Micro-lending is an idea that, I think, is really benefiting the World. It's something anyone can do, whether you're walking down the street and someone asks you for a buck or you're lending $25 to a widow in the Ukraine so she can jump-start her grocery store. These small donations, are the things that affect real people, and you can see the affect on their entire community. For those who don't know, micro-lending - in its most basic form - helps individuals.
Let's say a woman in Kenya needs a sewing machine for her tailoring business. This woman has no credit and no collateral to speak of, so the major lending organizations won't lend her $100 for a sewing machine, but this sewing machine would profit the entire community. The people of her commmunity wouldn't have to buy so many clothes, because they could just have their clothes mended, and the money they spent on mending would go directly back into their businesses. Still, Worldbank says no. What do you do? Apply to a micro-lending organization for a loan. With loans of $25 - $500 you can change actual people's lives, but I'm not here to ask for your money. Actually, Natalie Portman wants you to lend!
Big Change: Songs for FINCA is a new album put together by Natalie Portman for Foundation for International Community Assistance. The album is available on iTunes, and is composed of 16 alternative songs by artists like Antony & the Johnsons, The Shins, Norah Jones, and Beirut. In all honesty, the album itself isn't really my cup of tea, but for people who like the music, it's an excellent way to support a a great cause.
Other excellent ways to support micro-lending? Try going to these sites:
Kiva
and
FINCA
and read the book Banker to the Poor: Micro-lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Nobel-prize winner Muhammad Yunus.
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