Members Area

Dear Rotarians

Since mid 2019 your Club has lent to micro‑businesses around the world, giving a helping hand to those who are located in less fortunate, needy areas of the world. We started slowly, to first understand KIVA’s system and then “dip our toes in the water”, but as we progressed the Club expanded the lending to the point where virtually all of the £1,000 the Club committed in 2019 had been allocated to KIVA loans.

It was felt that was enough until a track record was established. The reduced income in 2020 prevented that amount being revisited.
Our investment is in loan amounts of either $25.00 (US) or $50.00 (US) to help those in need of finance to assist their local businesses to function or expand in parts of the world where other sources of lending are not available.

As the borrowers repay their loans (either on a monthly basis, or at the end of a loan period), so the Club then relends their repayments to others in need. This means our amount recirculates instead of just going to one cause. By June 2020 we had made 40 contributory loans spread over 17 differing countries, within 8 differing business sectors (with agriculture representing 49% of the number of loans) and with a 51%/49% male/female gender balance. Our repayment record is pleasing, even despite the worldwide effect of Covid. The Club’s initial ‘investment’ of £955.99 converted to a KIVA fund of $1,154.00 (all KIVA’s dealings are in $US). By June 2020 $698.25 had already been re‑loaned to new borrowers so that with no additional investment by EVRC $1,775.00 (equivalent to a 40% uplift in the actual amount) had been ‘invested’ .

For current figures ask Rot’n Tim Barton or click on the link above to see the real time Kiva website records for your club’s involvement. We can only hope that the people the Club have sought to help will make it through the current pandemic and be able to continue with their business activities that, in most cases, is the sole means of support for their often-extended families.

Members can then see how their faith in this project converts to hard currency that helps those who really need it but may not have access to conventional business funding.

Give a man a fish ………………………………. etc, etc.

Garry Berry; instigator 

Tim Barton current chir of Kiva subcommittee