A year ago I decided to donate whatever funds I made from selling microstock images to women entrepreneurs in third world countries. I do this by lending money through microloans at Kiva.org. Each loan helps a woman who is working hard to fight poverty and support her family by having her own business. The loan is usually low or no interest and is paid back in small increments. After a loan is paid back, I reinvest the money in new loans - thereby, keeping an ongoing flow of loans going from my modest microstock profits. Today I made my 16th microloan!

My entrepreneurs come from all over the world - Peru, Kyrgyzstan, Columbia, Kenya, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile, Lebanon, Uganda, Cambodia and the Philippines. They have small retail shops, sell produce, raise cattle - one has even established a business renting washing machines! How incredible that sales from my microstock, such as the image shown here, can help others in such an amazing way. My mantra: "Microstock = Microloans".