Here's an update on all the Kiva things happening in Second Life.
We are still waiting for an office in the Non-Profit Commons, but another sim was donated and we are on the 'for sure' list. The price of the first sim was estimated to be $40,000 US dollars, so this is a nice donation. Kiva is very visible in the NPC; Joe and I have been going to the weekly meetings, making Kiva usually one of the only organizations with more than 1 member. Here we are at the meeting last week to discuss the new sim.
Here is one of the weekly meetings. They are on Fridays at 8:30am Pacific Time. Joe and I send each other (instant messages) Ims. Last week was strange, we both got interviewed at the same time by someone (private ims with that person) while we were talking to each other. She took pictures of us and our info is posted here:
http://secondlife.techsoup.org/. She put pictures of us up on flicker too. I don't know why my glasses look like sunglasses, but make me look cooler! Especially on my trim, fit avatar body!
Here is the meeting.
The meetings are open to anyone who wants to attend.
You can learn more about it at techsoup.org
http://secondlife.techsoup.org/. OH, look, Kiva is at the top of the blog today!
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Elron, the KivaSL group organizer, is busy not just making loans (our lender page is here:
http://www.kiva.org/lender/secondlife1494, he is also starting a kiva stall network and selling things in second life to make money for our kiva loans. This group, by the way, is now set up so that the money can't come out, it can only be re-lent. That means you can use donations as a tax-write off, and Elron is organizing all of that (with Fiona's advice). He is also sending out thank you for large donations.
Here he is with me in my village (you can also seem my loom and weaving, and my pottery wheel). Elron is setting up a Kiva donation box for me, so the money goes directly to the group and I don't have to do any bookeeping. He also made a 'freebe' box (pictured on the right) which gives you info, the jean jacket, bracelet, etc.
. Here is one of the stalls he has set up, you can see we are in a building in a mall type place. He bought the inventory for resell, so anything anyone buys here goes to our group for loans.
I am going to make some things for him to sell, and I am hoping we will get some creative kiva friends making things also. Its a way we can turn time into money, building isn't that difficult. Explaining to a kiva client how we raise virtual money is probably much, much more difficult.
I am starting (as of about an hour ago) to work with Naomi about recruiting translators in Second Life. I think it might be a great resource, especially since we can go find people who speak a particular language and ask them in person. We can just pop into the Vietnam area, for example and see if we can find someone interested. We will have info in our office to make it easy and fun to volunteer.
Hope to see you all in Second Life. Remember, second life is free, you just need a good internet connection and video card. We will help you figure things out when you get in world. Send me an instant message by searching on 'people' and julles bouchard.
