Microfinance in America

By Rachel Dornhelm on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

Microfinance is a big focus in the international development world. It’s the process of getting small loans and financial services to the poor and underserved.

There are a number of websites that help internet users fund international entrepreneurs, from Kenya to Cambodia. Now, one of the biggest, Kiva.org, allows users to make microloans to small business owners in the United States. Rachel Dornhelm brings us the story from San Francisco. You can take a listen at the Public Radio Exchange.

Word of Mouth interview with Kiva.org co-founder Jessica Jackley-Flannery

(Photo by San Jose Library via Flickr/Creative Commons)

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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.

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