Dries Buytaert

Two and a half years ago, I celebrated reaching 500 loans on Kiva, a platform dedicated to helping those without access to traditional banking.

Today, I reached a 1,000 loans on Kiva. It took ten years to reach 500 loans, but only 2.5 years to double that, marking a 300% increase in lending speed.

To clarify, I do not offer these loans in full, nor do I profit from them. I contribute $20-$100 per loan, and they are interest-free. While I take on the risk, I don't make any money from these loans. Not all loans get paid back, but when they don't, I am content knowing I helped other entrepreneurs.

Consider Nasiba, a 22-year-old woman from Tajikistan. She requested a ~$3,000 loan, and I am one of the lenders. She is using the loan to buy inventory for her small grocery stall to increase her family's income.

I also lent money to Jesús, a 69-year-old cattle farmer from Ecuador, who requested a ~$1,000 loan to help buy a mechanical milking machine to improve the stability of his family's income.

Having helped 1,000 entrepreneurs in this way feels special. Each one has a story of hope, resilience, and bettering their family's life.

Inspired by this milestone and the many stories, I want to do more. I plan to double my contributions to Kiva once again and aim to fund about 500 loans each year, the same amount I did in the first 10 years.

If you have the means, want to help entrepreneurs, and build towards a financially inclusive world, consider joining Kiva.