The loan has gone out to Adela in Peru, and now that its been dispersed, we get to see the other people who are also helping her. I like this feature of Kiva, that the fourteen people who pulled together the $500 loan can now see each other. There are two sets of people from Finland, and the rest are from the United States. If the person has created a profile, you can see a picture of them, along with seeing a list of other loans they have been a part of, complete with if those loans have been repaid or are being repaid. I could send a message to the other lenders if I wanted.
There’s not much information about Adela, other than she lives in Pucallpa, Peru. She’s a single mother and lives with her children and her families. This is her second loan, and she sells groceries. This particular loan is to help build a kiosk to sell her groceries.
So far, I like the Kiva experience. It does a nice job of creating a community around lenders, and giving us the opportunity to feel we know a little more about our borrower than a bank would ever allow or provide. Whether this group of people will form a bond is yet to be seen. It might be cool to invite friends or family (or co-workers) to sponsor a single borrower together, and really rally around what a group can do. For now, I’m happy to be a part of the experience as it stands. I’ll keep reporting back if we get more updates.