Kiva. Because You Can.

I saw a TV ad for one of those Children's Funds recently, probably while engrossed in an episode of Cheaters, and thought - wouldn't it be nice to sponsor someone in a poor, far away foreign land and watch them grow and do well with my help? No really, that thought did actually cross my mind. Albeit excruciatingly briefly and in between fat women slapping skinny guys unconscious in dark parking lots.

A colleague of mind introduced me to Kiva.org this week, and I wanted to spread the love here on PITF. They make it SO ridiculously easy to find a small business-person, learn about their plight and then loan them money. If and when these folks get on their feet - I see tailors, shop owners, farmers, teachers on the site from a multitude of countries - they will actually pay you back. Even people who don't subscribe to the whole notion of throwing money at hopeless international problems can find a home at Kiva.

I have set up a lender's page for ThirstyPony and will be donating some of my new freelance earnings to several folks starting right this second. I have selected Daniel Muigai from Kenya (who wants to move his roadside electronics hocking business indoors) and Miroslav Finski from Bulgaria (who is trying to turn his 2 car taxi fleet into a 3 car taxi fleet). Daniel has a multitude of kids and Miroslav is my age. There are many more folks, and detailed information about them all, to choose from. You can also see what their donation goal is and how far they have left before they reach it. The minimum bid is only $25 - so do some good today.