For those of you who know me, I am a numbers guy. So I decided to look at the numbers of the GovLoop lending team (on the Kiva website)…
* We have participated in 54 loans totaling almost $72,000 (GovLoopers lent $3,825 of that amount).
* The largest total of loans went to Tanzania ($11,300)
* The largest average loan was to the Dem Rep of Congo ($3,775)
* $31,450 went to groups (13 loans), $17,625 to females (25 loans), $22,500 to males (16 loans).
* While females received the most loans, the average amount is $705 compared to an average of $1,406 for males and an average of $2,419 for groups (NOTE: there are certainly females in the groups, and sometimes all female groups, but I added all groups into one category).
* The GovLoop Kiva team (on the Kiva website) has 22 members, and members has made an average of 2.86 loans (compared to a overall Kiva average of 4.5).
* 16 of the loans have been in Africa, while only 5 each to Central America/Carribean and the Eastern European regions.
The literature I’ve read seems to suggest that investment in female business owners brings the largest return in terms of social stability. Could someone with more information on the subject make some comments on that idea and advance other ideas that might suggest how to maximize the ancillary benefits of investment? As an aside, I note that I have been unable to find any listings for loans to Afghans over a few months of looking, despite the fact that microlenders do exist in Afghanistan.
I had read the same info about investments in female businesses. I will try to find a link for that reference.
As for the Afghans, I have not seen any on Kiva. I know that Kiva has standards for the field-partners it works with (interest rates, repayment rates, etc), and perhaps they do not have a partner yet.
Love the stats. Very interesting to see the breakdown.
thanks for the effort John