Kiva

If I told you that my dream in life was to help people, you probably couldn't help from vomiting in your mouth. I know I do when I hear someone say that. But there is some truth to it. Really, I guess what I want is to be able to be of some use to people and to make some small difference in the world. I try to do this anyway, but I mean on a larger scale, somewhere far, far away where people don't take flat screen TV’s and Smart Cars for granted. I want to get my hands dirty, and feel like I am accomplishing something other than making some CEO rich by meeting production standards somewhere while smiling sweetly and adding to the office gossip. So, where do I start?

The Aussie I mentioned in a previous post has long since gone home. That romance withered before it even bloomed, but he does still hold some function.... he sends me job listings that he thinks might be down my alley. Yesterday he sent me a particularly interesting one, a volunteer position with an organization called Kiva, a micro-lending website that connects lenders with entrepreneurs in the developing world. It would mean learning about micro-finance, working with the lender and the borrower and blogging about it. It requires a 4+ month stay in a developing country. I will keep you posted on my preparation for application!