Collegiettes, did you know that 1.29 billion people worldwide live on less that $1.25 a day? How about the fact that 70% of those people are women who are facing the most extreme working conditions on the planet?
DoSomething.org and Kiva.org have decided it’s time to do something about this. The two organizations have teamed up to launch a mobile giving campaign where your text messages can make a big difference. Through the campaign, DoSomething and Kiva want to inspire collegiettes like you to help the 25,000 female entrepreneurs in Kenya, Mongolia, the Philippines, El Salvador, and Pakistan who need your support through Kiva’s lending program.
To participate, you can sign up at www.dosomething.org/women or text WOMEN to 38383. Participants will receive scenarios from one of those five countries where women face challenging work conditions, and you can then text back your choice on how you would deal with each scenario. Here is an example of how the text message experience works:
DoSomething: You’re thirsty from working in the fields. Would you rather a) drink the murky water your employer provides? or b) go thirsty and risk dehydration?
Participant: A
DoSomething: In Kenya, only 59% of drinking water is actually safe (whoa!) You could get a waterborne disease that puts you out of work for days. Text 2 for question 2.
At the end of the experience, you will then be able to give $25 to a real female entrepreneur in need. The best part: Kiva lenders are providing the money, so participating won’t cost you a dime.
Sign up for the experience today. For nothing more than a few quick text messages, you have a chance to make a huge change in the lives of women around the world. Let’s do something about international poverty together!