Kiva loan to a smallholder farmer

Kiva has facilitated lending of $1 billion dollars to borrowers around the world, to help them start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy or otherwise realize their potential. “For some, it’s a matter of survival, for others it’s the fuel for a life-long ambition,” the website reads.

Today, I opened a kiva account and made my first loan. I don’t earn interest on the loan, and there’s of course some repayment risk. But I’m happy to put the capital to work – in this case by a smallholder coffee farmer in Honduras who is hoping to buy fertilizer for his crops. Repayment is due in 14 months. I expect to have a more fully invested portfolio of small kiva loans by then.