Be the change.

Biodigesters meet the triple bottom line (“TBL”) of people, planet and profit thereby resulting in maximum impact. They not only reduce energy costs, but also provide a positive environmental and social impact as well. I will briefly explain what a biodigester is, how it works, how biodigesters meet the TBL, and why they can, should and will proliferate, using examples from the field. What is a Biodigester & How Does It Work? A biodigester can be thought of as a mechanical st

Humble, good-natured, reliable. These are the qualities I've encountered in the salt farmers - and Kiva microloan borrowers - I was able to visit this past week in Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam, hence my dubbing them "the salt of the earth." This phrase's ancient, biblical origins harken back to a time in which salt was considered synonymous with value, to the extent salt was sometimes used as currency. The phrase also connotes a preservation of societal values, as salt was w

These entrepreneurial Kiva borrowers from Yên Định, a rural village in Thanh Hoa province, purchased, raised and sold animals in order to pay for their children's education. All of these borrowers told me their income doubled (one told me her income tripled) as a result of receiving their loans from Kiva, thereby easing the emotional and financial struggle of being able to afford paying for their children's education. They are all motivated to provide a better life for their

This is Mrs. Giang! Mrs. Giang has two children, a boy and a girl, who she has raised on her own since her husband passed away. She has been managing a successful tofu making and selling business in Thanh Hoa for eight years. Mrs. Giang recently applied for and received a Kiva loan to purchase an additional, newer, tofu making machine. Her old machine would constantly break and even when it did work, it was very slow. Since she received her Kiva loan, she has seen her output