Kiva – Philanthropy reinvented.

By: Roy Dollwet, RA

Hawaiian Island Homes, Pahoa

(808) 430-3223. (808) 965-9500

You've been blessed! Fortunate enough to live the life you wanted. With all the trappings of a good life:  a loving, supportive family by your side, roof over your head, a job that provides the aura of comfortable if not luxurious living!

In one’s life journey comes pay-back time. The time to give back to society, especially the less fortunate among us, to reach out, share, even serve – expecting nothing in return.

That’s philanthropy at work – the way we know it! Which was ignited in me sometime back in 2007 when I had that innermost calling to join KIVA - which is engaged in what I call “reinvented Philanthropy.”

Let me explain. Kiva is a non-profit organization whose noble mission is to lend out funds to financially distressed borrowers to alleviate poverty.

In a nutshell, this is how Kiva works:

• Kiva invites lenders or donors to put in disposable funds for re-lending to deserving borrowers
• Kiva farms out the funds through a network of microfinance institutions, social business, schools and non-profit organizations called Field Partners
• Field Partners in turn lends out the funds to the needy who passed a screening process;  are responsible for repayment collections and remit the monies to Kiva
• Kiva lenders have the option to plow back, relend or fund another loan, donate it to Kiva, or withdraw the funds if so desired

I believe in Kiva. Joining Kiva is just about the best thing I did to help foster a better world tor the disadvantaged sector of society.

Helping people to help themselves and pro-poor. And felt good inside in the process…