Comments on: Kiva: where microcredit meets P2P

By: Ojonimi Adegbe

Ojonimi Adegbe — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 07:48:55 +0000

It is very clear that the best way to achieving wealth creation in developing countries is to support entrepreneurship. Kiva seems to be an excellent way, and it is a welcome development in Africa. I particularly look forward to supporting its objectives in Nigeria.

By: PSD Blog - The World Bank Group - Private Sector Development

PSD Blog - The World Bank Group - Private Sector Development — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 14:43:07 +0000

Kiva.org – P2P microfinance

The blogosphere is a-buzz about Kiva Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the worldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s first peer-to-peer, distributed microloan website. The site allows you to lend a small amount of money, say $25, to needy microenterprises in developing countries (for now just Uganda). You receive…

By: Snarkmarket

Snarkmarket — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 01:50:04 +0000

Economic Development 2.0

Perhaps you have heard of microlending. The idea is, hey: There are lots of people in countries like Bangladesh or Bolivia who could do something useful with $20 or $200 — buy some livestock, make some baskets, start a little…

By: The Sharpener » More on Kiva

The Sharpener » More on Kiva — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 22:29:38 +0000

[...] ener More on Kiva Remember the article on Kiva, the website that links up microcredit lenders with borrowers? The Sharpener article was mentioned in th [...]

By: qwghlm.co.uk : Kiva

qwghlm.co.uk : Kiva — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 16:57:23 +0000

[…] Sunday October 30 2005 Kiva Kiva (via The Sharpener) is a nice little idea. It’s a microcredit brokering site, which allows anyone in the developed […]

By: Phil Hunt

Phil Hunt — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 16:01:03 +0000

Tim: Grameen […] makes the collateral peer pressure. […] What is Kiva using to supplant this?

They’ve hinted that they will be rolling out some of the ideas I suggested. Whether this will involve some sort of reputation system, I don’t know. If you go to their website, you can ask them.

Or is it really going to end up as a way for rich people like us to toss $50 over the fence to the poor?

It’s starting out that way. Where it will end, I can’t tell.

By: Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:50:09 +0000

ThereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s one piece of the Grameen equation that this new scheme doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t seem to have. Grameen, unlike the propaganda, does not in fact lend to people with no collateral. It makes the collateral peer pressure. People are orgqanised into groups and only a small subset of the group can have a loan at the same time, the others having to wait until the originals are repaid. There is thus great social pressure to repay the loans.

What is Kiva using to supplant this?

Or is it really going to end up as a way for rich people like us to toss $50 over the fence to the poor?

By: Phil Hunt

Phil Hunt — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 20:58:58 +0000

Caution taken, but I notice that a lot of the criticism of microlending amounts to that saying that it can't solve all the world's problems. If that's the worst people can say about it, it must be a good idea! I don't believe microlending can do everything, and nor does anyone else with sense. But I do believe it can do some things.

By: dsquared

dsquared — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 20:46:29 +0000

I'd be cautious about Grameen Bank; I've heard from people who know what they're talking about that it's more productive of publicity for itself than results.