I’ve been inspired.
I’m reading a fantastic book. I can’t stop talking about it. And I can’t stop thinking about my impact on the world as a citizen, traveler, and teacher.
Half the Sky: How to Change the World by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn [UK title] speaks of the terrible oppression women face in the world. But just when you can’t take the sadness, an amazing story of empowerment offers hope and inspiration. How do you talk about these things without sounding cheesy?
Half the Sky has me feeling angry one moment and super excited the next. I’m overwhelmed with everything I want to share. Maybe it will trickle out in the next few days. Maybe not.
What I can tell you now is that Kristof and WuDunn offer microfinance as one of many solutions to help empower women throughout the world. Microfinance and microcredit were largely developed by one of my heroes, Muhammad Yunus. I’ve been meaning to get involved for awhile… thank you Half the Sky for the kick in the pants.
And so, I’m happy to announce a new blog feature!
Every month I will invest in a different microcredit loan via Kiva.org. I’ll feature the loan here with the intent of holding myself accountable and spreading the word on microcredit. Ideally, I’d like to loan to women in countries I’ve visited, but that’s not a requirement.
January’s loan will be up soon.
xo, jill
Kiva is a great organization and I’ve been meaning to donate to them for a while. Your blog will get me on task.
Really glad you’re doing this! I’ve been wanting to read that book for awhile, and I also just made my first Kiva donation earlier this month! To a woman who is working on opening a produce stand.