As I was finishing college in the mid-90′s, I was more than a little worried about landing a job. Jobs, especially in journalism and corporate communications, were scarce. I lacked the contacts others had. Plus, I had no idea how to navigate within the culture of a large, international engineering office. But I was young, willing to learn, and eager to work hard. I just needed someone to take a chance on me.
A dynamic woman named Marietta hired me on as an intern and later offered me a full time position. She believed in me.
Years later, I still feel a tremendous amount of gratitude and admiration for her. That’s why I’ve got a very big soft spot in my heart for Kiva.
Kiva is the world’s first and largest micro lending website. They connect people who are willing to give someone a chance with those who need one. According to the entity, “Of the almost three billion adults worldwide who are unbanked or under-banked, most are women.”
In general and throughout the world, “poverty rates are higher for women than men.” Without access to education and the resources to start a business, a woman’s dreams and capabilities are, unfortunately, wasted.
With that in mind, on March 8, in honor of International Women’s Day, Kiva is launching Kiva.org/women. As part of the kick-off for Kiva Women, Dermalogica is funding a $100,000 trial program that will enable new users of Kiva Women to direct a $25 loan to the woman borrower of their choice. As long as funds remain, you can direct a $25 loan to a woman in need without opening your wallet.
Kiva launched in 2005. According to the organization, “More than 80% of the loans funded through Kiva have been to women borrowers in 60 countries and the United States. Kiva has connected more than 600,000 women borrowers to nearly 650,000 lenders, crowdfunding more than $200 million in loans to women.”
You can loan as little as $25 to someone with an entreprunerial spirit who’s need, or you can loan more. Loans through Kiva have a 98.9% payback rate.
To you, it’s a simple loan. But to someone else, you’ve just sent her the message that you believe in her potential. That, my friends, is an empowering and priceless message.







