Good morning John, it's Friday, June 29th. Good morning John it's- No. I'm not gonna do that two days in a row. Thanks for yesterday's video. I'm really glad that we finally got to share some of what we saw in the Dominican Republic. It's kind of strange that I felt so grateful to be able to experience that. I guess I would have assumed that I was going to feel sad. Or- r- mostly really guilty. I was afraid I was going to feel extremely guilty. I was also afraid that I was going to feel extremely scared. But somehow I didn't feel either of those things. Maybe I should've, but I didn't. I guess I probably felt less scared because we had an armed guard with us the whole time.

It its first year this program had like three robberies and they had to take some kind of steps to stop that. So now there's always a "driver." And the driver has a gun. When we first got there, mostly I just felt really awkward and out of place. Obviously it was a very different world from the one that I am used to. But what you didn't share with everybody yesterday, and what I think is really important to share, is that after we stood up in front of all those women who were having their graduation ceremony that day, we started to ask them questions. And we asked them questions like what kind of business are you starting up? But then they started asking us questions, and they asked us questions like where are your sisters? And are you married? And then? They all argued about which one of us was cuter. And you won.

I don't know what I expected poverty stricken people to be like, but for some reason I was surprised that they were people. And I am ashamed to admit that, but I will admit that. They were just people, and they have a community, and they hang out with each other, and they do a lot of the same things we do. Just not the things that cost money. But for some reason my previous experience with people with poverty, which is limited mostly to television commercials, gave me this impression that they were somehow too sad and too downtrodden for me to be able to relate to them in any sort of way. That's complete bullsh*t! They're totally just people! They just happen to be people in really horrible situations. And they were nice and funny and if it wasn't, you know, scary and kinda depressing, I wouldn't mind hanging out with those kind of people. Also I would have to speak much better Spanish. And while these people definitely need lots of help, in lots of different ways, micro financing is a really powerful way for these people to improve the quality of their own lives.

And you're right! It's like giving money except you get it back afterward. I mean? I don't wanna be a pure capitalist here, but that's a pretty good deal. So I'm going to kiva.org and I'm gonna find somebody and I'm gonna sponsor them and I'm gonna put a link to them on Brotherhood2.com and we're gonna get that person their loan! (shot of website) This is Corina Andino Sanabria and she's a saleswoman and she's building a business in which she sells clothing. Right now she needs 575 dollars and I'm going to loan her 200 there! Now she only needs 375 dollars. Look how happy she looks.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, that was it? It was that easy? Yes. It's that easy and then you get your money back in six months. And Corina gets to run her business! Basically it's like investing, except that the interest rate isn't very good. You could invest your money in Exxon, but you wouldn't feel as good about that as I do about this. Kiva.org RAAAAAH AAAH RAAAAH! I don't think anybody gets this excited about donating money ever, but it's not donating money! It's loaning money! But it feels like donating money. It feels good but you get your money back! Microfinance. YES! It's that easy.

John, I'll see you on Monday.