Think Bigg

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time mumbling under your breath at the politicians on television. And then you go on with your day.

Before you head off to Starbucks this morning, why not try to make your voice heard? Here’s how to find your congressperson:

The House of Representatives website has an easy tool to find your local representative. Just pop in your ZIP + 4 code and you’ll see your elected rep. (Click here to find your ZIP + 4 code.)

Mine is Congressman Mike Honda, representing the 15th District of California.

Senators aren’t quite as hard to track down (there are only two of them, after all!), but in case you need contact information the United States Senate also offers an easy web search tool.

At a loss for what to say? Websites and charity organizations often have sample letters to send your elected representatives on a variety of issues.

Why not start with a call to end child soldiering in Northern Uganda?

A 15 minute investment of time could end up making a giant difference in a child’s life.

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If you haven’t heard about it already, you will soon. Microfinance lending is an innovative way for people without access to traditional banking to borrow money to start or expand a community-based business. Loans can be as small as $50 or $100, and many times the borrowers are women or groups of women in small villages or rural communities.

There are quite a few institutions out there promoting this idea, but the folks at Kiva.org are bringing the arena of microfinance into the world of Web 2.0. Here’s how it works:

First, choose a business.

Kiva partners with local agencies to identify a daily updated list of individuals with financial needs. Countries range from Uganda to Ecuador, Kenya to Cambodia. Business range from new taxis to used clothing to grocery stores. Photos make it easy to put faces to requests. Who you fund is up to you!

Next, make a loan.

In increments of just $25, you can loan part or all of the funds requested for people to grow their businesses and improve their lives. Paypal secures the funding transaction.

Third, receive payments. As borrowers repay the loan, you will receive periodic updates on their progress. When the payments are complete, you can either withdraw or re-loan the original funds to another borrower.

The high falutin’ idea of microfinance simply requires small loans from small lenders (that’s you!). You don’t need an advanced degree from Wharton or more cash than the cost of a couple of movie tickets. With $25 and a willingness to reach out to help, you can make a difference.

So what’s the worst that can happen? Just because you’re lending like a VC doesn’t mean you’ll start to act like one. (Did I just say that out loud?)

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What can you get for $75?

Unfortunately, not this beautiful pair of Christian Louboutin wedges (unless you add a “9″ between the “7″ and the “5″).

Available from Neiman Marcus for $795.

It may be slightly less sexy than the shoes, but did you know that a mere $75 can buy an entire goat for a village family? Available from World Vision.

The whole goat! Not just the furry parts glued to a cork wedge and rubber soles! Goats provide fresh milk, cheese and added income in the form of offspring to many families in developing nations.

How cute is that? You have too many pairs of shoes in your closet anyway.

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This one should be on your Netflix list! The Oscar-winning documentary follows the lives of a group of children born into the brothels of Calcutta and the herculean efforts of their photography teacher to give them an artistic voice.

The photographs taken by the kids portray the realities of their lives in quiet and powerful ways.

The talent of the children will blow you away, and you won’t want to leave them behind at the end of the film.

You can purchase the photographs and benefit the ongoing humanitarian efforts of Kids with Cameras.

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I never joined the Peace Corps. I never sent my lunch money to the starving kids in China. I do love expensive shoes. All that being said, here’s what I know.

I know that just the shoes in my closet, the roof over my head and the car in my driveway put me in the top one percent of people on the planet in terms of material success.

I know that millions of people around the world die needlessly every day for lack of the things I take for granted: clean water, plentiful food, a convenient Walgreens and a means to get there.

I know that if everyone I know were to put in just a little bit of effort, lots of those people would not need to live those kinds of desperate lives.

If Bono and Bill Gates were life partners and they asked Oprah to surrogate a child for them, maybe it would look something like this blog.

Happy reading! Know better, do better!

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