Why Does the Happy Hollow School Preschool and Kindergarten Community Support Families & Entrepreneurs Around the World Through Kiva?

Happy Hollow School is founded on a commitment to education and to community. An essential element of the Preschool and Kindergarten philosophy and curriculum is to help children explore their own blossoming potential and the wonder and diversity of the communities and cultures we all share. This principle is also the foundation of Kiva.org. With Kiva's help, Happy Hollow School helps individuals, families and friends around the world to start businesses that benefit the entire community. By lending this support, Happy Hollow School helps its community demonstrate that individual action (either direct action or by lending a helping hand) can change both a life and a community for the better. Students also learn that the small efforts of many people can combine to bring about great and unexpected results. These are valuable lessons that will help young children to learn that through their own will, thought and action they can shape their own future and help their entire community.

Click here to meet the entrepreneurs from Tanzania, Peru, Mexico and Viet Nam that the Happy Hollow School has made loans to. You can click on the individual photos above to learn more about each business started with the help of the Happy Hollow School community.

What is Kiva?

Kiva is a small non-profit based in California that acts as a clearinghouse for individuals and groups that want to participate in helping individuals around the world change their lives and communities for the better by starting a small business and becoming economically independent. Rather than a "hand-out" Kiva helps ordinary individuals make loans to individuals in far flung communities around the world. Kiva pools these small loans (as little as $25) to raise money to meet the loan request of an entrepreneur. The pooled money is then loaned to the entrepreneur through a local bank. The entrepreneur than repays the loan. This is where Kiva is different. Unlike most charities, 100% of the funds you loan go to the entrepreneur - and - that entrepreneur pays you back. You can withdraw the money or loan it again to someone else. The default rate is much lower that the default rate in the United States and the huge majority of loans are paid within one year.

Click on the links below to watch a 15 minute PBS Frontline documentary about the impact Kiva has on families and communities around the world. You can also watch a video of President Clinton describing Kiva and its impact (about a minute and a half into this interview). Want to Learn More about Kiva? Visit the Kiva website.