Kiva
“I did market research and thought about what people wanted,” says Lindiwe.
She thought about the thirsty laborers working at the mine near her village and asked herself how she could have a competitive advantage for something they needed. So she started making her own juice and soda from scratch, and priced it at half the price they would pay for a national or international brand.
Her plan worked. With the business training and guidance provided by Kiva’s Field Partner Camfed, and a $500 loan crowdfunded on Kiva by 11 lenders, her business grew quickly.
“The loan boosted this business up. I used to make only 20 liters a week, only 20!” she says. “Now I’ve expanded to 200 liters a week.”
Kiva is an international nonprofit that crowd-funds loans which then unlocks capital for the undeserved, improves the quality and cost of financial services, and addresses the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. With more than 1.7 billion people around the world that are unbanked and don’t have access to the financial services that they need, Stay Wildflower knew we needed to be a part of this change!
For every single booking our apartments in Miracle Mile area or vacation rental in Brentwood we receive, Stay Wildflower will provide a micro-finance loan to someone in need. A loan for simply $500 to someone living on less than $2 a day can radically change their life. Through Kiva’s work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment, and families can afford needed emergency care. We are proud to say that we have provided 2000 micro-loans to people in 41 countries to date and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon!
It is important now than ever to give to refugees since the recent Afghanistan news. Along with Airbnb’s mission to provide free housing for 200,000 Afghanistan refugees, Stay Wildflower will be offering loans and support to those who recently were displaced to a new country— leaving familiarity behind.
In times of such financial insecurity, civil unrest and a global pandemic, we all have an opportunity to make a ripple effect to the world around you. You can feel good and do good!
An example of Kiva’s impact and Stay Wildflower’s contributions:
Lindiwe now operates 3 businesses in her village — a poultry business, a small shop and Lee Juice — all under an umbrella company she named Lee Investments. Her business savvy and work ethic is clear in everything from her bookkeeping to her pricing...
