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International Women’s Day and Kiva

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Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also serves as a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done to empower women and achieve gender equality, especially in developing countries where they are at greater risk of prejudice and gender-based violence. Women’s rights have come a long way since the first International Women’s Day in 1911 but we still have a long way to go!

Although different countries and different organizations have chosen differing themes for International Women’s Day 2023, they all revolve around the idea of equality and equity for women. Equality means giving all people equal access to rights and opportunities while equity refers to allocating resources based on the needs of individuals without bias or discrimination. That’s where Kiva comes in and why I’m choosing to focus on this non-profit micro-lending organization on International Women’s Day this year.

It’s all well and good to talk about the rights of women and the need for gender equality, but unless we’re willing to actually do something, that’s all it is. Talk doesn’t change anything! Change requires action, so what can you do? How can you make a difference?

graphic-gender-equity-1-billion-women-unbanked_2xLet’s begin by looking at some startling facts. Research shows that women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men do, but in order to do so they need access to the full range of credit, banking and financial services. 740 million women worldwide, however, have little or no access to financial services. Because so many women are excluded from accessing financial assistance, it’s difficult for them to start businesses, pursue higher education, or improve their livelihood. Kiva aims to change that! Since 2017, the number of unbanked women has dropped by 24%. If this trend were to continue, the number of women without access to financial services could reach zero in less than 20 years!

More than 80% of Kiva loans go to women, women who have historically been denied access to traditional banking services. Kivagraphic-kiva-8-percent-loans-go-to-women-1_2x loans enable them to become financially stable, resilient, and self-reliant, allowing them to better support and protect themselves and their families from abuse, violence, and financial dependence.

So, why not celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 by making a loan to a woman in one of the 70+ countries on 5 continents served by Kiva? It’s easy, it costs as little as $25, and it makes a difference! 

If you’re not familiar with Kiva, here’s how it works. Click here to choose a woman or group of women to support. Lend $25 or more to help crowdfund the full loan amount. As the borrower earns an income and begins to repay her loan, you and the other lenders who helped fund her loan are repaid. These funds go directly into your Kiva account. When your account reaches $25 again, you can relend those same dollars to support another borrower! It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving!

Since I made my first two loans in March of 2010, I’ve helped fund 83 loans in 31 countries. Though Kiva provides loans to both men and women, I choose to lend to women who are borrowing money to purchase specific items that they will use to generate income to help them support their families and educate their children. Over the years, I’ve invested in a variety of livestock, seeds and fertilizer, numerous sewing machines, fishing equipment, hairdressing tools, restaurant stoves and refrigerators, a mill for grinding corn, heavy duty washing machines, a portable food stall, and probably a few other items. I also helped renovate some rental properties earlier this year.

To mark International Women’s Day, I decided to make another loan this week. Since my Kiva account was standing at less than $2 (I always relend as soon as it reaches $25) that involved topping it up, but I was more than happy to put my money where my mouth is as the old saying goes. Just think of the difference that we could make for women worldwide if we each invested just $25!

After reading through several loan descriptions, I found the one I wanted to help fund this time. Shamsiya is a 28-year-old mother of 5 children living in Tajikistan. She recently learned to sew women’s clothing and was seeking a loan to buy a sewing machine and supplies to start her own business.

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What are you doing to make a difference this International Women’s Day? Please let us know in the comment section below.

Does fashion matter?

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LogoIn a world where women and children are fleeing a war torn country with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the few possessions that they can carry, does fashion really matter? In a time when opposing opinions about wearing masks and getting vaccinated have torn families and friendships apart, does fashion matter? In a patriarchal world where International Women’s Day has just pointed out gender disparity in vital areas such as education and health care, does fashion matter? These are questions I’ve been asking myself as I wrestled with what to write about today. Perhaps writing about fashion is too frivolous, or is it?

In the light of eternity, maybe fashion doesn’t matter, but it matters to Farah, a young mother in Pakistan who took out a Kiva loan to buy a new sewing machine. With it, she can supplement her husband’s meagre income by making clothes to sell and thus afford to send her children to school.

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From growing and processing cotton and other fibres to the finished product, the fashion and textiles industry employs millions of people worldwide – roughly one in eight workers globally. Add the retail workers involved in selling the clothes and fashion matters to a lot of people!

Then there’s the question of whether or not fashion matters to us personally. Enclothed cognition is a term that relates to the effect that clothing has on the way a person thinks, feels, and functions. Studies actually show that what we wear directly affects our behaviour, attitudes, personality, mood, confidence, and even the way we interact with other people. If that’s the case, perhaps fashion really does matter. Perhaps it’s part of self-care. How we dress can reflect our personality, character, and mood. It’s a way to express our individuality and creativity. So, in this day and age, when life sometimes seems heavy or overwhelming, think about those outfits that you feel happiest wearing, the ones that you receive the most compliments on, and wear those. Let fashion give you a boost!

A new job!

/ edebock / 4 Comments

My father, who died a year ago at almost 97 years old, always said of retirement that there is no end of things that you can do as long as you don’t need to be paid for them. I’m blessed to be able to follow in his footsteps. While we aren’t wealthy by any means, we are comfortable enough financially not to need to work. In the first few years of retirement, we did take paying jobs teaching English in Japan for a year and then China for several months. Since then, we’ve kept busy as volunteers in several capacities. In fact, at 68, I have just finished training for a brand new volunteer position that I’m very excited about!

I’ve often mentioned Kiva on the blog before. Kiva is a non-profit organization that allows a person to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in one of 77 countries around the world. When a loan is repaid, the money can be withdrawn or used to fund a new loan. Since making my first loan 11 years ago, I’ve been able to make 60 more by simply recycling the same money over and over again. When I learned that there was a need for volunteer editors, I realized that this might be an opportunity to put my skills into action and help in another way.

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An average of about 16,000 loan profiles are posted on the Kiva website every month. Each one needs to be carefully edited to ensure that it complies with Kiva policies, that the borrower’s privacy is maintained, that details are consistent, and that the language is understandable to lenders while retaining, as much as possible, the voice of the original text. Kiva relies on over 400 volunteers, each editing approximately 40 loan descriptions a month, to complete this enormous task. That’s my new job! I’ve joined Kiva’s Review and Translation Program as a volunteer editor! 

It was back in July of last year that I first expressed an interest in volunteering. My name was added to a wait list and I was told that I would hear from Kiva staff when they were ready to bring on new volunteer editors, probably much later in the year. In late November, I was asked to submit my resumé and complete an official application that included a brief loan review exercise. In early December, I was invited to take an editing test. Kiva works with a barebones staff and, like everyone else, they’ve been somewhat hindered by Covid slowdowns, so the wheels ground slowly, but at the beginning of February I was notified that my application was approved. At the beginning of March I started training and now I’m finally an active Kiva editor! I edited my first loan yesterday. The borrower was a farmer in Uganda who requested a loan to buy more cattle to fatten and resell.

Volunteer editors are split into teams each led by a volunteer team leader. I was assigned to a group called The Write Stuff which I find very fitting as writing has always been my passion! Kiva asks for a commitment of a minimum of 2 hours a week for at least 6 months, but I foresee being able to do this for a much longer period.

If you’re interested in making a loan, just click on the banner to the right.

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International Women’s Day 2021

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Today is International Women’s Day. It saddens me that we should even need to set aside a day to focus on women’s rights, to remind the world that women deserve equality. It was never meant to be this way. 

I’ve been focusing a lot on what the Bible has to say about womanhood in recent weeks as I’ve started leading a ladies Bible study on women of the Bible. The very first statement about women in the Bible comes in the first chapter of Genesis. Verses 27-31 say: 

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. 

Do you see what I see? First of all, we’re told that God created men and women in His own image! Both were meant to be His image bearers. Second, He gave both of them dominion over and responsibility for His creation. It was a joint assignment. God did not give men dominion over women! That was never His intention. And finally, God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. His plan was equality for men and women and it was very good. 

In chapter 2 of Genesis we’re given a more detailed creation story. Verse 18 says, “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” The King James Version of the Bible uses the words help meet to describe the woman’s role. “Meet” is an archaic adjective meaning suitable or proper, so the phrase simply means a suitable helper. Perhaps this is where the idea that men should dominate came from, but that was never God’s intent. In the original language, the word translated as helper or help meet was ezer. Ezer is a word that appears 21 times in the Old Testament; twice in Genesis for the woman, 3 times for nations to whom Israel appealed for military aid, and 16 times to refer to God as Israel’s helper, their shield and defence. It was used consistently in a military context. That hardly brings to mind a meek or subservient helper! Perhaps strong helper would be a better translation. 

Sadly, God’s plan for a partnership between men and women didn’t play out in human history. It didn’t take long for the relationship to deteriorate to the point where women were simply possessions of their fathers or husbands, barely a step above their livestock. Their primary role was to serve the men in their lives and to produce sons to carry on their husband’s family line. 

These may be radical thoughts for a woman who attends a patriarchal church, but I’ve always been a bit of a rebel and women’s issues have been a passion of mine for a very long time. The reality is that we need to do much more than set aside one day a year to draw attention to the plight of women worldwide. It is something that needs to be addressed 365 days of the year! 

As long as there are places on this planet where parents sell their daughters because they can’t afford to feed them, where girls walk an average of 6 kilometres a day to collect clean water for their households, where they are denied education, where they are forced to undergo female genital mutilation and/or forced into child marriage, we must do more than celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women on International Women’s Day. It’s easy to turn a blind eye to the atrocities inflicted on women in foreign lands when they aren’t happening in our own backyard, but there are women living in abject poverty in Canada, the United States, and other developed countries. Objectifying and exploiting women is still alive and well in our culture. Violence against women is still prevalent. Human trafficking happens in our own neighbourhoods.  

Though the situation may have improved over the years, women have yet to achieve equality in the workplace. As a current example, women are at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19 as front-line and health sector workers, scientists, doctors and caregivers, yet according to a UN report, they get paid 11 percent less globally than their male counterparts!  

What, then, can we do to press for progress for women? First of all, we need to educate ourselves, to look beyond our comfortable lives and become aware of what the issues are and which reputable organizations are working to change them. If you’re serious about wanting to have an impact on the lives of women around the world, I would suggest that you begin by reading Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This book was a life changer for me. Kristof and WuDunn are upfront and clear; they hope to recruit their readers to get involved, to become a part of a movement to emancipate and empower women by helping provide the economic resources that can help transform their lives.  Half the Sky not only inspires the reader to get involved, it gives many suggestions how.

It was after reading Half the Sky that I began making micro loans to women in third world countries through Kiva, the world’s first online micro-lending platform. It’s one small step, but it’s something I can do. Kiva is a non-profit organization that allows a person to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in one of 77 countries around the world. When a loan is repaid, the money can be withdrawn or used to fund a new loan. I choose to lend to women with children at home. All too often, money in the hands of men goes to alcohol and prostitution but in the hands of women, it nurtures children, feeds families and promotes education.

It’s International Women’s Day. What will you do? 

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Do the good you can do

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Do you ever feel like permanently turning off the news and hiding away from the world? Sometimes it’s overwhelming, isn’t it? A plane is shot down and 176 people die, Australia burns and earthquakes rock Puerto Rico, a volcano erupts in the Philippines and thousands are forced to flee. Violence, murder, and mayhem seem to be the order of the day.

The Bible tells us that such things will happen as end times approach. Mark 13:7-8 says, “When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.” But what are we to do in the meantime? How do we continue to function in a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams?

Do the good you can do.

Can you accomplish world peace, end hunger, prevent climate change, or stop the tectonic plates from shifting? No, of course you can’t, but there is good that you can do.

Do the good you CAN do.

  • make a Kiva loan to help an entrepreneur in a developing country establish a business and provide for their family
  • give a child the gift of education through child sponsorship
  • volunteer at a local homeless shelter or food kitchen
  • donate blood
  • become a mentor or tutor to someone who would benefit from your skills and experience
  • rake leaves or shovel snow for an elderly neighbour
  • make a donation to your local food bank
  • help build a Habitat for Humanity home
  • clean up a local beach or park
  • fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child
  • recycle
  • reduce your kitchen waste by composting or making “garbage soup”

The possibilities are endless. Do the good you CAN do.

Make kindness a lifestyle. Whether it’s simply smiling and saying hello or doing a random act of kindness for a stranger, you can make a difference in someone’s day. It won’t save the world, but it will make your small corner of it a better place to be and you might be surprised by how much better it makes you feel.

Do the good you can do.

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International Women’s Day 2018

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Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women’s Day 2018. This year’s theme is #PressForProgress with an emphasis on pressing for progress on gender parity. The International Women’s Day website presents a strong call-to-action and gives many specific suggestions. Here are some that caught my attention:

  • question assumptions about women
  • challenge statements that limit women
  • always use inclusive language
  • work to remove barriers to women’s progress
  • buy from retailers who position women in positive ways
  • assume women want opportunities until declined
  • select women as spokespeople and leaders
  • support visible women
  • supportively call-out inappropriate behaviour
  • be a role model for equality
  • ensure credit is given for women’s contributions
  • celebrate women role models and their journeys
  • support awards showcasing women’s success

While these are all well and good, I question whether or not the “international” in International Women’s Day is being forgotten. I question whether these actions will make much difference to our sisters in parts of the world where girls are still forced to undergo female genital mutilation. Will they help the estimated 21 million unwanted girls in India, who often get less nourishment and schooling than their brothers? Will they help the 29 women recently arrested in Iran for protesting the obligatory Muslim headscarf by taking theirs off in public? Will they help the thousands of girls and women in Africa and Asia who walk an average of 6 kilometres a day to collect clean water for their households? Will they do anything for those who are the victims of human trafficking?

I’m not saying that life is perfect for women in the first world. The #MeToo movement has made it abundantly clear that we need to confront the widespread issue of sexual assault and harassment and there is no doubt that we need to continue addressing the issue of equal pay for equal work, but compared to women in much of the world, most of us have it pretty easy.

What, then, can we do to press for progress for women whose lives are so much more difficult than ours? First of all, we need to educate ourselves, to look beyond our comfortable lives and become aware of what the issues are and which reputable organizations are working to change them. If you’re serious about wanting to have an impact on the lives of women around the world, I would suggest that you begin by reading Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Kristof and WuDunn are upfront and clear; they hope to recruit their readers to get involved, to become a part of a movement to emancipate and empower women by helping provide the economic resources that can help transform brothel slaves into businesswomen. All too often, money in the hands of men goes to alcohol and prostitution but in the hands of women, it nurtures children, feeds families and promotes education. Half the Sky not only inspires the reader to get involved, it gives many suggestions how.

It was after reading Half the Sky that I began making micro loans to women in third world countries through Kiva, the world’s first online micro-lending platform. Kiva is a non-profit organization that allows a person to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in one of 83 countries around the world. When a loan is repaid, the money can be withdrawn or used to fund a new loan. Since making my first loan eight years ago, I have made a total of 44 loans to women in 19 different countries. To watch Kiva’s 59 second video marking International Women’s Day, click here.

What will you do to press for progress this International Women’s Day?

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A Christmas shopping suggestion

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LogoIt’s December 1st and the Christmas season is upon us! I like to get my Christmas shopping done early before the mad rush begins, but if you’re still trying to figure out what to buy for some of the people on your list, perhaps I can help.

Kiva is an international nonprofit with a mission to alleviate poverty through micro loans. By lending as little as $25, anyone can help a Kiva borrower start or grow a business, attend school, or improve their living conditions. I’ve written several posts about Kiva in the past, but what I haven’t written about is the Kiva Store, a partnership between Kiva and its partner NOVICA, a mission-driven company that works with artisans around the world. By purchasing some of your Christmas gifts at the Kiva online store, where you’ll find unique and high-quality products (jewelry, fashion, and home decor) at very reasonable prices, you can help support the efforts of artisan producers and strengthen the fair trade movement.

Here are just a few of the over 1400 fashion items currently available through the Kiva Store.

The Kiva Store isn’t only for women though. There are many suitable gifts for men as well. Here’s one of my favourites.

If jewelry would suit someone on your Christmas list, the Kiva store has a vast array of necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, pins, and even anklets. Personally, I think this sterling silver cuff with amethysts and pearls is exquisite

and I could certainly see myself wearing these earrings! That’s the only problem with doing your Christmas shopping at the Kiva Store. You might end up ordering for yourself too!

Kiva ships to over 100 countries worldwide making it a truly global marketplace for both artisans and customers, but don’t wait too long to order. Christmas is just around the corner and you want your gifts to arrive on time.

Christmas shopping dilemma solved!

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Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet or are you still trying to figure out what to get for that impossible to buy for person on your list? You know the one; the person who seems to have everything already and who, when they actually want or need something, goes out and buys it for themselves. Gift cards have helped alleviate some of that last minute Christmas shopping angst, but perhaps that solution seems a bit impersonal to you. Are shopping days rapidly disappearing while you fret over what to do?

Perhaps I have the perfect solution!

Why not give them a Kiva Card? With a Kiva Card, your loved one can help a third world artisan buy supplies, a farmer purchase equipment, a student continue their education… the possibilities are endless!

I’ve written about Kiva before, but this is a great time to plug one of my favourite charities again, especially since it might help someone with the last minute Christmas shopping blues. Kiva is a non-profit organization that allows a person to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in one of more than 80 countries around the world. Each time the borrower makes a payment on the loan, a portion of that payment is deposited back in the lender’s Kiva account and they receive an email notifying them of their updated balance. That money can be withdrawn at any time but instead, as soon as most lenders have recovered their $25, they search the Kiva database and choose another borrower to lend it to. That way the initial investment truly becomes the gift that keeps on giving!

I originally invested $100 in Kiva in early 2010 and added another $25 in 2012. By lending and relending, I’ve now helped fund 38 loans to entrepreneurs in 19 different countries. I’ve invested in livestock, solar panels, a flour mill, several sewing machines, a food cart, stoves,  refrigerators, a freezer, restaurant furniture, and the list goes on.

Purchasing a Kiva Card is easy. Simply click here. You can choose to print the card yourself or have it emailed or sent to your loved one via snail mail (although it may be too late to have it delivered in time for Christmas that way). You can add a personal message and when the recipient receives your gift, they can choose who to support. When their loans are repaid, they can use those funds again and again to continue making a greater impact long after Christmas has passed.

If you’re interested in becoming a Kiva lender yourself, visit kiva.org or click on the banner in the sidebar.

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No laughing matter!

/ edebock / 4 Comments

Every once in awhile, we need to be reminded how very lucky we are!

If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you’ll probably recall that I’m an avid Kiva lender. Kiva is a non-profit organization that allows a person to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in one of 83 countries around the world. Though Kiva provides loans to both men and women, I choose to lend to women who are borrowing money to purchase specific items that they will use to generate income that will help them support their families and educate their children. As each of these women makes a monthly payment on her loan, my share of that payment is deposited in my Kiva account and I receive an email notifying me of my updated balance. I could withdraw the money at any time but instead, as soon as my balance reaches $25, I search the Kiva database and choose another woman to lend to. Today, I made my 30th loan!

Sokhem is a garment factory worker and mother of 5 who lives in a rural area of Cambodia. Together, she, her husband and their oldest child earn a combined income of approximately $13 a day. Sokhem requested a Kiva loan to purchase some cows and start a breeding program, but it was actually one of her long term goals that caught my eye and prompted me to help her today. She hopes eventually to be able to build a bathroom with a toilet in her home.

Can you begin to wrap your head around the idea of raising 5 children in a home without a toilet? I can’t.

Did you know that this Wednesday, November 19th is World Toilet Day, a day set aside to draw attention to the one-third of humanity who, like Sokhem, lack basic toilet and sanitation facilities? I didn’t either until I read this morning’s Edmonton Journal article just before checking my email and discovering that I had the necessary funds to make another Kiva loan.

World Toilet Day! It’s hard not to laugh, isn’t it? Sadly, when you read the statistics, it’s not a laughing matter.

  • One billion people – a sixth of the world’s population – defecate in the open because they simply have nowhere else to go.
  • In India alone, 600 million people – about half the country’s population – lack toilets in their homes.
  • 1.5 million children die annually from diarrhea that could be prevented by simply having clean toilet facilities.
  • People living in many towns and villages in Africa and elsewhere run the risk of being bitten by scorpions and venomous snakes every time they relieve themselves in fields and woods.
  • One billion people get their water from sources contaminated by human and animal feces.
Over the course of our travels, we’ve seen the best and the worst of the world’s toilets from “squatty potties” in many parts of Asia to high tech toilets with heated seats and built in bidets in higher end Japanese establishments, but wherever we’ve been, we’ve always been able to find a toilet to use. Here in Canada, where it’s not uncommon for a home to have 2 or 3 of them, we take so much for granted. On World Toilet Day, let’s not forget how very fortunate we are!

 

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International Literacy Day 2014

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Right now, you are doing something that one in five people on the face of this planet cannot do!

As one who values my ability to read above most other skills, I find that an appalling statistic! According to the World Literacy Foundation, an estimated 67 million children around the world do not have access to primary school education! Equally disturbing is the fact that almost two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women. Given that statistic, it’s hardly surprising to learn that the majority of the world’s poor are also female.

Today is International Literacy Day, a day for shedding light on the desperate need to ensure that all people have the opportunity to learn to read and write. Education is a basic human right, but one that many people are denied, particularly in parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The problem is not restricted to underdeveloped parts of the world, however. Literacy rates in Canada are high, around 97 per cent, but what does that really mean? While they may have basic decoding skills, the most recent literacy study by Statistics Canada shows that millions of Canadians do not have the literacy skills they need to keep pace with the escalating demands of our society and economy. A whopping 48% of Canadian adults over the age of 16, many of them new immigrants, have low literacy skills that do not adequately equip them for the workforce. The situation is similar in the US.

But what can we do? How can you and I overcome such an enormous global issue? That’s where the Starfish Story comes in (adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley).

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We cannot solve the world’s literacy problem, but we can make a difference for one or two.

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This is Marie. My husband and I have been sponsoring her through New Missions, a small organization operating in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, since she was in primary school. She now attends high school and dreams of becoming a nurse. For approximately one dollar a day, we provide her with the opportunity to go to school in Haiti where only 2% of the children finish high school and about 40% of the adult population is illiterate. She also receives a hot meal at school each day as well as regular health check-ups and medical care when it’s needed. There are many similar organizations, including World Vision, that offer you the opportunity to provide a child with the chance to go to school. Perhaps that child could be your starfish!

I also choose to give Kiva loans to impoverished women in third world countries who are helping support their families and educate their children. By investing in women’s lives, society as a whole benefits because women typically reinvest 90% of their income back into their families. In so doing, they break the cycle of illiteracy and help lift their families out of poverty.

Closer to home, encouraging literacy is as simple as reading to a child! Fill your home with books and let the children in your life see you enjoying the gift of reading.

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