Analysis of KIVA Website
KIVA is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to alleviate poverty through lending. The group helps leverage the internet and a network of microfinance institutions across the world and through this; it enables individuals lend small sums of money. The borrowing helps the individuals to create an opportunity and eliminate poverty across the world (KIVA, 2014). KIVA was found in the year 2005 and has been working with field partners, lenders, and volunteers in different countries. Some of these people have acquired loans that have helped them grow businesses, pay school fees, and even introduce clean energy by easily choosing borrowers and lenders. The field partners vet and work closely with borrowers. The repayments can in turn be easily monitored through individual accounts (KIVA, 2014). The organization provides an excellent platform for accounting and finance project research as it has a well-developed structure that can make it easy to obtain the requisite information at every level. Similarly, KIVA provides a massive client base that can be studied and give the actual impression of what happens in different parts of the world. This is important as comparisons can easily be done so that requisite recommendations are made to help improve the situation. Besides, the organization is majorly concerned with lending and borrowing. It means that all its activities are directly related to accounting and finance and, therefore, provides an excellent platform for conducting research in this area.
KIVA’s goals and mission are well thought of and are in line with the MDGs that aim to reduce extreme poverty. The organization helps realize this through provision of capital to be used to help alleviate poverty in various populations. The capital enables people to boost their income and also educate their children. The loans form the core part of their business and have contributed immensely to their success.
The website was of high quality, properly designed and makes it easy for even first-timers to learn and understand how the organization works by providing plenty of information. It helps clients to choose borrowers directly, lend them money and provides a simple way of monitoring repayment from anywhere (KIVA, 2014). This use of technology is of particular importance in reducing the amount of strain and time wasted in trying to visit offices physically. Through the website, all people can be able to access KIVA loan from any part of the world, which is very much in line with the organization’s vision. Through the use of the website and the well-organized structure of the organization, cases of clients losing money along the way through theft and fraudsters is highly minimized as most of the procedures are done online. The structure assures clients of safe transactions that eventually ensure that everyone realizes actual value for borrowed capital. Since it provides information on volunteers, the organization gives a chance for young people to join and help with the work. The young people also bring in new insights that may help it achieve the mission better (KIVA, 2014). Links such as http://www.kiva.org/categories and http//www.kiva.org/about/how were crucial to comprehending the organization's history as well as giving directions and information regarding various procedures and given categories. The website is not a static brochure but rather a very informative and quite interactive one. It provides simple, clear and precise information and means of finding out more information without strain (KIVA, 2014). Besides, it gives a clear description of KIVA and answers to all the questions that one may have regarding the organization, its finances, how to get involved and many more.
References
KIVA. (2014). Kiva - Loans that change lives. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.kiva.org/home
