Three Little Words... for the poor...

Christmas Eve saw us bustling around preparing dinner for the whole family.  As I walked from the kitchen to the dining room, my 8 year old granddaughter came towards me holding her two hands cupped together and reaching toward me... and she said "for the poor".

Looking into her hands I saw a huge pile of loose change.  Toonies and loonies, nickels and pennies.  I was dumfounded.  I looked into my son's eyes and he said "for some reason she thinks you look after poor people and she wants to help".

We sat on the couch to talk.  I asked where this money came from... it was her allowance.  She didn't need it and wanted me to give it away.  Shivers.

When the coins were counted they came to $24 and change.  My mind jumped... Almost enough for a Kiva loan.  But she's so young.  So here was a chance for a lesson on how to help people when you don't have very much yourself.

We used the analogy of a lemonade stand and how you buy the lemonade to make and sell.  We bought ingredients for $1 borrowed from mom and then made the lemonade and sold it to end up with $2 in our pocket.  We then paid back the $1 we borrowed from mom and we had $1 left for ourself.  I then showed her this year's Kiva calendar.  All the lovely photos of Francoise and her store in Rwanda and Vicelino and his pigs in Costa Rica.  She thought this was a wonderful idea.

More conversation convinced her that she didn't have to give it all away.  She decided to keep $10 for herself and give away the rest.  Well... I got down my Kiva piggybank and said that I was sure there was enough saved in here to add to her $14 for us to be able to do a $25 loan.




Dad assigned her one of his email addresses and I 'allowed' her to 'give' me the money to send to her new Kiva account.  I sent her a gift certificate and then she spent time with Dad on the Kiva.org website choosing who would receive the loan of her money.  She chose to help Diana Yadira in Mexico to buy used clothes to sell.
  

In April, the first repayment email should arrive in Andrea's inbox.  I can't wait for the joy of that day.


later man, jan