Thursday, June 23, 2011

A Mother’s Lending Story: Inspiring Letter from Jane McIntosh

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Jane McIntosh is from Pender Island, British Columbia. Her husband passed away two years ago and she has three daughters, Leslie, Lauren and Lisa. Leslie and her husband Ari, who live in Manhattan, gave Jane a Kiva Card for Mother’s Day!

Jane is currently volunteering as an Operating Room Sterilizer on the Africa Mercy - a floating hospital ship in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She will be positioned there through December, until they set sail to a new destination in West Africa.

Jane chose to use her Kiva Card to lend to an entrepreneur in Sierra Leone. Every week she passes through the streets and sees a variety of vendors. She was able to find a similar female borrower on Kiva.org and felt that it was akin to walking up and handing them a loan!

Many people can relate to Jane’s story. She mentioned, “As a woman from North America in my late fifties, I am not in need of a lot of “stuff” in my life. Kiva provides a wonderful way to receive a gift and give it onto others. With the high repayment ratio, it is a gift that can give over and over again. I love hearing how my gift is helping, and feel good knowing that in a small way, I am trying to help others.”

Share a Kiva Card with a loved one today at Kiva.org/gifts or Loan to an Entrepreneur at Kiva.org/lend!