Homework for January 20

There were two items that stood out on my list of interests:

Kiva.org (a non-profit doing micro loans)
Android OS (an open-source OS for mobile phones)

I was having a lot of trouble picking between the two.  When it comes to making a videogame though, I feel like Kiva would be the "greater cause" because it is something that I have been interested in a long time.  I heard about Kiva from watching TV on hulu.com.  They had ads for the non-profit constantly and I decided to take a look.  After looking into the program, I thought it was such a great thing that I could contribute a fairly small amount of money ($25) and loan it to someone.  When the money is paid back, I can get the money back in my pocket, or loan it to someone else.  And since that time, I'm up to five loans already.

One
Two
Three
Four
Five

I would have two agendas when it comes to making a video game based on Kiva's efforts.  The first is an educational standpoint.  People from around the world are in need but we can help.  It doesn't take very much from an individual to really help those in the countries that Kiva helps.  This game could focus on how little it takes to change someone's life and that through a simple micro loan, you can help someone get out of poverty and be able to support themselves.

The second agenda would deal more with mere advertising for this organization.  Because this foundation only works when an individual joins the cause and begins to loan to people in need, without the support of a large number of people, this organization could lose funding or not have the stability to remain going.  And although this is a "free" service where your money is loaned out and then given back to you, Kiva still needs money to pay its employees and maintain their websites, etc.  This could be a great opportunity to make a game that could promote the cause and possibly show how the money you donate (as apposed to loaning) is used to help promote, and maintain the cause.