Kiva... Loaning Hope

We're cobblers...Well, actually we're not cobblers but we are in the cobbler business. In Ecuador.

Some time back a blogger friend posted on an organization called Kiva. Johnny's post struck a cord. In the past, Aly and I have donated to the Heifer project and have gifted to them in the name of others but Johnny had set the hook with Kiva.
We wanted to know more. We were intrigued. Intrigued enough that we became cobblers. Sort of.

Meet Carmen:

Carmen is 41 years old. She describes herself as an enterprising and happy person. She likes to learn everything she needs to, to meet her goals. Carmen lives with her husband and their three children in Ibarra.

Carmen has a stall in the market where she repairs leather shoes, billfolds, jackets and backpacks. The business helps Carmen to support her family and meet her children's educational expenses. In order to earn a better income and tend to more customers, Carmen is taking out a loan. She will invest the loan in the purchase of fasteners, synthetic leather, heel-pieces, dyes, leather irons and shoelaces.

Carmen dreams of having a bigger workshop with industrial machines, which would help her to optimize her time and improve the quality of her footwear stitching.

Along with a few others, Aly and I joined with others to loan the $1500 dollars Carmen was seeking. She is already paying the loan back and once repaid we will loan the money out to an other. It truly is a gift of hope that continues to give and give. For as little as $25.
We hope you will take time to check out the Kiva story.  It really is an awesome one and we have every confidence you will want to become a part of it as well.

We're cobblers. In Ecuador... How about you?
peace
fm