Thanks, Richard, for giving me a good place for my first post.
There are three listings I would love to draw your attention to - my experience so far is too limited to judge if they are in any real danger of not meeting their respective limits in time. So just in case...
1. Only 16 days to go and still $ 550 of $ 825 to raise:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=51667Name: Ganijon Tursunov
Location: Asht, Tajikistan
Repayment Term: 6 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To open a trade outlet to sell meat.
Field Partner: MLF MicroInvest-Tajikistan (5 stars, 15 months on Kiva, 0.00% delinquency/default)
"Ganijon Tursunov lives in Asht, Tajikistan, and raises livestock alongside his fellow villagers. Having extensive experience in this field, Ganijon now owns two cows and one bull, and trades both the meat and milk from his animals. Ganijon also works as a carpenter and contributes to his community's collective farms. He is now applying for a $825 loan for six months to open a trading outlet in the market so that he can sell his meat and milk more effectively."
To me, this plan sounds very plausible and reasonable, and IMO the entrepreneur looks hard-working, diligent and reliable.
2. 27 days to go and $ 675 of $ 850 to raise:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=52822Name: Sabado Samuel Massingue
Location: Boane, Maputo, Mozambique
Repayment Term: 9 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: Purchase merchandise to increase stock.
Field Partner: Hluvuku-Adsema (3 stars [!], 19 months on Kiva, 1.79% delinquency, 0.00% default)
"Sabado is 39 years old and he is from the province of Gaza. Sabado has 7 children with two different wives -- 5 of them are from the same mother and their ages range from 8 to 18 years old. His children from the second wife are 13 and 16 years old. Out of the 7 children, only the oldest one does not go to school anymore. Besides his children, Sabado also supports his mother who lives in Chokwe by sending her a monthly allowance. Sabado went to school until the 4th grade and he says he did not continue his education because he traveled during his vacation to another province and once he returned his spot in the school was not available any longer. In 1980, right after his father death, he moved away from the province of Gaza and relocated to Maputo to look for a better life. In 1981 he worked for Vetagro-Boane and between 1995 and 1997 he worked as a security guard when there were many lay-offs and he was also let go. In 1998 he tried following his friend's steps by opening up a chicken raising business but he had to abandon that activity due to a lethal epidemic that killed many of his hens. Sabado lives in his own home. Sabado learned the trade by watching his friends do it since 1998. He has a permanent location on Namaacha Avenue in the town of Mazanbanine and its normal hours of operation are from 7:00am to 9:00pm -- these hours can be longer if there is a great influx of business. He has been engaged in this field for 6 years and with help from two employees he has been able to sell beer for 25,00mt, juices for 10,00mt and semea for 120,00 per bag. Sabado's income varies between 300,00mt and 1000,00mt per month and, depending on the business volume, it could reach as much as 2500,00mt. It is a goal to Sabado to expand and keep his business growing. His plans for the near future are open up more establishments in the town where he lives and expand his business."
I am well aware of the rather unfavorable risk rating of the field partner, but I am impressed by Sabado's story of (relative) success after some bad strokes of fate and think that he deserves the chance to expand (especially being a father to 7 children and also taking care of his mother).
3. 28 days to go and $ 1,125 of $ 1,200 to raise:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=53784Name: Ahmad
Location: Tyre, South, Lebanon
Primary Activity: Charcoal Sales
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: USD 1,200 to buy the wood needed to be transformed to charcoal, so that he can sell it early Fall.
Field Partner: Al Majmoua- Lebanese Association for Dev (4 stars, 9 months on Kiva, 0.00% delinquency/default)
"Ahmad is 34 years old, and married. He is the father of three little children, and lives with his family in a small village near Tyre, in Southern Lebanon. Ahmad operates a business where he produces charcoal from wood. The best season for his work spans from the early summer to early fall.
Ahmad has already requested and repaid a loan on time last year. He would like to request another loan, this time $1200, to purchase the necessary wood to produce charcoal to sell and support his family."
With Ahmad, I like the story and most of all the picture. ***edit: I have noticed now that there are some reasonable objections to charcoal businesses but most of them don't seem to really apply to Lebanon, and I also still think that Ahmad deserves the chance to support his family - and if it's by producing and selling charcoal.***
Maybe some of you have a few $$ to spare for Ganijon, Sabado or Ahmad?!
Best wishes from Germany,
Wolfgang.
