JB says microlending is cool. www.kiva.org.

JB, you are SO right.

Micro lending is cool. Maybe even on the verge of bad ass.

For those who might be wondering if micro lending are midget bookies on a seedy lower east side corner lending cash for horse races, you are wrong.

Micro lending is in fact something that is not absurd, but actually very helpful. They are loans for those who are unemployed, live in impoverished communities or cottage industry workers who just need a leg up to buy supplies or something as simple as a sewing machine. These individuals typically lack collateral or a credit history to take out traditional loans from larger banks or institutions and thus they are stuck in a rut. And more over, they are not seeking large sums of money, but just a handful of bills to get them started.

Kiva in particular is a program that connects YOU to small-scale entrepreneurs all over the world to help them gain economic independence. As a lender, you can choose an entrepreneur you'd like to donate to and through the course of 6-12 months when your loan is out, you can track loan repayments or even keep up with their progress through email journal updates. Once you've received your repayment, you can lend back to another entrepreneur and keep the cycle going.

Pretty cool, huh?

Maybe not as cool as seedy midget bookies, but probably better for the world at large.