Give a Little This Christmas...

Every year we spend who knows how much on ‘stuff’. Stuff for ourselves during the year, and stuff for friends and family at birthdays and Christmas time. I’m not saying this is wrong, or even useless … but maybe you could consider giving one extra gift this year. At just $25 it’s not expensive, and you can help change someone’s life. Kiva is a non-profit site that offers microloans to people. Someone might need money to help put a roof on their house, to buy a cow or chicken, or seeds so they can plant and get food, money so they can get supplies for their shop, or even just get clean water … all things we take for granted. But it means the world to people elsewhere. Your $25 goes towards what they need. I was introduced to Kiva through fellow Aussie genealogist, Judy Webster, who created the Kiva group “Genealogists for Families“. Judy has continued her father’s tradition of lending money to hard-working people who want support but not handouts. Your $25 can be loaned over and over again, and as it is repaid, it does more good than a one-time donation to charity. Judy created this group in September 2011, has since then it has continually grown. Currently the Genealogists for Families group has 351 members (made up of geneapeeps from all around the world) who have collectively supplied loans to 9455 people. Impressive isn’t it! Here’s some other impressive figures … But it’s not so much the amount lent, or even the numbers of those lent to … but rather the fact that these people have then been able to continue on with life a little easier thanks to the loan. So while you’re out and...

$25, the Gift That Keeps on Giving...

Christmas is the time for giving, and I want to tell you about a very special gift that everyone could give, and it only costs you $25. Kiva is a non-profit organisation that give loans to those who need it from 80 countries around the world. These needing it can request loans for education, for food, for housing, for health, for sanitation as well as livestock and chickens amongst other things. Things that we all tend to take for granted. Note I said LOAN. This is not a donation, as you will get your money back. You simply look through the list of people requesting and you can choose by country or choose by category (health, housing, agriculture, men, women etc), and once chosen you can then click on the person, read the bio, and click on the “Lend $25” button, then go through the checkout. Your loan, together with others who choose to support this person will help change someone’s life. Once enough people support this person to reach their requested loan value, your loan gets paid back slowly, a little each month. And then you can choose to have the funds returned to you, or you can use the credit to relend to someone else. Kiva themselves  say “Lenders crowdfund the loan in increments of $25 or more.” So you see how it works? $25 really is the gift and keeps on giving. In September 2011 Australian genealogist Judy Webster, continued her father’s tradition of lending money to hard-working people who want support but not handouts, and to do so created the “Genealogists for Families” group on Kiva. I am proud to be a part of this group, and have helped many with loans over the past...

Trove Tuesday: Christmas is the Season for Giving...

‘Tis the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (or our cats). I’m not going to quote Christmas rhymes here, but I but it is Christmas Eve and all it quiet in our house at the moment. The cats are all sleeping, Mr Lonetester has gone to visit friends, so I’m home. And as there’s nothing decent on TV, I headed over to the Trove newspapers to see what I could find. Now I think most of you would agree with me that commercialism is ruining Christmas. For the past month or two we’ve had to deal with the glitzy TV adverts and the glossy brochures that arrive in the letterbox, each wanting us to buy the latest electric toothbrush, blower vac, or set of $2000 earrings for your loved one. And don’t forget that you must have matching tablecloth and napkins! I mean … really? Anyway while Troving I thought I’d see what is mentioned for Christmas in the tiny Adelaide Hills town of Cudlee Creek. Why there? Well this is the town I first lived in, prior to moving to Gumeracha. It was the town that my Kelly ancestors first settled, and it’s the town my Hannaford reli’s still live in. So my family has a close connection to the area. As always Trove comes up with the most remarkable articles, and I wanted to share one that highlights the generosity some people. Now in case you’re wondering why Mr Redden was donating to the Food for Britain Fund, it seems that at that time Britain was still on rations, and in desperate need of food. You can find a long article about the Food for Britain...

Can You Spare $25?

On occasions I might blog about something other than genealogy – this is one of those times. Today I’m talking about Kiva. As tough as times are this economic climate, $25 isn’t really a huge amount – we’ll not for most of us. And wouldn’t it be good if you could do something really good with it like loan it to someone who really, really needs help ? “You said loan right”? That’s right … you loan $25 and your money is paid back to you. So let me tell you about Kiva … Kiva (www.kiva.org) is a company that allows you to do “micro-loans” (ie. $25). Its tagline is “loans that change lives”, and it really does, and I’m proud to do my bit towards that. The Kiva website lists people from all around the world who are asking for monetary help, together with what they are wanting the money for. Sure all of these people need more than $25, but put your money together with a whole bunch of others, and suddenly you’re in the $100s or $1000s, which is what the person you’ve loaned money too needs to be able to buy fabric to make items for their shop, or seeds for their crops, or a sheep so they can sell off the wool etc., or any number of other reasons. Once fully funded, the lender then repays the loan back bit-by-bit. How I came to discover Kiva … I was introduced to Kiva through Judy Webster, one of my genealogy friends, who created the Kiva group “Genealogists for Families“. Judy continues her father’s tradition of lending money to hard-working people who want support but not handouts. $25 that is loaned over and over again as...