We enable people without access to traditional banks (including many women) to expand their businesses, educate their children, save for the future and raise themselves out of poverty. Through Kiva, a non-profit organisation working with microfinance institutions, you choose a borrower to support with a loan of just $25. Similar loans by other lenders are combined until the required total is reached. As your money is repaid you can withdraw it or lend it to someone else. Money that is loaned over and over again does more good than a one-time donation. Join 'Genealogists for Families' - together we are making a difference!

07 January 2013

Rest in Peace, Joan Miller

Joan Miller
It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that Joan Miller, 'Genealogists for Families' co-captain, has lost her year-long battle with cancer. On behalf of all members of the project's Kiva team, I extend deepest sympathy to Joan's family and friends. I am sorry that I never met Joan in person because we were on opposite sides of the world, but I treasured our on-line friendship.

Joan's daughter Heather has asked that commemorative loans or donations in memory of her mother should be made through Kiva and 'Genealogists for Families'. You can either:

(1) Make an ordinary Kiva loan, with repayments going to you so that you can re-lend the money as it is repaid. If you write about it in your blog, put a link in a comment below so that I can add it to the list of team members' commemorative loans.

or

(2) Make what Kiva calls a 'dedicated loan'. During the checkout process, in 'My Basket', select the option 'Dedicate this loan'. With a Dedicated Loan, repayments will be donated to Kiva instead of being returned to you.

In her 'Meet the Team' profile, Joan said that she chose field partners with at least a 3-star rating and a low delinquency rate. Several of her loans were to women in the Philippines. For my commemorative loan I therefore followed Joan's example by choosing Luna in the Philippines, who supports her family by making crafts with shells.
~ ~ ~
Posted by Judy Webster

8 comments:

  1. GeniAus08 January, 2013 09:52

    Judy, I have nominated this blog for the Blog of the Year 2012 award. You can see the details http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/blog-of-year-award.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bribie Family History Association08 January, 2013 13:37

    Judy I've done a second nomination as this is such an important project. See http://www.shaunahicks.com.au/blog-of-the-year-award/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Judy Webster08 January, 2013 18:54

    Shauna and Jill - thank you for the nominations! I will follow up on this when I get a spare moment. There is such a wonderful response to Joan's family's request for people to pay tribute to her by supporting Kiva, that (as project coordinator and team captain) I am being kept very busy with administrative tasks due to all the new members. And on a personal level, we are facing a potential bushfire threat here (at our 'bush' home) tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Diana Ritchie12 January, 2013 00:03

    Hi Judy ~ I made a dedicated loan today in memory of Joan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy Webster13 January, 2013 09:10

      Thank you, Diana. I'm sure Joan's family, friends and Kiva team members will all appreciate that.

      Delete
  5. Sharn White12 January, 2013 15:13

    Judy, I can see you have been nominated already for the Blog of the year 2012 Award, however I too have nominated your blog for the enormous effort you put into helping others. I hope you are ok re the bushfire situation. Thinking of you. Sharn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy Webster13 January, 2013 09:18

      Thanks for the award nomination and your kind words, Sharn. As for the weather... so far (fingers crossed) there have been no more bushfires in this area, but the smoke haze continues. The minimum temperature inside the house last night was 28'C, and we are heading for 40'C again today.

      Delete
  6. Jennifer Jones14 January, 2013 20:47

    I have just made two Kiva loans in Memory of Joan, who will be very sadly missed
    http://jonesfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete

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