Maybe there are better lenders now. Maybe my money would be better used elsewhere. Everyone seems to have an opinion these days, and it’s easy to second-guess small choices.
But this is something I started at the end of 2012, with my kids. Each year, we added another $25 or so and took time to choose loans that meant something to us. When the kids were younger, we were drawn to women raising animals or working in fiber arts—people building lives with their hands and persistence.
Almost every loan has been fully repaid, then sent back out into the world again. That part still matters to me.
Last night, I added another $25. It doesn’t feel like much. We’re probably around $350 total now—I may have skipped a year, or given more at some point. Kiva says $1,300 loaned, but that number reflects the same dollars moving through many hands: 51 loans so far.
It’s small. It’s slow. But it’s been steady. And sometimes, that feels like enough.