As the head of this here thing I think it goes a long way when people do good deeds and as only I have control of the good deeds AFDIT does it falls on my shoulders to walk the walk.

I’ve had a few ideas on the best way to do this – and it may be that in the future you find out about some of them – but now and again I just do something small and I consider them a step in the right direction.

Yesterday a friend said she wanted a new dress. She said the dress was too costly and that she couldn’t afford or justify it’s expense and asked (albeit jokingly) if someone would buy it for her.

Well I thought about how people like presents (and I’m not sure if I’ve ever bought said friend a present before) so tried to justify it for myself somehow. Then it hit me: Kiva!

Kiva offers people a mechanism with which to lend entrepreneurs in poorer countries money. Those entrepreneurs repay their loans and the Kiva lender can start lending the money again to another Entrepreneur. It’s like giving money to charity but the money can be given again and again because the lenders get repaid.

Well I was going to put some money in my Kiva account anyway – roughly the same amount as this dress – and so why not bring someone else in on the deal?

The deal was struck. I proposed that I buy the dress as a present if, and only if, the recipient put the equivalent amount in to a Kiva account and start lending and never take the money out again.

I thought this was a good way to get someone started with Kiva – bribe them / pay for the first loan. Having thought about it I may bribe more people and ask them to bribe others. In fact most friends+family can expect Kiva vouchers for their foreseeable birthday and Christmas presents.

Unfortunately you can’t comment on this post until I fix my commenting system – but bare with me… it’ll be there soon.