Kiva in Second Life

[Guest]

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[Kay]

I want to "second" that, Julia.  It's amazing!

[Julia]

Thanks Oli, it will be great to get the documents translated into German. There are a lot of Germans in Second Life.

The whole concept still puzzles and amazes me.

The credit for the loans should mostly go to Elrod and his son, who started the group and have been camping out raising a lot of the funds. He was in SL way before I was. He's also been really nice in helping me and other learn about Second Life. (I don't think he comes here, he's a truck-driving 50+ year old from Manitoba, Canada)

I think the real power of SL was shown to be last weekend, when we got the informational booth set up by people thousands of miles apart,  from several countries and continents. 

SL is very new, and non-profits in SL is new, and its great that KIVA is getting in early.   

[Diane R]

Julia --

I'm sending you a notecard in SL with this information on it, but I thought I'd post here so others could comment.

1) a 20 word blurb about KIVA, being succinct and enticing and simple (and 20 words or less).

Join with others around the world to fund loans for small business owners in poor countries. Small loans change lives!

(NOTE: Exactly 20 words if you count "the" and "to"! )

2) a few paragraphs blurb about KIVA for a notecard (no word count limit except the limit on what people will read). the audience is people in SL who can read English, many will not be English speakers as a first language.

You can change someone's life for the better!

KIVA.org lets you join with others around the world to lend money to the working poor.  With a small investment, these people can make their business a success and improve their lives.

On the KIVA.org website, you review profiles of people in poor countries asking for small loans and choose those you want to support. Together with others, you provide money to local microlenders that oversee the loans and report on how the business is going as the client repays the loan, usually in 6 to 12 months. At the end, you can withdraw your money or lend it to someone else.  KIVA.org works with reliable local microlenders, and has already raised over 9 million US dollars for 14,000 borrowers.

A small amount from each of us can make a big difference for someone who wants to work and improve their life.  Visit KIVA.org to learn more, and join us today.

KIVA.org: Loans that change lives.

[Wood Fairy Glenda]

Nice job, Diane!

[wind5001]

Diane, very nice...I'll try to translate into German, although it'll probably sound a little different:

Unterstuetze gemeinsam mit anderen Geldgebern Kleinunternehmer aus Entwicklungslaendern durch Kredite. Kleinkredite veraendern die Welt!
(literally: Support small businesses from developping countries through loans together with other loaners. Small loans change the world!)

The "blurb":

Du kannst die Lebensumstaende eines Kleinunternehmers verbessern!

KIVA.org ermoeglicht Dir, Dich mit anderen zusammenzuschliessen und den Aermsten der Welt Geld leihen. Durch geringe Investitionen koennen diese ihr Geschaeft erfolgreich ausbauen und ihre Lebensumstaende entscheidend verbessern.

Auf der KIVA.org Website kannst Du Dir Profile von Menschen aus Entwicklungsländern ansehen, die einen Kredit benötigen, und Dir aussuchen, wen Du unterstuetzen moechtest. Gemeinsam mit anderen Verleihern verschaffst Du so lokalen Mikrokreditorganisationen, die die Kredite überwachen und ueber den Stand des Unternehmens berichten, das noetige Geld. Der Kreditnehmer zahlt in der Regel in 6 bis 12 Monaten seinen Kredit zurueck. Am Ende der Kreditlaufzeit kannst Du Dein Geld wieder auf Dein Bankkonto buchen oder es an jemand anderen verleihen. KIVA.org arbeitet mit ausgesuchten, vertrauenswuerdigen lokalen Mikrokreditorganisationen zusammen und hat bereits über 9 Millionen Dollar an 14.000 Kreditnehmer vergeben.

Ein kleiner Betrag von gerade einmal 25 $ kann das gesamte Leben eines anderen verbessern. Geh auf die KIVA.org Website und schliess Dich uns an.

KIVA.org: Kredite, die Leben veraendern.


I added the minimum amount (25 $) into the last paragraph, beause I think this is a major incentive!

If there is another KIVAN here with the ability to speak German, please go through it and correct where necessary!!

Oli
 

[Henry]

I think I missed this post!
Well done Julia I have been into SL a few times lately, my favorite place is that junkyard you showed me.  I've worn my board a few times as well.

Thanks for taking the time to set that place up!

[Julia]

We are on the waiting list for an office!  That means we will probably get one within a few weeks!!!! So we need to do some brain storming on what we want to put in it.  I'm hoping everyone will think of some ideas, even the people who aren't going into second life.

I thought it might be helpful to show some pictures of what this is.  Here's me (with my tablet-woven belt that I made in real life) in front of the sign.



This is a map showing the non-profit area, and other 'sims' (squares) in the area. I think the other ones are commercial.  I am the yellow dot, and the red dot shows the non-profit sim center.  There are 4 quads, with offices around the quads. I think there are 24 offices total.
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The offices are large. Here are some examples of how other decorated.






We need to try to convey KIVAness to people when they come to our office.  We also want it to be very informative, as well as fun. 

I have a few ideas that are kind of developed. I was hoping others here would brainstorm and come up with interesting ideas for displays.  What should we include/not include.

How about making 4 areas (in each corner) based on the loan cycle? 
 

Area 1) lenders pick a business and make a loan.
    - info about kiva, microlending, paypal, web site, loan examples, website of current loans (can we streamline the collage one in?)

Area 2) kiva transfers funds to local partners. partner disburses loans to each business.
- info about mfis, all the countries kiva is in

Area 3) over time, partner collects repayments and provides business updates at kiva.org.
- place to read journal entries.
- display of kiva clients stores (e.g. veggie stall, grocery store, sweater stall, pigs, etc) with poses so you can 'help' the clients - help them shelve groceries, fold sweaters, slop pigs, etc.)


Area 4) Funds are returned to lender. kiva lender may withdraw or re-loan.
-display of other things you can do to help kiva, e.g picture of a camera with 'donate old camera' and link to how to donate camera web page.  links/list igive, goodsearch, amazon, blogs,

- TV display with youtube videos as channels.

- display to show volunteers for language translation and fellowships.

-area for donations and things for sale (kiva bracelets) and free kiva jackets (& shirts)  (in the center?)

Please post suggestions here, this is brainstorming so don't worry about feasibility.

And if anyone has time this weekend to work on this in SL let me know (send me IM).  I'll be doing stuff Saturday morning 9am SL time.

[Henry]

not sure of how...but the first thing that came to my mind was.....the interior of a nice bank?  teller windows, loan officer desk, vault.  at each could mention :  vault : stats of Kiva's financial investment in loans,  loan desk : stats of number of MFI's, Number of Loans, etc.  and Teller Window:  hmmm...  how to join, get gift certificates, etc. 
I think back to KISS, Keep it Simple Stupid!  (not calling you stupid, just I Think that was the phrase)

[wind5001]

I agree with Henry: Thanks to Kiva we are "bankers" to the poor. So why not have the look of it in this room. Might be catchy, too if it could be looking like these old, old banks, we think of, when we read Dickens (anyone else a Dickens fan like me??)...

But I also like the idea of yours, Julia, of dividing it according to the loan cycle. Why not combine the two? First: You go to an open desk with information about loans etc. Then you go to the counter, where you can pay money into the bank (explain the processes). Third stop: a seating area, where you can read journals etc. Fourth stop: The money withdrawal place, where you can get information on what to do with your money...i.e. get back to the open desk! 

Oli

[Diane R]

And one of my ideas is to have areas in the office dedicated to lending regions, where we can focus on loan lists from those areas. We can import almost real-time lists into SL from the Kiva.org website, which would allow visitors to see exactly who is requesting a loan right now, and click through to that page at the website.

Julia, should I assume then that we won't be using the land I put aside for an office?  If we can get into the more heavy traffic areas that would be great.

--Diane.