In 2009, as part of our Inn Turns 10! birthday celebration for our Bed & Breakfast near Black Mountain, NC, we’ve pledged to assist 10 business owners in the developing world — with microloans through Kiva — to help their businesses succeed, thereby improving their local economies and communities and giving them the means to raise themselves out of poverty.
Our seventh Kiva loan for 2009 is currently helping Yao Ganyo (pictured above), a young married father of four who lives in the western African country of Togo. Yao opened up a cafeteria restaurant and he serves breakfast, so as Bed & Breakfast innkeepers, we feel a little bit of kinship with him.
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo. It's wonderful what you are doing. I think small loans for businesses is a great investment in a country like Togo. Kiva seems like a great development tool.