Small Steps

What can one person do? I don’t have any delusions that I can change the world. What I can do is make small choices every day that allow me to live with my conscience. I can take small steps in the direction of the change I would like to see. I don’t have to be perfect, I don’t have to do everything, I just have to do something.

Due to financial constraints, I don’t have the most fuel-efficient vehicle possible. That’s not all, I have to commute to work. So I do what I can. I walk to the local grocery store, bank, post office, etc. I try to limit my driving, as far as possible to my daily commute to work.

A couple years ago I came up with a plan to cut my commute in half by loading a bike in my car and parking and riding the last half of the way. The first day I tried it, it worked fine. The second day I saw one of my neighbors walking and stopped to give him a ride. We ended up car pooling for the next two years; so I still effectively cut my fuel-consumption per person in half.

Some young people who live under the medieval law of the oil kingdoms are speaking out online. Look at these sites: Improvisations and Saudi Jeans. Maybe they will make a difference.

My daughter sent me a notice of a small step we can all take to do something about poverty:

Hello!

Hi!

I just made a loan to someone in the developing world using a revolutionary new website called Kiva.

You can go to Kiva’s website and lend to someone in the developing world who needs a loan for their business – like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent – and you get updates letting you know how the business is going. The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back – and Kiva’s loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Hayom Ayomov in Tajikistan. They still need another $625.00 to complete their loan request of $725.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this business off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Hayom Ayomov too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26329&_isc=c4eb211c-f844-102a-bc82-f9ce1a1a31a9

It’s finally easy to actually do something about poverty – using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they’re using it for. And most of all, I know that I’m helping them build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world – one loan at a time.

Thanks!

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What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:’Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.’
— BBC

‘If you’ve got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you’ve now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.’
— CNN Money

‘Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.’
— The Wall Street Journal

‘An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity…All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.’
— Entrepreneur Magazine