As I imagine most new baby loss mamas do, I was looking for any way in which I could honour the life of our Matilda. I treasure every memento I have that signifies her short existence but recently, I have been looking for a way in which to honour her memory and ensure she leaves her mark on the world.
I recently came across Kiva, a micro financing website that allows people to lend money ($25 USD is the amount you lend) to entrepreneurs from poverty stricken countries, as a means of assisting them to break the cycle of poverty and improving their lives as well as their families. I decided that I would start lending money to some of these entrepreneurs as a way to ensure Matilda leaves her mark.
I could tell you all about Kiva or I could just direct you to their site – I have set up a lending team called ‘Gone too soon’ to honour Matilda and all the other little munchkins who have left us too soon and ensure they leave their marks on the world. Feel free to join the team if this is something you would like to do.
My plan is that everytime I see something cute and wish I could buy that for my little girl (which still happens 6 months since she was born), I will go online and loan that money to another person in her honour.
So for I have found this to be quiet a good way of helping other people.. the way it works is that you lend someone $25 and they pay you back (through a lending agency) in instalments. You can then take your money and opt out or you can re-lend that money to someone else. For example, I lent $25 to two ladies in the Philippines and Ukraine who recently repaid me some of it – so I have used that money to help out a group of ladies in Afghanistan.
I have set up a map (thankyou google) where I will be pinning every location in the world Matilda leaves her mark on.
Anyway, if this is something that inspires you, feel free to join the team!
That is such a cool program, I'd never heard of it! And what an amazing way for Matilda's legacy to live on :)
ReplyDeleteYou rock, and your darling little daughter is going to do so much good in the world through the auspices of Kiva! I am sure she is proud of you, too!
ReplyDeleteA long time ago, I read an article about a woman who lost a child who was under ten years old. I can't remember the gender or the exact age of the child, but at Christmastime, the woman always chose to buy a present for a needy child the same gender and at the same age as the one she lost. Your magnanimous spirit and love for your daughter reminded me of this. (I also participate in Kiva, and I am often foaming at the mouth when I go on and on about what a great thing it is.)