I joined Kiva more than seven years ago and, from a modest input of $184, have lent $1,150 to borrowers in forty-four countries.
There have been a few defaulters and some small foreign exchange losses. (The UK version of Kiva is Lendwithcare where I also have an account.)
Although The Guardian may uphold high standards as a newspaper and have a good Crossword its charitable activities are open to question.
Note expenditure on Charitable Activities. It accounts for most of the charity’s income. Total income £976,724; Charitable activities £995,608. Nothing wrong there you might think unless you read the notes appended to the accounts.
Charitable activities
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them. (Charity Commission Website.)
I am not tempted to “lend a hand” to the Guardian. However, I do enjoy John Crace’s Digested Read column.
“Letters Home 1936-1977 by Philip Larkin – digested read
Dear Mop and Pop (if he happens to be here),
The weather is quite mild for the time of year here in Oxford and I am settling in as well as can be expected. Yesterday I broke my pipe while buying a pair of crimson trousers so I have had to replace it with a new one. All very annoying. I have written a couple of poems for the Cherwell magazine which I don’t think are very good and are certain to be rejected.
A friend has just obtained an Obelisk edition of Lady Chatterley’s Lover and I am looking forward to reading it when he has finished it. My new shoes have given me blisters so I have been limping slightly. I also thought my exams had gone extremely badly so imagine my surprise when I got a first. It has been raining heavily so I have had to wear a raincoat. I hope I don’t get a chill. Here is a drawing of a Mop. Apparently there is a war going on at the moment.
My eyesight continues to be poor so I have been turned down by the army and have been sent to work in a library in Shropshire. I don’t like the work very much but the sun is shining and I have managed to finish writing a novel which I don’t think is very good.
Thank you for filling in an application form for the job I didn’t want at the Leicester University library. Luckily I am not that disappointed by the move as I never had any great expectations in the first place. I am sorry I have not been able to visit you but I have been too busy writing you this letter to leave the house. Also my health is not at all good as I have a cold which may well be fatal.
Much love to all, Philip“ (the guardian.com)
I was a member of the Essay Society at St. John’s College, Oxford, Larkin’s College. He came to speak to the society. I can not now remember much of what he had to say, apart from his opening remarks, which amused me very much.
” I am sorry if my appearance has disappointed you. For those of you who like poetry, meeting a poet must be like a man who likes milk suddenly realising it comes from a cow”.
These words have stuck in my mind since 1966.