Kristof Led Donations

I've just realized that, thus far this year, most of my charitable giving has been either very close to home (my kid's daycare, the non-profit I work for), or prompted by a Times column written by Nick Kristof.

At the end of February, he had a heartrending column about a childbirth injury called obstetric fistula (sorry, Times Select). I promptly sent small gifts to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia (video link), and to the Edna Hospital in Somalia (video link). I hope that others did too.

Last week, he had a column about microfinance, with a spotlight on a small organization that matchmakes little loans. In just a few minutes, I used my Paypal account to send a $25 loan to a woman in Kenya with a small general store. My $25 was the last of the money she'd requested; I hope that it helps her to accomplish the goals she's set out.

Depending on what Kristof decides to write about next, I could be broke by the end of the year!




Note: The Kiva widget above doesn't show the person that I lent money to - since she's now fully funded, the Kiva widget will rotate amongst others seeking funds.