I Lend Therefore I Am

A New Blog Series

© CARE/Emilie Bailey

If we identify ourselves through our thoughts, how much more do we through our actions? We are always inspired to find out why our lenders take action and lend. One such lender said quite simply ‘I lend therefore I am’. Catchy phrase it may be, but there is a philosophy behind this that resonates with our lenders.

People choose to lendwithcare for many different reasons. For some it is an act of humanitarianism or a matter of combatting materialism, others are driven by their faith. Women want to help other women; entrepreneurs want to help other entrepreneurs. In this blog series, we hope to discuss some of these and would love to hear from you if you would like to as well. If you are interested in writing a guest blog about why you lend, get in touch.

“I think therefore I am.” These are the famous words of the philosopher René Descartes. In making this declaration, he laid down the principle that because we know that we think, we know therefore that we exist. Descartes’ principle acknowledges the importance of recognising our own identity, which leads to independence of mind and ultimately therefore empowerment.

Sending a loan to an entrepreneur overseas is also an act of empowerment: mutual empowerment of both the borrower and the lender. The borrower is empowered through an opportunity to achieve financially independence for themselves and their family. The lender, in turn, is empowered through the knowledge that it is their own choice and money that has made this possible. Making a loan is an acknowledgement that we live in a global community and that this comes with opportunities and responsibilities to build relationships and help others in this community.

Like thinking, lending is a process – and a dynamic one. When you lendwithcare, the process does not end with a donation. It starts with a loan, which is paid forward, paid back and is then recycled. When you lendwithcare you begin a relationship. The relationship is personal in that the lender can choose who to lend to, but it is also two-way. For some, this is why it is so exciting when that repayment email pops up in our inbox: it asserts our own existence in the world and the significance of our existence and action to others. I lend therefore I am.

By Emma Howard, assistant at lendwithcare.org