September 20, 2007: Kid Nation and Kiva
Well there is hope for this country after-all. If anyone missed Kid Nation last night then you missed a great show. As much silly controversy raised by a bunch of know-it-all adults as the show has had over the last few weeks I must say I was impressed! Too bad most kids don’t have an opportunity like this. Imagine the leadership skills that a camp like this could bring to young kids and teenagers. Sadly there is a small minority of adults who have made a lot of noise over the airing of this series. I say "shut up already" and watch something else! Oh, I am not surprised that there has been some controversy. When isn’t there controversy anymore in the United States? It doesn’t matter what someone wants to do you can find a group of people who will oppose it. Normally these are individuals who don’t have a life of their own so they think they have to butt into everyone elses.
For those who don’t know what Kid Nation is, this is what it is about. Kid Nation takes 40 children, that range in age from 8 to 15, and put them in the New Mexico desert (actually 8 miles outside of Sante Fee but who is counting). They are left there for 40 days, without adults! They must run the town through leadership and working together. Imagine that. Horrible isn’t it!
Now before anyone freaks out over the "no adults" part of this series, I should let you in on one little secret. There were adults. Of course there were adults. There were camera people and even nurses/doctors nearby. They just don’t have a hands on approach. The kids have to solve their own problems. The kids have to cook their own food. The kids have to build their own community. They have to (gasp) clean up after themselves! Do their own dishes. I know what you are thinking – CHILD ABUSE. No doubt. Simple enough (don’t you wish you could have been without adults for 40 days when you were a kid)!
I have nothing but praise for a show like this. For once someone might have gotten it right. I am not a fan of reality television…matter of fact I hate most of it. But this one…I like. Hopefully, a lot of kids will watch the show and learn that they don’t need their worthless television sets, computers, Nintendo’s, Wiis, Playstations, Ipods, heating and air conditions, Doritoes, and a thousand other everyday "necessities" that they have been told/taught are a must to survive in todays world. Hardly! The show teaches that you have to work together and get along in order to make a project work. It teaches kids that they don’t need all of that "stuff" in order to survive. Too bad more kids can’t experience something like this. I have a feeling that every kid that participated in this project will be better off for it. They will have learned what life is really like…outside of their comfortable homes. Away from mom and dad. Away from the luxuries that all of us have grown accustomed to. Five stars.
NOW – on to more important subjects! I have discovered a project that I am actually excited about. I have been looking for something like this…well forever. It takes a lot to get me excited but this is one of those times. I encourage everyone to take 5 minutes out of their day and visit the Kiva Organization web site. I discovered this site after reading Bill Clinton’s new book "Giving – How Each Person Can Change The World". Well worth reading by the way…check it out here. Anyway…the idea behind Kiva is that you can invest in the life of a person in a third world country. An entrepeneur. Someone who is trying to better themselves by creating their business. There are hundreds of people in need. Right now the web-site will allow you invest $25 in a persons life. That money is then paid back to you…you can claim it back through pay-pal.
Kiva allows microfinance institutions around the world to post profiles of qualified local entrepreneurs online. A lender can be any person with a credit card. A PayPal account is only required if one wishes to withdraw funds. Lenders browse and choose an entrepreneur they wish to fund. Kiva aggregates loan capital from individual lenders and transfers it to microfinance partners, called "Field Partners", to disburse and administer. As loan repayments are made by the entrepreneur, the Field Partners remits funds back to Kiva. Once the loan is fully repaid, Kiva lenders can withdraw their principal or re-loan it to another entrepreneur.
PayPal does not collect a fee on Kiva transactions. Kiva distributes 100% of the loan to the entrepreneur. Lenders do not receive any interest or other profit. The Field Partner who administers the loan collects interest from the entrepreneur.
I hope everyone takes a little bit of time out of their day and visits their site. http://www.kiva.org/app.php
If you want to WATCH and learn more about Kiva then visit this link… http://www.kiva.org/about/press/