Environmental Loan Group

[Guest]

.

[Environmental Care]

I've been chairing the Environmental Loan Group on kiva.org for a while, and just discovered Kivafriends.org. I'm still not totally sure what Kivafriends goal is, but it looks like a great place for all kinds of discussions. I definitely would love to invite you to consider joining the Environmental Loan Group, since we focus on making loans that are also environmentally sustainable and share these opportunities with each other. The link is: http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=231.
Thanks to R&R who directed me to this forum!
Melanie


Update: Give Green has agreed to merge with the Environmental Loan Group. We will now be known as; "Give Green - Environmental Loans" For now, at least, our team ID is the same: www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=231  I hope you'll join us! This is one way to let Kiva know we care about the multiple bottom line!

[RichardF]

Hi, Melanie! 

Kiva Friends is a group of addicts enthusiasts, who love talking about and supporting Kiva Entrepreneurs, the rest of the Kiva community, and who knows what else! 

Lots of discussions here are about the impact of Kiva businesses on the environment and sustainable development at a broader level.  Some examples of these discussions are listed at Popular Topics at Kiva Friends - Sustainable Development.

This lending team topic would be a great place to share interesting business listings and other comments related to some of these environmental issues.

[Jan & John]

Hello Melanie  and welcome to KF.

I joined your team.  I already have one loan for a solar panel and have always been on the look-out for more. 

I'm not so sure it is that easy, or even possible, for me sitting in my comfortable home to decide on environmental issues in the agriculture areas in the developing world.  Some of the requests are for fertilizers to help with 'infertile' fields.  My only wish to this point has been to help people to help themselves survive and it wouldn't be my place to judge anyone but myself.

Here on KF I have learned so much.  Only last November, there was a 'blog from the field' that showed me that even in the poor countries, there are people trying to do things in a sustainable way...
Rai's Way was one such learning event for me so I thought perhaps I would pass on the link if you have not read it.  All the Kiva Fellows blogs are learning exercises for me but this one has stayed in my brain.  Hope you enjoy it.

jan

[RichardF]

The waste hierarchy refers to the 3Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability. The 3Rs are meant to be a hierarchy, in order of importance. The waste hierarchy has taken many forms over the past decade, but the basic concept has remained the cornerstone of most waste minimisation strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. - Wikipedia

Name: Sutarjo Business Name: Junk collector Location: Badung, Indonesia Primary Activity: Waste Management Loan Use: To add business capital

Sutarjo's business is collecting junks, or buying and selling second-hand goods. He goes out 2 times a day. In the morning, he departs at 6 am and in the evening he goes out at 3 pm. He covers the area from Monang-Maning until Kerobokan using a cart or a bicycle cart. Even though the weather sometimes changes, it doesn't discourage him to do this job. His daily income is enough to cover his daily expenses. Currently, Sutarji wants to expand the business but he doesn't have enough capital. Therefore, he hopes that DINARI can help him with a loan.

[RichardF]

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. Clean, fresh drinking water is essential to human and other life. Access to safe drinking water has improved steadily over the last decades in almost every part of the world. However, some observers have estimated that by 2025 more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability, a situation which has been called a water crisis by the United Nations. About 1.6 billion people have gained access to a safe water source since 1990. The proportion of people in developing countries with access to safe water is calculated to have improved from 30 percent in 1970 to 71 percent in 1990, 79 percent in 2000 and 84 percent in 2004. This trend is projected to continue. One of the Millennium Development Goals is to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. This goal is projected to be reached. - Wikipedia

Name: Ocola Julius Business Name: Water tap for the displaced Acholi Qtr. Location: Kampala, Uganda Primary Activity: Water Distribution Loan Use: Installation of water tap & water company fees

Ocola Julius is 52 years old and is married with 5 children. He is Acholi and is one of the many thousands of people who were forced to flee their homes in the North because of the war that has been going on for the last 20 years. His family lives in an Internally Displaced People's camp in the outskirts of Kampala called the Acholi Quarter. Six months ago Julius joined Life in Africa and has been an active member ever since. He started as a bracelet maker in the Invisible Children Bracelet Project but his hard work and determination quickly earned him a promotion to a sanding processor.

He has acquired a piece of land from the King of Buganda who has sympathy for the people of Acholi and who has set aside free land for them. Knowing that the people of the Acholi quarter have to go long distances to look for water, he has a plan to install a water tap on his land. The current water sellers who bring water in to this hilltop area are charging five shillings per litre for water which makes it very hard for the people to purchase water for their needs. With a water tap installed on his land, Julius will be able to purchase water for only one shilling per litre and he plans on selling this water for a reduced rate of 3 shillings per litre to his community.

Not only will this provide a steady income for his family needs, but it will also offer a valuable service to his community at a more affordable price than they can currently get. This will insure that he has a secure source of buyers for his water, and it is likely to have a great impact on those living in the Acholi quarters.

To accomplish this project, Julius is seeking a loan in the amount of shs. 800,000 ($475). He es-timates that once he acquires this loan it will take approximately one week to have the water tap installed. Below is his budget:

16 metal pipes @ 12000= each =192000=
connection fee to national water=300000=
labor charges & other expenses =200000=
building of small house so that the tap can be locked to avoid theft =100000=
The whole total is 792000=.

Based on his current income, Julius will be able to repay this loan in 12 months. Julius loves music and dance, and has designated the community impact portion of the interest he pays to support Life in Africa's Talent Discovery program

[Robert]

Name: Groupement Klévé Sanguéra Location: Lomé, Togo Primary Activity: Utilities Loan Use: Drilling a big well for water

The women in the area of Klévé, in Sanguéra, are facing serious problems with regard to potable water. Over several seasons, the wells have been drying up. In the rainy season, the water is dirty in the wells that are 50 to 80 meters deep. The infant mortality rate has risen as a result of these conditions.

To put a stop to it, this women's association has decided to construct a major well for the village. Lacking the means, they are requesting a loan of $1,200 to get the construction going. The water, designated to be sold, will allow the women to repay the loan on time. The success of this project will save the life of an entire village and its surrounding area.

[Jan & John]

Robert, that was a terrific loan...



Groupement Klévé Sanguéra

and it looks like Kay and only one other lender filled the whole loan -  wow

If we see more like that one, I will be sure to jump in.

jan

[RichardF]

Recycling involves processing used materials into new products in order to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste management and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy. Paper can be recycled by reducing it to pulp and combining it with pulp from newly harvested wood. Almost all paper can be recycled today, but some types are harder to recycle than others. Papers coated with plastic or aluminium foil, and papers that are waxed, pasted, or gummed are usually not recycled because the process is too expensive. Gift-wrap paper also cannot be recycled due to its already poor quality. - Wikipedia

Name: Giovanna Location: Juliaca, Peru Primary Activity: Recycling Loan Use: To increase her capital to be able to purchase a greater quantity of paper.

Giovanna, in her 21 years has demonstrated that she is a hard working, creative and intelligent woman. Sher immense will to make herself into an excellent professional has motivated her to keep up her efforts in the noble business in paper recycling. She decided to take on this business thanks to an initiative started by her beloved parents, who supported her every step along the way and motivated her in her work. During her spare time she travels along practicallly every major route in her native city of Juliaca, with the goal of acquiring her merchandise from business, factories, and institutions in her city. Once she has gathered enough she sells it to a paper factory, a producer of note books and bathroom tissues, located in the city of Arequipa. With this wonderful job she has managed to covery the costs of her university education. Giovanna hopes to increase her capital, and with this goal she comes to you petitionning for a loan. Your generous heart will enable the fulfillment of the dream of this brave young woman.

[Tatiana]

Cute, very British game and song:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-songs-environment.htm

Learn English and save the environment

[RichardF]

Reuse is using an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a new function. In contrast, recycling is the breaking down of the used item into raw materials which are used to make new items.

Reuse can have financial and environmental benefits, either of which can be the main motivation for it. The financial motivation historically did, and in the developing world still does, lead to very high levels of reuse, but rising wages and consequent consumer demand for the convenience of disposable products made the reuse of low value items such as packaging uneconomic in richer countries, leading to the demise of many reuse schemes. Current environmental awareness is gradually changing attitudes and regulations, such as the new packaging regulations, are gradually beginning to reverse the situation.
- Wikipedia

Name: Mosi Maguya Location: Mwanza, Tanzania Primary Activity: Clothing Sales Loan Use: To buy more used clothes for resale.

Mambo (Greetings!) from Tanzania! This is 32-year-old Mosi Maguya from Mwanza. She is single with three children, between the ages of three and 15 years old. Mosi Maguya has been running a used clothes business since 2006. Her business is selling second-hand clothes from America and Europe, which are then washed, ironed and sold in bulk by wholesalers in Tanzania to retailers who then re-wash and re-iron them for sale on the streets and in the surrounding towns and villages. These clothes are becoming increasingly popular, especially among the younger generation because of their low cost and the general appeal of anything modern. She works at the business for eight hours per day, six days per week and is assisted by one employee. Mosi Maguya currently earns about 300 USD a month from her business. She is requesting a loan of 500 USD in order to buy more used clothes for resale. In the future, she plans to open another business. Mosi thanks you for her support!