Small town graduation idea

[Guest]

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[abc]

Hi folks.

It's me, one of the new converts again.

Listen, my husband and I are digging deep in our pockets this year with a project
that might appeal to some of you who either can afford it, live in teeny towns (like
we do) and/or lend in groups that give you more lending power.

There are 23 graduating seniors in our local high school. We don't know all of
them, but we know several. This is a small town with many struggling families
and jobs are hard to come by. Not every kid is going to college. Not every
kid is being acknowledged with scholarship money for being smart or being
athletic or having rich grandparents.

Anyway, we just got back from a meeting with the principal and he gave
us the okay for our idea. We are giving each senior a $25 gift cert to Kiva
to do with as they will. Although there is a lot of poverty in our part of
this country, I don't think a lot of these kids think about how good they
really do have it, compared to some of their brothers and sisters across
the globe.

So, I'm going over to their grad rehearsal next week, just to talk to them
about Kiva so they will have a clue, and then, during the awards ceremony
they call Class Day here, we will present them their gift certs accompanied by
that one-page flier that's on the Kiva website. And yes, some of these smarty
pants will probably figure out that they can cash them out when the
loans are re-paid but that's fine by us. And some of them will express
no interest whatsoever, in which case Kiva will eventually get those funds.
But maybe this will spark one or two of them to think outside their own sacks of
skin, and that will be worth the beans and rice my husband and I
will be eating for a while to help pay for these.

I realize this isn't the sort of thing everyone is in a position to do, and this time
next year we may not be able to do it again, but we can this year
and so we are.

[Jill]

Dear abc,

I think that that was a spectacular.... and incredibly generous idea that you and your husband came up with.  It pleases me greatly just to say
welcome, I celebrate you for your kindness, and well done.  Something that's impressed me for a really long time has been my knowledge that it's a really commonplace thing for some of the more economically-challenged people to be among the most giving.  No question but that some of your recipients will fall within that group.  Also no question but that with your turning them onto Kiva and the world out there, as you've done with this, you will be contributing to their education, to encouraging them on a path of good global citizenship in a really meaningful way.

I just think it's wonderful.
Thank you, and again, Welcome to the Forum.

Jill

EDIT: Sounds like a potential PR story for Fiona and Kiva.  It'd be particularly fun if there could be a newspaper/Kiva picture of all the kids in a Graduation/Class Day kind of picture holding up their Kiva Gift Certificates like our Brac Entrepreneurs hold up their Brac membership papers, or, whatever those are.  And maybe everybody could wear their WORLD flag pins on their lapels.....

[P, B and J]

Because Jill expressed it so well, I will say "ditto" to what she said!

Welcome to the forum Abc!  What a wonderful, generous, and inspiring thing you are doing!!!

 

~Jackie~

[Jan & John]

WOW

I think your outlook on the gift certificates positive!  Give them, and pray for the best outcome.

There is actually no down side...

-- If they cash out down the road, they will probably really need the cash, and in the meantime, someone has had a hand up...

-- If they forget entirely - well there's another 25 in the Kiva pot...

-- If they lending - there will be no end to the 'ripple' effect we are striving for here at KF.

Bless you for this terrific idea.

jan

[waywardcats]

There are 23 graduating seniors in our local high school. We don't know all of
them, but we know several.

Hi abc and welcome! 

Wow, for once I feel like I must have come from the big city, there were 47 in my graduating class.   

So, I'm going over to their grad rehearsal next week, just to talk to them
about Kiva so they will have a clue, and then, during the awards ceremony
they call Class Day here, we will present them their gift certs accompanied by
that one-page flier that's on the Kiva website.

I also think this is a great thing you are doing, how great of you to think of it!!

What do you thinks about suggesting to them that they pool their gift certificates and make a group account?  It would be a great vehicle for them to keep in touch with each other, and maybe it would discourage them from withdrawing the funds.  Just a thought.

-Kerry-

[Sherri]

And maybe everybody could wear their WORLD flag pins on their lapels.....

What's a world flag??

[Jill]

    I don't want to hijack this thread because I think we want to focus all of our attention and accolades, here, on abc's idea and gift to the high school seniors (and, by extension, to all of us, to the world), but.....

    Sherri asked about my reference to a "WORLD flag pin" that all the seniors should wear in their Kiva publicity newspaper picture that I was envisioning.

    As far as I know, there isn't a WORLD flag pin, yet.  My reference to it was my sideways commentary on the requirement imposed, in this country, on politicians and other people to wear American flag pins, or that they hold their hands over their hearts during the Pledge of Allegiance, to prove their love for their country. 

     Related, too, is my befuddlement every time government officials, politicians, or other people close out their speeches with a "God Bless America," when I always respond, internally, with a cry, inside of "But, hey.  What about the REST of the world?  Don't want we want God to bless them, too?"

    Aren't you glad you asked?!
    All right, let's turn our attention back to abc and her husband's wonderful gesture.  See, the first post in this thread if you missed it.

   Your pinko-commie Kiva Friend,
    Jill

[QueenOfHearts]

   
   Your pinko-commie Kiva Friend,
    Jill

OMG Jill...you made me bust out laughing at work!!!!!

Queen

[abc]

...What do you think about suggesting to them that they pool their gift certificates and make a group account?  It would be a great vehicle for them to keep in touch with each other, and maybe it would discourage them from withdrawing the funds.  Just a thought.
-Kerry-

Well, these are seniors and they are scattering after grad next week, so asking them to keep in touch for
this project seems unrealistic. As someone else said, if they need the money enough and are clever enough
to figure out that they can have 25 dollars when the loan is paid off, that's okay by us. It's a gift that
we prefer not to attach any strings to.

I'll be able to keep track of their loans because they'll all be in my gift cert
folder, so I we can see how many seem to "get" the Kiva concept.

Thanks for all the encouragement, folks. Appreciate it greatly.

[abc]

As per the request of the principal, I showed up
at the seniors' rehearsal for graduation tomorrow
and briefly explained Kiva and what David and
I will be giving them tomorrow at Class Day.
I thought it went pretty well. About 3/4 of them
were listening. Only two blank stares and one
surly one.
I will let you all know how it goes tomorrow afternoon
when we give out the certificates. (What they
won't know until tomorrow is that David
and I are also including a small
spot of cash for themselves in each envelope. Bet the surly one
would've been nicer if he'd known that today, heh
heh.)
Ann