KIVA - Loans that change lives

KIVA is a really interesting Micro-Loan program that I stumbled upon while perusing other, random blogs. It's great to have discovered another way to help Peruvians, albeit from afar. I've made 2 loans totalling $125.00 so far. I recently received my first repayment of $17.00!!! Until I request the cash back, KIVA keeps the repaid money in a funding account, allowing me to fund another loan if I so choose. I could explain all the details myself, but it is better if you go to their website and read about it, if interested. KIVA.org

Here are the 2 women that I've made loans to:

Bautista Lupaca Guevara





Doña Bautista is 34 years old, she studied until fifth grade, secondary, is married and has 2 sons, 14 and 11 years old, and lives in the community of Machacmarca.
She is a member of "Banco Comunidad Ciudad Nueva", District of Pilcuyo, Province of Collao D Puno. Since she was single she liked to work with business, back then she used to take garments to the town of Tacna, but in 2003 she started selling groceries at the market in Pilcuyo on Thursdays and at the same time selling clothes which she distributes in bulk in the town of Arequipa.
With this loan of S/.2.500 "Nuevos Soles" to be repaid in 4 payments she will purchase the following: 3 dozen footwear, each dozen costs S/.300.00 "Nuevos Soles", 3 dozen jeans, each dozen costs S/.260.00 "Nuevos Soles" and with S/.500.00 "Nuevos Soles" she will buy children's clothing. With the loan she both increases her stock and earnings.
It is her vision that her sons become professionals and set up a grocery store in the District of Pilcuyo.

About the Entrepreneur
Name: Bautista Lupaca Guevara
Location: Pilcuyo - Collao, Puno, Peru
Primary Activity: Clothing Sales
Total Loan Requested: $850.00 My Loan: $25.00
Repayment Term: 4 months
Loan Use: Purchase garments and footwear to improve business.


Fortunata Aliaga De Miranda




Fortunata is 59 years old and lives with her 59 year-old husband Hernando, who is a driver, and also with her daughter Mariela, who is 20 years old and studies at the college level in the city of Juliaca. For the past three years, Fortunata has run a grocery store that she opened in her home. She has put a lot of affection and effort into the business in order to make it bear fruit and generate good income. Fortunata’s family has always supported her, and when her husband is not working he stays and helps her with the store, as does her daughter when she returns from her studies in the city. Fortunata likes her business since she has put so much effort into it.
Fortunata hopes that her daughter will get ahead and be a successful professional, so that she can work and survive in the city and not have to stay in the country like Fortunata. With the money from her loan, Fortunata will purchase supplies in order to grow her small store.

About the Entrepreneur
Name: Fortunata Aliaga De Miranda
Location: Juliaca, Peru
Primary Activity: Grocery Store
Total Loan Requested: $675.00 My loan: $100.00
Repayment Term: 6 months
Loan Use: To purchase products to sell in her small grocery store

I found a good blog

For some reason this morning, I decided to try and find articles about tween / teen cell phone use. (For the record - I see no point in a kid having a cell phone until he or she is driving or at least in high school...) See this article for a good discussion about the issue.

Anyway, not much in the way of cell phone articles that I agree with, but I did find lots of articles on an interesting Blog site! Here are some of them:


Millionaire Mommy Next Door - Affluenza

Millionaire Mommy Next Door - Parenting With a Purpose

Millionaire Mommy Next Door - Changing the World

Millionaire Mommy Next Door - Shadow, Apprentice, Find a Mentor

MMND - Demystifying Investing

Manners and Volunteerism

After 2 1/2 weeks of watching the kids eat with their elbows on the table, return to the buffet while chewing food from round 1, and forget to push in their chairs when leaving the table (Pat is FAMOUS for this too!), I decided that they need an expert besides me to help them refine their table manners.

Searching for Seattle area etiquette classes for the kids I came upon a good website - Mannerofthemonth.com

The owner teaches classes but also has on-line lessons. She had a whole section on Manners and Volunteering. I really like the quotes - and have outlined them in bold. But here's the whole excerpt:


"Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world.” — President John F. Kennedy

Manners and volunteerism go hand in hand—both are about putting others first. When we use our manners as we volunteer, we are able to gracefully accomplish many tasks. Not only will we will feel better about our work, but we feel better about the way we have done it.

Tips for the Mannerly Volunteer

1. “Yes, I will do it.”
For many of us, serving our community is just one of the many tasks we juggle in an ever-growing list of to-dos. We must be realistic with our time commitments and know our limitations. Just as we would not take on five part-time jobs, we should not take on numerous volunteer positions. When we are tempted to over commit ourselves, we must ask ourselves this question: Am I volunteering to make myself feel good or for the good of the organization?

We should never have an attitude that we are “just volunteering.” When we commit to a volunteer position, others are counting on us to fulfill our role with integrity, quality, and hard work. Our work as a volunteer is one of the most important responsibilities we can undertake, and our efforts will affect the lives of those we serve and the organization. There isn’t a greater act of humanity than one human being helping another!

“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” —Winston Churchill

2. Think before saying, “Yes, I will do it!”
Take time to research organizations that you believe in and activities that you will enjoy. Take on jobs that will challenge you and play to your strengths. When you give because you believe in a cause, it is easier to participate with greater commitment, and organizations and individuals will gain more from your work. When we work from the heart, our work will often inspire others to join the cause.

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” — Mother Theresa

3. Follow through after saying, “Yes, I will do it!”
Do what you say you are going to do. One of the greatest character traits is being someone that others can depend on. If you agree to a meeting, be on time. If you sign up for a task, complete it. Be mentally and physically present. If you are working with a committee, use good communication: ask for help, share ideas, listen to the contributions of others. Volunteer work done well not only positively impacts the organization or person you are working with but also allows you to feel proud of the work you have done! Remember that quality is often better than quantity.

“No man can become rich without himself enriching others.” — Andrew Carnegie

4. “I thought I could do it.”
When you do commit to a task, it is always best to follow through and see it to the end. However, no matter how carefully we plan, at times we do become overcommitted or circumstances in our life change. Many times, over commitment makes us feel guilty. Rather than working through the situation, we see it as all or nothing; it seems easier to quit than to work out a solution.

When you feel overwhelmed, ask for help or admit to not being able to do it all. Remember that when you quit without creating a solution or smooth transition, the work doesn’t just go away because you have. Just walking away nonverbally communicates that you don’t care how the decision to leave might affect another person or the organization. Your departure will create extra stress and time for the individuals who have to pick up where you left off, even though they are probably equally busy with their personal schedules.

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. “He/she said he/she would do it!”
Demonstrate grace to those you work with. Unless we have fantastic personal commitment restraint, most of us have found ourselves in the situation where we cannot do what we said we could. When a volunteer leaves a task undone, don’t tear down their reputation or complain about the quality of work when we think we could do it better. Instead come alongside your fellow volunteer, ask what you can do to help, and encourage them along the way.

Locks of Love

RMD has been letting her hair grow for over a year now. Her plan was to let it grow long enough to cut 12 inches for Locks of Love. Well, this past month BOTH of us were finally ready to cut it, even though it was not yet at the 12 inch point. Thankfully we found the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Program, which only requires 8 inches of hair. We made an appointment the same day we found the program! RMD was really excited to be helping make wigs for cancer patients and equally excited to cut off her mane. I was really proud of her!

The Gap Year

Although unnamed, I had thought about it often. A year between high school and college when I could have figured out what I really wanted to do. Some time after college, traveling the world or volunteering with an org like Americorps. A hope for my children, when I mentioned to my husband a few years ago that I wanted the kids to spend a year "doing something" before going to work for the rest of their lives. Now, thanks to my attendance at Susan Wise Bauer's lecture at the NW Washington Homeschool conference, it has a name. "The Gap Year".

No, this is not a year the kids will spend working at the Gap, theoretically saving money for college, but actually spending it on Gap clothing, music CD's, video games, or whatever else is the latest craze. It is a thoughtfully planned out year between high school and college that will be included in our long-term homeschooling agenda. Hopefully, the planning will be mostly child-led with parental collaboration. A well planned gap year should include travel - ideally in the form of volunteerism - and work. Susan Wise Bauer got alot of laughs at the lecture when she said she wants her kids working in "The Office" - you know, the one with Michael Scott as the boss. (Thursday's on NBC). She wants her kids to know there is something more to aspire to. Not a bad idea.....

During the lecture, Susan detailed the many benefits of having kids do a Gap year. It gives the kids time to mature before heading to college. It gives them a sense of the greater world - not just theirs. It might hopefully inspire new ideas and create a passion to pursue during the college years and beyond.

Is it too late for me to have a Gap year????


PS - Wouldn't you know - they have websites and articles on it!!!!!!


Try these for a start -

USA Today - Gap Year
Transitions Abroad
Catholic Gap Year