It was a bit of a leaner month in terms of advertising revenue compared to January, mostly because January’s figures were boosted by accumulated affiliate payments from previous months and me not having the time to ask advertisers for money (I think that I’d better have a proper invoice system rather than e-mails like this: “hey, gimme some money, thanks, Andy”).
But every little bit counts as they say, and I think that this months chosen charity is a good illustration of that. Kiva was February’s donation recipient, or to be more specific, Winifred Ongalo (a clothing store owner from Kenya) was February’s recipient of a $25 donation, plus $2.50 directly to Kiva for administration costs. Here’s an explanation of what Kiva is from their own site:
“Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back. “
Now, I’m sure you’ve just read that last sentence and now you’re thinking, “wait a minute Andy, you get your money back? Not exactly a donation now is it?”, well, I can understand your concern, but I promise that I’ll just keep re-investing the loan if I get it back. Historically, repayment rates for micro loans are above 95%, Kiva claims a repayment rate of 100%, so chances are I will get the money back for re-investing.
As ever, suggestions for charities for next months donation are welcomed, though I may stick with Kiva for a while since I like the way it works.
