Happy Blog (Action) Day
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It’s my Blogiversary today! Yes, 3 years ago today, I started this little thing and I’m still going. I’ve written 376 posts and I have 341 CSS readers. I get about 350 views per day and a lot of those are thanks to the Pillowcase Dress Instructions.  I’ve had 1,960 lovely comments and Akismet has saved me from 10,650 spam comments.
Today is also Blog Action Day, an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. Their aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion. This is the second annual day - last year’s issue was the Environment and this year is Poverty.  At last count, there are 12,559 sites participating - which translates to 13,396,688 people via RSS Readers for those sites.
I am going to tell you about my experience with Kiva, a company I love. They are a micro-lending organisation that is changing people’s lives and giving them ownership of their destiny and future.
I first started lending to Kiva on my birthday in April last year. I wanted to do “something” and this seemed like such a great way to help somebody out. It’s not charity, it’s money to invest in businesses to help people get on their feet and go from there. I really love that I can loan to someone else once my loan has been repaid fully and just keep on going, or throw some more money in when I feel comfortable in my own life.
I like to choose women who are in the sewing industry, or women’s collectives but I try not to be too picky about who I loan to - based on trivial things like my own interests. The thing is, that everyone listed as needing a loan has a good use for the money, so sometimes I like to view the list by “popularity” and then go to the last one (the most unpopular) and fund that loan.
This is the first person I loaned to, a tailor from Nigeria, and she needed $400.00 to buy a new sewing machine and some more fabric. I kicked in $50.00 and other lenders made up the rest of the money. Thinking of a woman like this, making her living sewing and repairing clothes in conditions I can’t even begin to imagine - while I sit in my lovely studio full of enough fabric and notions to stock a small store is all the impetus I need to throw another $50.00 someone else’s way. How about you?
Happy Blog Action Day and Happy Blogiversary to me! To celebrate both, I am going to kick in $1.00 to my Kiva account for every comment left on this post so please say hello for a good cause!
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Jess Said,
Thursday, October 16, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
Hellooooo! Long time no comment! Love that you’re back sewing and drawing and all that jazz. Let’s set a date for a catch up. x
Jess’s last blog post..Thrifty Thursday
Becky Said,
Thursday, October 16, 2008 @ 9:48 pm
Happy blogiversary! And that looks like such a great cause!
Becky’s last blog post..Still plugging away…
mj Said,
Friday, October 17, 2008 @ 4:48 am
I’ll comment to that! It’s such a great cause.
Rachel Said,
Friday, October 17, 2008 @ 8:55 am
Happy Blogiversary! Hope everything is going well, will have to try and catch up one of these days.
It’s a great cause, and a wonderful idea to draw peoples attention to it!
gwensmom Said,
Friday, October 17, 2008 @ 11:39 am
Great post! Add $1 for me.
Fiona Said,
Friday, October 17, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
Happy bloggiversaryyyyy!
Fiona’s last blog post..It’s moving time!
Norma in NZ Said,
Friday, October 17, 2008 @ 4:13 pm
Happy Blogiversary!!!!
Norma in NZ’s last blog post..Retro poodle bottle cover
seepi Said,
Friday, October 17, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
KIVA sounds really great - I’m off to have a look now.
And that lady’s sewing machine looks like my great aunt’s machine that I still have - it is so pretty, but weighs a ton.
amanda Said,
Saturday, October 18, 2008 @ 3:26 pm
I will comment for that.
I enjoy your blog. Thanks for sharing!!
jean rhoads Said,
Saturday, October 18, 2008 @ 9:59 pm
Like my husband likes to say, “You are doing the Lord’s work.”
Jessi Said,
Monday, October 20, 2008 @ 12:51 am
…longtime reader / first time caller - Happy happy blogiversary!
Organizing Mommy Said,
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 @ 2:30 pm
This is a nice idea. I’ll have to look into it!
Organizing Mommy’s last blog post..6 Random things I’ve learned recently…
bluerot Said,
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
You go, grrrl!
bluerot’s last blog post..Yikes!
eve Said,
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 @ 9:32 am
Okay,,,add the dollar. What a lovely idea. I’ve never heard of this organazation and will defenitely look into it. I would love helping someone like this. There was the time when I would loved someone to help me buy a kiln so I know how awful it is to be poverty stricken and just need a small hand up.
Jen Said,
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 @ 3:20 am
i hope the $ will really goes to her and help her.
Alaina Said,
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 @ 6:52 am
How generous of you! Thanks for helping her.