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Zidisha
p/zidisha
Direct P2P microlending
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Julia Kurnia
Zidisha — Crowdfunding for developing country entrepreneurs
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Crowdfund small businesses for low-income entrepreneurs in developing countries, and interact directly with the people you help.
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Julia Kurnia
Maker
📌
Hi Product Hunt, I'm Julia, the founder of Zidisha. I'd be happy to respond to any questions here. Below is some more background on what we've been working on. Zidisha has gone through several iterations since we launched as the first P2P microlending platform to connect lenders and borrowers directly across international borders. In our new Pay It Forward program, the entrepreneurs you fund become in turn the funders of other entrepreneurs. You've probably heard of microlending - it's been around for decades, and the idea is to provide very small loans to borrowers in developing countries. Zidisha (founded in 2009) has focused on supporting small-scale entrepreneurs, but with a twist: instead of sending the money through a third party, Zidisha has connected individual lenders DIRECTLY with recipients. Microlending is compelling because the donor's money is recycled over and over, as the loan is repaid and re-loaned. Traditionally, the lender has chosen each recipient, but we started to wonder: wouldn't it be great if the recipient could feel the joy and satisfaction of giving? In other words, rather than repaying the original lender, what if they could "pay it forward" by selecting the next recipient and having their loan repayments go directly to that person? That's the idea behind our new Pay It Forward program! You select an entrepreneur and donate any amount you wish. You won't be repaid, but instead, you'll be able to watch how your money passes from one entrepreneur to the next, as your money's impact multiplies over and over. Sound too good to be true? Try it by uploading a small amount to your account, and divide it among several of our fundraising entrepreneurs. Not only will you receive thank-you notes written directly by your chosen recipients, but you will be able to track how your funds are recycled as they are "paid forward" to the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Justine Che Romero
Congrats on the launch! Brilliant and noble idea 😃
Regina Bryan
Love the design on your product page! Great work team!
Shahmir Faisal
Congrats on the launch Julia!
Shruti Sinha
congratulations
Ghost Kitty
Comment Deleted
William Yarbrough
Great work @makers!
Mikel
Congratulations 🎊 on the Launch. How different is this from the multiple existing platforms already?
Julia Kurnia
Maker
@mikelrina I would say what makes us really special is the ability to connect directly with the people you are helping - you can exchange comments and receive photos and videos directly from the entrepreneur. Beyond that, the Pay It Forward model, where recipients in turn pay funding forward to others in need, is unique. It's a way to increase the impact of a given amount of funds several-fold, in a way that makes the funds recipient an equal partner in the philanthropy.