Kem Pharin from Cambodia and Rob, who resides in Canada, have never met before. Recently however, Rob loaned Kem a small amount of money, as part of the 625 dollar loan she needed to expand her business selling water spinach.

The loan allowed Kem and her husband to buy more seeds and a motorbike cart to take the spinach to market. They also used the loan to rent one more hectare of land to help increase production. Now Kem will be able to set up a stall at her local market and generate even more in-come, which will substantially increase her family’s quality of life.

This account is just one of the many thousands of success stories from Kiva, the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website. To date, thousands of individuals have been empowered to send more than 66 million dollars to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

By lending this way, you are directly helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence. From the time that the loan is made, you will receive email journal updates and be able to track repayments. When the amount is repaid, usually between 6 to 12 months, you can re-lend it to someone else and continue the cycle.

Contact: Kiva Microfunds, 3180 18th Street, Suite 201, San Francisco, California 94110, USA. Website: www​.kiva​.org

Image: Kem Pharin from Cambodia
Photo: © Karen McKeown