for W3c validation

I said I’d give an update when I found a business to lend to on Kiva.org. I’m actually a bit disappointed in myself for taking this long. However, this morning I was listening to some interviews on the From Scratch radion show from NPR and found one with the co-founder of Kiva, Matt Flannery, and decided to finally take the plunge.

So, which business did I choose to lend to? Kodjovi AZIAKLO from Microfund Togo. Here’s the description of his business from the Kiva website:

Kodjovi Aziaklo is 41 years old, married, and father of seven children. His three wives are all farmers and are not able to help him support the family financially. Obliged to drop out of school after the eighth grade, he worked for many years making palm wine. Nowadays, he has opened a little store at Gapé Nyassivé. Since he is the single provider for his family, it is hard for him to make ends meet.

A dynamic and honest man, Mr. Aziaklo has already taken one loan which he used wisely and repaid in a timely fashion. He is now asking for a loan of $1200 to expand his inventory so that he can better satisfy his customers’ needs. Given this loan, Mr. Aziaklo will be able to improve living conditions for himself and his family.

I’d encourage everyone to go lend to an entrepreneur in need — the minimum is only $25. And if you find some really compelling businesses worth funding, please let me know with a comment or e-mail.