it was the entire philosophy of microfinance conveniently wrapped up in a package that could be showcased in a 15 minute segment on Oprah. Forget Mohammed Yunus or the decades worth of field work completed by grassroots organizations around the world, Kiva was her starting point and her end point.

We chatted on the phone for about 30 minutes and I explained how Kiva works in partnership with organizations on the ground, many of which have been in existence since before there was even an Internet to house Kiva.org.  During the course of the call, I believe the light bulb went off in her head and it became clear that her organization could theoretically start distributing loans immediately (probably not a smart idea, but possible). That partnering with an organization like Kiva was not a requirement.

I thought this was worth commentary. Kiva has made significant contributions to the world of microfinance, not the least of which being increased public awareness. Kiva, and the exposure it generates, is what led that caller to even consider microfinance as a development option in the first place–a fantastic turn of events. As Kiva continues to grow and gain increased exposure, however, it’s important to remember that it is only one piece of the puzzle; only one player in a very large game. There are countless organizations utilizing myriad different organizational models and while I’m personally a huge fan of the peer-to-peer connection available through Kiva, there are many innovative organizations out there struggling alongside Kiva to end world poverty.

So what am I saying? I’m saying that you should keep lending on Kiva; keep finding inspiring borrower stories; keep telling your friends to visit the site and lend; keep joining lending teams. But also, take time to learn about the history of microfinance. Read about the success stories and struggles of the past. Find other organizations with successful models and help them gain exposure as well. Because at the end of the day, we are all working together towards a common goal.

Read more Kiva Stories from the Field.