The Season of Giving

Its holiday season and I totally love the air around me filled with gaiety and color. As it is a season of giving , I would like to make a special mention of a web service called Kiva. Its a swahili word meaning "concord" (Any thingy named in Swahili seems to be good, Ubuntu for example, or Hakuna Matata..)

Back to the topic, the above site isnt about charity but all about microfinance distribution around the world. Instead of charity, you get your money back here (no interest though, cmon do something in the name of philanthropy) in a vein similar to that of loaning out your friend in need (I myself bootstrapped with the help of my dear friends). So its an instrument to elevate people out of their poverty and more importantly the Interney enables to break the lock of local feudal honchos who charge exorbitant interest for such endeavors. These kinds of endeavors always struck me as the ending line in the novel

“…because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth”

But now I see Kiva as providing a second chance to those (and within a short while on Jupiter as well).

Happy Holidays!