“The people who were celebrating our marriage are the people who have loved us well over the years – caring, supporting, investing in our lives in some way,” Drew and Allie realized while planning their wedding. “We wanted to take that gift of love and support and pay it forward.”
The couple wanted a meaningful way to truly thank their guests for their love and support. So instead of handing out candy or knick-knacks as wedding favors, the couple funded loans on Kiva.org in honor of their wedding guests.
Drew and Allie had heard about Kiva through a family member and had both witnessed the ability of loans to create meaningful change in individual lives during mission trips with their church.
They made their first loan to a woman named Salama in Kisauni, Kenya. A year after the wedding, Salama had paid back her loan in its entirety. Drew and Allie celebrated their first anniversary by re-lending the money from Salama to another borrower. They now celebrate every anniversary by investing in others.
“It’s been neat to learn about the needs of others in communities different than ours,” Drew explains when asked about his lending experience, “We like being able to be a part of investing in their communities.”
Kiva is a great way to support people around the world right from your living room with as little as $25. Pay it forward like Drew and Allie do every year, by making a loan here.
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