I WON SOMETHING REALLY GREAT!

Talk about playing it back, Gwen (After the Dress) had a drawing for something really great. I entered because I am on this contest role lately. Really, I can just see myself winning lots of things, especially a great big - state of the art sewing/embroidery machine. "Where there is no vision, the people perish". But guess what - I did win! I had to check three times to make sure it was my name. What would be the next best thing to winning a that sewing machine? You guessed it, helping someone else get a sewing machine!
Gwen drawing was for a $50.00 gift certificate to KIVA. In case you haven't heard Kiva is an organization that manages business loans for people in underprivileged countries. All of the loans are geared to help the person you choose with startup capital for inventory, equipment, supplies, etc. for new businesses. These businesses help people become self sufficient and allow them support their families. The way this worked is so cool. Gwen set up an account in the amount of the $50.00 gift certificate with Kiva in my name. All I had to do was, choose the person I wanted to make the loan to and redeem Gwen's certificate with Kiva for that person. The loan will be repaid in 12 months and I will get updates on the progress of the business. ISN'T THAT GREAT!

TALK ABOUT PLAYING IT BACK, Gwen set this drawing up with a two fold benefit. First I make the loan to a startup company; and secondly after the loan is repaid to me - I GET TO USE THE MONEY TO BUY SOMETHING NIFTY FOR MY VERY OWN SEWING ROOM! Just how cool is that? Right now I'm thinking that when the loan is repaid, I'll just take that same amount and cycle it into another business startup. Did I mention that I am excited about this?

Of course I wanted to find a business that was sewing related so I found a dressmaker. The name of her business is Couture MISERICORDIEUX (hope it's ok that I put that here). It's French so you know I don't know what it means - can any body help me with it? She is a single mother of one and lives in Agoe, Togo (an African country right next to Ghana). She needed a total of $600; I checked back on the site just before publishing this post and she had reached that goal. There was someone else out there looking for a seamstress to help too. So thank you Gwen, this ladies dress making business is off the ground!