Hi Product Hunt, I'm Julia, the founder of Zidisha. I'm happy to respond to questions and comments! 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? Give it a try with a very small amount - $5 or $10 is fine - and divide it among several of our fundraising entrepreneurs. Not only will you receive updates 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.

Thank you for the support! Here's a compilation of messages posted by the entrepreneurs on their profile pages, where you can get an idea of how Zidisha has impacted lives: https://www.zidisha.org/project-...

What a great idea 💡 Congrats on the Launch 🚀

I love this initiative and the pain point you are solving here. Being able to participate and follow these entrepreneur's journey is a real motivation imo. Would love to see how it evolves when you get more and more entrepreneurs onboard !

I absolutely love this idea! Donate once to someone who is building a micro business and watch the money do good over and over. How amazing. Good luck! I traveled through Africa back in the 90s and can see how this could spread and do good over and over!

I've been lending small amounts monthly with Zidisha for a few years now. I initially chose Zidisha due to the opportunity for direct contact with entrepreneurs and the ability to choose the amount I could donate to the organization with each loan. Neither of these options are available on the other platforms I investigated. It's been great to see how the loans circulate and help so many different people out. Sometimes I miss being able to choose the entrepreneurs the loans fund, but despite this I think Julia and Zidisha have chosen the best model for micro-lending and I plan to continue supporting it. Thanks, Julia and Zidisha, for giving people like me the chance to do this!