Jan 13, 2009

Volunteering

I still have volunteering on my mind. Making blankets/quilts/coverlets for Project Linus is certainly worth doing, and the feedback from hospitals, clinics, safe houses, and from disaster workers is phenomenal... but I didn't want to go beyond the "making" to becoming a chapter coordinator... so that was out. Through the years it has been appealing to envision myself volunteering my time at St. Vincent's or at the Food Bank or to Habitat for Humanity, but something has always held me back (though all those possibilities remain on the table).

This morning I got an email from www.Kiva.org asking for translators and editors, and was thrilled. If you know anything about Kiva, you know that you can donate small amounts of money through Kiva to individuals around the world to help them in their efforts to create and maintain a small business, thus giving them a helping hand toward climbing out of poverty and providing for their families. Another positive result is that they have contributed toward improving their village or town. Best of all, you can choose which particular person or persons you want to be the recipient of your donation. This becomes especially appealing when you realize that your money is added to others' money to make up a loan which is expected to be paid back... there's no free lunch involved here. You can donate whenever you want, any number of times, and to any number of persons. Well, I think it is just a great idea and was very glad when Marty made me aware of Kiva sometime last year.

Kiva has been very successful and is now looking for individuals who can/will volunteer to act as translators into English from a multitude of foreign languages, as well as folks who can translate English into other languages. Also needed are editors in all those languages. Whew. Well, editing is right up my alley. I do it all the time. I cannot read without a pencil in my hand (though I do try to refrain from marking up books!). Errors in spelling and syntax, content and context and meaning, just drive me nuts. Mike calls me Miss Fitich, which is his name for an overly fussy grammarian.

My fussiness has been vindicated. A very worthwhile cause wants me to volunteer as an editor. When do I start? (I'll let you know.) I wonder if my French is good enough to be a translator?
Posted by Diane at 4:24 PM
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2 comments:

  1. Marty Bird1/13/2009

    You could take a giant step and apply to be a Kiva Fellow. Read all about it here: http://www.kiva.org/about/fellows-program/.

    I was trying to figure out how Kiva.org makes money. And while it's not explicitly stated, they do talk about micro-lending, interest rates, the cost of money, etc. So I imagine they get a small amount of the interest that is attached to the loan. You think?

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  2. Diane1/14/2009

    I have always assumed that there was no interest coming back to the loaner, but that any interest charged went automatically to Kiva. It's much too large an enterprise to be free of any monetary encumbrance to somebody, so I always figured the loan recipient paid interest.

    ... and that's why Kiva needs dedicated, qualified, micro-finance-savvy "fellows" to protect Kiva's investment by volunteering to visit these small businesses and report back to Kiva about how they are doing.

    The word "fellow" implies a fellowship, so no doubt there are wealthy donors willing to finance a volunteer. It's a grand opportunity for those who are qualified and fascinated by the chance to travel and learn, and to help others through Kiva.

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