From iPod to Kiva

TIA. This is Africa. I picked studying abroad in Africa; Kenya in particular, over more popular European and Australian destinations because I simply could not find a better place to carry out God’s work. I also really wanted to see the look on my Mom’s face when I told her that I was going to be living in Kenya for four months, but that’s beside the point. In all seriousness, what better place is there to do God’s work than on a continent that some believe He has abandoned all together? And after being here for three weeks, I have news for all the doubters out there: He has not left and Africa is alive. This beautiful and wondrous continent is alive with a passion for freedom, a desire for change and a hope to be finally released from their binding shackles. I also came to Kenya with my hopes of leaving my mark, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. And if there is one thing I have learned so far, it is that what I may see as insignificant can be life changing to a child on the streets of Nairobi or to a starving man in Kibera. Knowing this, all I needed was an idea to get my work done. I did not know that this idea would come in the form of an iPod tragedy. My iPod was stolen from my bed early the first morning we arrived in Nairobi. It was entirely my fault because I did not lock it away when I left the room. I was sad for a whole two days but then I was over it. As my Aunt told me, “Your iPod is replaceable; your experiences are not.” About two weeks later, I was contacted by my Dad who said that one of his friends had been reading my blog, learned of what happened to my iPod, and wanted to buy me a new iPod, fill it with music and send it to me in Kenya. What an incredible offer. I was so surprised and overjoyed when I read this email but I knew right away that I could not accept. Overall, it just wouldn’t feel right. Nairobi is home to the second largest slum in all of Africa: Kibera. Anywhere from 600,000 to 1,200,000 people reside on this government property. It is hell on earth. No running water, electricity or sewage system but filled with HIV/AIDS, crime and the most extreme poverty. When you have seen the true face of poverty, getting a new iPod just because I had my stolen just doesn’t feel right. I responded to my Dad’s friend with a counteroffer. I told him that I could not accept his offer but that I believed I had a suitable alternative: Kiva. If you have not heard of Kiva or do not know much about it, it is an organization that pools money from people like you and me all around the globe to loan it to business owners in need of new equipment, supplies or workspace. Loans start at just $25 and because it is a loan, you get your money back. Kiva works with lending partners on site to physically give out the loans. One of them is the Kenya Agency for Development of Enterprise and Technology (KADET), which is a partner of World Vision International. I will actually be interning for KADET during my last six weeks here in Kisumu, Kenya. I told my Dad’s friend that if he was still interested in supporting my “cause”, he could make a loan to a small business owner in Kenya through Kiva and KADET. I also told him that if he decided to make a loan through Kiva and KADET, I would make every effort to personally find this business owner. I can imagine that making a loan to someone halfway across the world can feel rather distant and out of touch so my promise was to track down the money and get a firsthand look at how generosity from the US is changing the face of poverty in Kenya. If I was going to make this offer to one person, I might as well pass it on to my community at home. The offer stands for all. To find a Kiva loan through Kadet visit http://www.kiva.org/lend. In the search box type in “kadet” and browse away. You can also find location specific loans by typing “Nairobi” or “Kisumu” into the search box. I will be in Nairobi through the middle of March and in Kisumu through around April 22nd, so if you choose to make a loan in either of those areas, please contact me at drew.a.collins@gmail.com to send all of the info. Thank you all and God Bless!