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  • Reply 61 of 106
    sammi josammi jo Posts: 4,634member
    It looks good, and it has great intentions.



    What is the potential for this charity to evolve (devolve) into yet another scam?



    Everything of benevolent intent is susceptible to the gnarlier side effects of capitalism, unless there is 100% openness and accountability.



    Someone will find a method, a loophole, a way to skim; they always do, because human beings are like that.



    How is Kiva set up to counter the worst aspects of human nature?
  • Reply 62 of 106
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sammi jo

    It looks good, and it has great intentions.



    What is the potential for this charity to evolve (devolve) into yet another scam?




    Well I think the one thing that seriously limits the ability to scam is the fact that you aren't donating to a charity, you are a microlender.



    Quote:

    Everything of benevolent intent is susceptible to the gnarlier side effects of capitalism, unless there is 100% openness and accountability.



    Agreed. When you fund a loan here, you are shown your portfolio of loans, their amounts repaid and the parties to whom you loaned them.



    Here is mine in the interest of openness.







    Quote:

    Someone will find a method, a loophole, a way to skim; they always do, because human beings are like that.



    Well the alternative is simply to be cynical and never offer to help in any fashion. Perhaps Grace's husband might not take well to her business attempt. Perhaps he will beat her, sell off the vegetables and simply drink away the profits. That is entirely possible. There would be no recourse to those loaned the money, that is true. Kiva does work with partner organizations that do the vetting and are supposed to know the lay of the land, so to speak. Perhaps the Women's Economic Empowerment Consort is nothing but a con. But I think I would rather get conned for $25 than by cynical for a lifetime.



    Also my stated intent is to simply keep reloaning out this money as it is repaid and add more to loan later. So if the loans default, they don't just hurt me. They hurt the next person who would have gotten that loan, and the next.



    Quote:

    How is Kiva set up to counter the worst aspects of human nature?



    I think the set up of microfinance and loans helps avoid corruption. It might be possible to defraud thousands out of a few bucks, but it is an awful lot of work and a ton of goodwill burned through for very little return.



    Nick
  • Reply 63 of 106
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Also just to update, loan 592 is still not funded. It is still in need of around $400 to fund.



    Nick
  • Reply 64 of 106
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    I never got a chance to do anything the other day so I just kicked out a few bucks for 592.



    Sammi,



    Instead of trying to depress us why not for once take a chance and assume the best of man and shell out a couple of bucks?
  • Reply 65 of 106
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trumptman

    But I think I would rather get conned for $25 than by cynical for a lifetime.



    Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. AMEN!

    In all honesty they can just keep it. Reinvest that in your business or your home or your childrens' edcuation. I don't really care, because all I'm going to do with any of this is loan it straight back out.



    Mary Wambui (#606) got $50.
  • Reply 66 of 106
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    You guys rule. Who knew men could ever get so excited about something with the word micro in the title.



    So Sammi, who gets your $25? You can't let us have all the fun now.



    Nick
  • Reply 67 of 106
    sammi josammi jo Posts: 4,634member
    Quote:



    Sammi,



    Instead of trying to depress us why not for once take a chance and assume the best of man and shell out a couple of bucks?



    Just being the realist, apologies. I've donated to far dodgier organizations than what this appears to be. Re. standard charities, to discover that 50%+ of donations go into furnishing 7 figure salaries to executives and other expenses that are non-congruent with "charitable work", one gets skeptical, and puts one off donating. Yes I realize that this isn't a "charity" as such; I was just wondering about how the trust inherent in such a scheme could be violated.
  • Reply 68 of 106
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    The negative will always be there if you try to find it, but so will the positive.
  • Reply 69 of 106
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by groverat

    Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. AMEN!

    In all honesty they can just keep it. Reinvest that in your business or your home or your childrens' edcuation. I don't really care, because all I'm going to do with any of this is loan it straight back out.



    Mary Wambui (#606) got $50.




    Congrats Grove, the loan you helped finance is now fully funded. Please keep us updated on how the loan works out.



    Loan 592 is still $225 away from funding. We can still have parties come together to help and share this loan.



    Nick
  • Reply 70 of 106
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    Looks like someone topped off 592 with $50 after I put my 50 in. Nice!
  • Reply 71 of 106
    fellowshipfellowship Posts: 5,038member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trumptman

    Also just to update, loan 592 is still not funded. It is still in need of around $400 to fund.



    Nick




    Funded completely!



    I could not pass up the last $50 of her loan.



    Thank you all for the best thread and subject here at Appleinsider in a long long time if not the best!



    Nick great job buddy with this!



    Thanks again for the pm as I had not seen this thread.



    Fellowship
  • Reply 72 of 106
    fellowshipfellowship Posts: 5,038member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trick fall

    The negative will always be there if you try to find it, but so will the positive.





    I agree completely and I would also say,,



    Even if there were a few scams within the bunch it would not stop me from wanting the best for those who are honest and good people trying hard to do the right thing for themselves and their family.



    I have been blessed and continue to be blessed in my life and if I have the chance to invest in others lives the way people have invested in my life I will jump to it no questions asked.



    Many in my life had faith in me and risked financial and time resources into my life and a harvest was captured and continues to be captured. Again let me stress not solely due to my efforts but with "the help of others".





    This thread is about "the help of others" being joined up with the efforts of the individuals at hand in their given situation so that the faith shared between them and we the "others" may manifest a harvest of great size and blessing.





    Why do nothing but simply store up blessings



    I ask of you,,,



    Share the blessing.



    Fellows
  • Reply 73 of 106
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    This is working out great.
  • Reply 74 of 106
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Fellowship

    Funded completely!



    I could not pass up the last $50 of her loan.



    Thank you all for the best thread and subject here at Appleinsider in a long long time if not the best!



    Nick great job buddy with this!



    Thanks again for the pm as I had not seen this thread.



    Fellowship




    You are welcome, and thanks for helping fund a loan. I noticed you have a new addition to your sig as well.



    Over at that other place we all know about, a user named Lurch has given to loan 621 and it is still lacking some funding if anyone still feels compelled to help.



    Finally anyone have some links to places where they have posted about Kiva and gotten any response? It would be neat to see a good idea spreading around.



    Nick
  • Reply 75 of 106
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    Just got a notice that one of the people I loaned money too has made their first repayment. Pretty cool.......
  • Reply 76 of 106
    Trumpt,



    Could you possibly recap what has been Kiva'ed by AI posters up to this point? {said the lazy man}



    I think it would be more than cool if, as some sort of group/team, that we could monitor a given set of loans for the longer term and report to the blogworld that loans have been made, and repaid.



    Having worked for professional fund raising groups before, I can assure folks like Sammi that most of all donations are not getting into the hands that need it. Micro loans are designed to eliminate that type of theft. {Rest assured that I have cleansed my soul of any taint induced by my slightly immoral/ammoral work activity}



    Long term success of a micro loan is one of the goals, I would hope that it can be reported here.



    P.S. I would also like to donate!



    Paz
  • Reply 77 of 106
    Polite Bump as I came across this today.



    I thought it was noteworthy.



    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/n...ationworld-hed



    Fellowship
  • Reply 78 of 106
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    I don't think I've ever seen a better way of trying to solve poverty.
  • Reply 79 of 106
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Time for the Kiva remix track.



    Rose has already begun paying back her loan.



    The other two loans ended up not being processed due to some hold up with the partner organizations. I have $75 within my Kiva account to loan out due to these two loans not being processed.



    Has anyone else started receiving repayment information related to different loans?



    I know several parties here went in on the two loans that ended up not funding. Does anyone want to suggest another party to which we could pool our Kiva funds?



    Nick
  • Reply 80 of 106
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    One of my loans was just disbursed, but the other has already made two payments.
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