Did you know you that can help alleviate poverty through your internet connection? KIVA is a non-profit organization that connects you with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. One hundred percent of your loan is sent to these microfinance institutions (called Field Partners), who administer the loans in the field. Check out this short video to see how it works.

WSB’s Sustainability & Global Awareness Committee (SGA) allotted $50 from our budget to kick-start our school’s profile page and create a lending team. We started by lending $25 to Adela to help her buy more bags of sugar, cartons of salt, boxes of soap, rice, maize flour, baking powder, Irish potatoes, soda, and cooking oil to sell in her store. Read more about her HERE. We chose Adela because she lives in Kampala, Uganda. This is especially relevant for us because our 8th grade international student, Linda, comes from a village very close to Kampala.

We also created a lending team WALDORF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY which you can join. Start by clicking the link provided below and registering with KIVA. After you join our team, find someone you would like to lend money to. This isn’t a charitable donation, this is your money that you are lending out interest-free to entrepreneurs in need. There is some risk involved, but more often than not, you will receive all of your money back according to the loan’s terms. At that point you can retrieve it or lend it out to another. For everyone that signs up (using the link below) and joins our team our school will receive $25 to lend out! So please consider joining us and sharing KIVA with your friends and family. Gift cards are available and make an excellent holiday gift! Please use this link to register so WSB gets an extra $25 to lend out: http://www.kiva.org/invitedto/waldorf_international_community/by/waldorfschoolbaltimore

Oh! So we only lent out $25 of our funds thus far. We will lend the next $25 to an entrepreneur chosen by our 15th newest team member! So please consider joining us this holiday season and help alleviate poverty one step at a time.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and yours! See you next year!

UPDATE: 12/20/12 – Our lending team now has 6 members and $225 out in loans across the planet! Join us.