Published: September 08, 2008 09:56 am      

Business owner lends to those in need

FAIRMOUNT — Kurt Ferber has been working at Redi-Mix for 24 years. It is a family-owned business in Fairmount, which began in 1948.

Redi-Mix specializes in concrete for things such as basements, driveways and septic tanks. Kurt and Mike Ferber run the company, and have the help of two nephews. They are open five and a half days a week.

Despite all the time Kurt Ferber spends at work, he finds time for mountain biking, hiking and tending to an herb garden.

Ferber has an additional interest in lending money to the Kiva organization.

Kiva connects people who are willing to loan money to specific entrepreneurs in the developing world in order to help them out of poverty. The loan is made for anywhere from six to 12 months, and the lender can receive e-mail and journal updates, and track online repayments.

The lenders do not get any interest, and the field partners are the ones who actually travel to collect the money and take photos of the loan projects to post online.

Kurt read about Kiva, and became interested in donating. Requested loans can range anywhere from $25 to $1,500 for a variety of things such as goats, chickens and souvenir stands. Ferber has made 13 loans so far, and has never had anyone default.

“I would encourage others to give money for loans, as there are a lot of people who do not have access to money like we do here. We can help somebody help themselves,” he said.

Ferber also likes to travel, and has been to Canada, Mexico, Australia and Peru. In early 2008 he traveled to Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Ferber said Ethiopia is a Christian country, with old 12th century monasteries that were carved into the rocks, and beautiful murals about the stories of the Bible, as well as old relics with goatskin covers that contain beautiful color pictures about old Christian cultures.

The poverty there is due to overpopulation. The children there are very thin, as can be seen in the photographs. They eat Ingera, which is made from a cereal grain called tef, which grows in many areas, but is not easy to farm. Cows walk through the tef to thresh it, and then it is picked up off the ground with the kids’ help to make Injera.

Tef Ingera contains iron, calcium, potassium and other minerals, and is milled to make flour. The symbiotic yeast in it becomes active when the batter is allowed to set. It is difficult to process, and is easier to purchase it from a market.

The markets sell everything from honey and grain, to small amounts of vegetables and fruit, and maybe even a donkey.

In Tanzania, Ferber made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

“The Serengeti was nice, as there were lions, wildebeests and cheetahs,” Ferber said.

“In Rwanda, the women traditionally are responsible for carrying the water, while the men are responsible for herding.”

Ferber has made loans to Cambodia and Vietnam , and in 2009 he plans to visit both of these countries in addition to Thailand.

“I plan to do more traveling, keep making more loans, and get to the point where the loan money comes back, and I can keep loaning it out, sort of recycling it,” Ferber said. “I am not donating it. I am loaning the money so I get my money back.”

Kiva does not guarantee repayment.

“I think it is great that he travels and enjoys the kids. It is all very interesting,” said Brook Craig, Ferber’s secretary.



ON THE NET

For more information on Kiva, go to http://www.kiva.org.