A little bit goes a long way

Wikipedia defines microfinance as "the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services."

I believe microfinance is a good strategy to help others because it provides them a foundation to start their own businesses or grow existing businesses.  This helps very poor households meet basic needs and protect themselves from risk.  For example, in Ghana, 80% of clients of Freedom from Hunger had secondary income sources, compared to 50% for non-clients.  In India, half of SHARE clients graduated out of poverty.  These are some of the reasons why I believe microfinance is a good way to help combat poverty.

I started sorting and rolling loose change, then exchanged it for cash at the bank.  I gave the cash to my father so he could then make a contribution to Kiva in the same amount, using his credit card.  Over time, I began handling this on my own.  Kiva lends the money to poor families who are usually able to repay it over time.  Once the loan is repaid, that money can be lent to others, and so on.

You can read more about microfinance on Wikipedia, Kiva, or on my lender page on Kiva.