A few weeks ago the Young Adults group and I were discussing what it is we could do to make an everyday difference for someone in the world.  What could we do?  How could we effectively make a real change in the life of someone?

During this discussion the topic of KIVA came up.  KIVA.org is a micro-lending website which connects people who want to lend money to small businesses worldwide with their respective local banks.  KIVA profiles thousands of people around the world who require funds to either start or expand their small business as local entrepreneurs.  If I desire to lend to a specific individual which KIVA has profiled I merely click on them and decide how much I want to lend.  The loan is eventually paid back over time by that individual, and ideally, you would take the money paid back to you and just lend it out again.  The minimum donation to give is $25.

Anyways, we decided as young adults to sponsor a woman in Benin, Julienne A.P. Houeto. who has a small fishing business and seeks to expand it.  She has a husband and one child in school.  Her total needs were $225 American dollars and between the 12 of us it only came to around $22 Canadian per person.  We plan to keep up with the updates KIVA sends us and keep Julienne and her family in our prayers.

I would encourage you to check out KIVA, and see how YOU can make a real difference in someone's life today!