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alan
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« Reply To This #14 on: November 08, 2009, 01:37:52 PM » |
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To me the key issue isn't who lends how much, or how many times. I, too, would find some statistical analysis of passing interest, including median figures, but I would hope that any such analysis would be stripped of identities. The curious among us can't help but noticing the same lenders coming up again and again on loans, and may click through to the lenders' pages and see how many loans they've made. Their generosity inspires. A question I can only ask of myself is whether I have done what I can, and of course Kiva fits into a larger picture of my personal budget for good works, as it does for everyone.
Many KFs have shared other areas where they are involved in charitable activity or other good works, and I suspect a significant percentage of Kiva lenders are similarly involved in trying to make the world a better place beyond their involvement in Kiva. The official motto of the Order of Canada, our highest honour (which has replaced peerages and knighthoods), is "Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam (They desire a better country)". And it is given to people who have put their energy into making that desire a reality in a particularly exemplary manner. I suggest that a similar motive, expanded beyond country to the world, is in operation in Kiva, and everyone who is involved, whether in making one loan or 10,000, is putting their energy and their money, to work to make a difference. If there were an honour system for Kiva, I would give an Order of Kiva to everyone at the first loan. It's not about how many loans any individual makes. Some can manage one loan, some can manage a thousand. What matters is that together, we Kiva lenders are capable of making a difference in people's lives. And I'm glad to be part of that in my own small way.
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