Welcome to “Daily Mitzvah!”

Hello and welcome to my first Daily Mitzvah blog post! My goal is to post a mitzvah (good deed) each day for one year. Why? So often we want to say thank you, or want to give back, or are just bored and need something quick, easy, and inspiring to transform our day. But not sure what to do, the impulse passes, and we’43 back to the daily grind.

Daily Mitzvah will feature things you can do, today, to make a small difference in a big world. The blog will feature free or low-cost ideas -- it's not about spending money. I hope you'll visit Daily Mitzvah whenever you need a lift!

Today I am all about Kiva, the terrific organization that allows individuals to help fund microloans to low-income entrepreneurs around the world. You'll see a changing photo of a Kiva entrepreneur on the right side of the blog each day. For as little as US $25, anyone can help fund a Kiva microloan. I am currently participating in microloans to two terrific female entrepreneurs: Mabel in Benin City, Nigeria, who sells soft drinks and pepper soup to neighbors and travelers; and Eang in rural Cambodia (above), who runs a small outdoor grocery in front of her home.

I first became interested in microcredit when Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. And now thanks to Kiva, anyone can get involved as a mirocredit lender.

Today's mitzvah: check out Kiva

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