"I loan because people need to first have boots before they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps," said Amihan Makayan, a student who has found a novel way of reaching out to help people all over the world.
Through San Francisco-based micro lending company Kiva, Makayan created an internet-based Sonoma State team that would allow students to lend collectively to entrepreneurs in developing countries who are trying to start small businesses. Since starting the team at the beginning of the semester, she has recruited over 20 people and inspired many SSU students to lend individually. Because Kiva's minimum contribution is $25, it is means of reaching out that is uniquely accessible to college students.
"I can loan to one person with $25, upon repayment I can loan it to another person. One individual, with a mere $25, can help an infinite amount of people over time. Or I can simply take back the money into my account! It's pretty remarkable," said Makayan.
Makayan discovered micro lending in her junior year when Sonoma State University's Hutchin's program exposed her to the Grameen Bank. She subsequently discovered Kiva through a friend when she made micro lending her senior project, which is the first micro lending program to connect the individuals to the entrepreneurs via the simple website.
"It's been exciting to hear back from the entrepreneurs through updates. I get to learn how they've used the money and/or if they continue to struggle. It really makes the whole [process] very human," said Makayan
Makayan was born and raised in the Philippines. Her grandmother never finished grade school but nonetheless started a successful bakery, initially selling baked goods directly out of house. Over time, with her profits, she bought land and began to grow and sell fruits. As her business became even more profitable, she bought more land and expanded her business to coconut plantations and a processing plant.
"In a way, I see a lot of my grandmother in the poor all over the world. Many of the world's poor are poor through no fault of their own. But societies are not equipped to help them. Even if, like my grandmother, they are clever and determined, they have no capital to help them get that little push to develop a sustainable living," explained Makayan.
Makayan's Kiva profile (http://www.kiva.org/lender/amihan5812) lists the 25 entrepreneurs she is currently loaning to, including a bakery in Lebanon, a cattle ranch in Cambodia and a restaurant in the Dominican Republic.
"The Hutchins program at Sonoma State provided me with a huge awareness of interconnectedness. I understand now that socio-economic and environmental issues are complex and can't be solved locally, but globally. I understand that many of the poverty issues in some African country for example, may not seem
to affect us here in the Bay Area. But when you really think about it, issues of immigration, environmental issues (i.e. poor people chop down trees without regard because that is the only means of survival); they do have much more impact in us all," explained Makayan.
Though Makayan is leaving SSU, she plans to continue her involvement with Kiva past her May 2009 graduation.
She will be joining Kiva's official speaker's bureau and continuing to do outreach for the organization. In Fall 2009, she plans to start San Francisco State's Master program in Public Administration with a concentration on Public Policy/ Urban
administration.
"I want to continue to investigate and work on ending poverty through new ways, like micro lending," concluded Makayan.
For more information abut Kiva, visit the company's website at www.kiva.org. Visit Makayan's lender profile at http://www.kiva.org/lender/amihan5812.
