matter very much.

大切です

The stories we tell ourselves about our own lives matter.

自分の人生を語ることも大切です

And most of all,

そして何よりも

I think the way that we participate in each other's stories

お互いの物語にいかに関わって行くかが

is of deep importance.

非常に大切だと思います

I was six years old

6歳のときのこと

when I first heard stories about the poor.

初めて 貧しい人の話を聞きました

Now I didn't hear those stories from the poor themselves,

貧しい人から直接聞いたのではなくて

I heard them from my Sunday school teacher

日曜学校の先生を通じて

and Jesus, kind of via my Sunday school teacher.

キリストの話を聞いたのです

I remember learning that people who were poor

彼らは いろんな物を必要としていると

needed something material --

教わったことを覚えています

food, clothing, shelter -- that they didn't have.

衣食住で困っているのです

And I also was taught, coupled with that,

またそれと合わせて

that it was my job -- this classroom full of five and six year-old children --

日曜学校に通う5-6歳の自分たちの務めは

it was our job, apparently, to help.

助けることだと教わりました

This is what Jesus asked of us.

これはキリストからのお願いなのです

And then he said, "What you do for the least of these, you do for me."

「最も小さな者への行いは わたしへの行いである」

Now I was pretty psyched.

私はすごく楽しみだと思い

I was very eager to be useful in the world --

世界の役に立ちたいと思いました

I think we all have that feeling.

誰もが感じたことのある あの感覚です

And also, it was kind of interesting that God needed help.

神が助けを求めているとは

That was news to me,

初耳でしたが これに貢献することが

and it felt like it was a very important thing to get to participate in.

重要だと感じました

But I also learned very soon thereafter

でも その後すぐにキリストが

that Jesus also said, and I'm paraphrasing,

こんなことを言っていたと学びました

the poor would always be with us.

貧者は常に共にいるというのです

This frustrated and confused me;

このことには不満で困惑しました

I felt like I had been just given a homework assignment

やるべき宿題が出されて

that I had to do, and I was excited to do,

わくわくする課題なのに

but no matter what I would do, I would fail.

どう頑張っても失敗すると言われては

So I felt confused, a little bit frustrated and angry,

混乱するし 不服で腹も立ちます

like maybe I'd misunderstood something here.

何か私が誤解しているように思えて

And I felt overwhelmed.

気後れしてしまいました

And for the first time,

このとき初めて

I began to fear this group of people

貧しい人たちに対する恐れと

and to feel negative emotion towards a whole group of people.

不快感を感じるようになりました

I imagined in my head, a kind of long line of individuals

脳裏に浮かんだのは一列に並んだ人々が

that were never going away, that would always be with us.

いつも付きまとうイメージです

They were always going to ask me to help them and give them things,

救いの手や物資をいつも求め

which I was excited to do,

私の助けたいという気持ちも

but I didn't know how it was going to work.

どう役に立つのかがわかりません

And I didn't know what would happen when I ran out of things to give,

差し出すものも尽きたらどうなるのでしょう

especially if the problem was never going away.

まして 永遠に続く問題だというのです

In the years following,

私は大人になるまで

the other stories I heard about the poor growing up

貧困の話をいろいろ聞きましたが

were no more positive.

暗い話ばかりでした

For example, I saw pictures and images

例えば 悲しみにくれて苦しんでいる人たちの

frequently of sadness and suffering.

写真や映像を見たり

I heard about things that were going wrong in the lives of the poor.

困難に陥る貧しい人たちの話や

I heard about disease, I heard about war --

病気や戦争の話を聞きました

they always seemed to be kind of related.

互いにつながりがあるように見える

And in general,

それらの話から私は

I got this sort of idea

こんな状況であろうと理解しました

that the poor in the world lived lives

世界中の貧しい人たちは

that were wrought with suffering and sadness,

苦しみや悲しみや破壊や絶望が

devastation, hopelessness.

つきまとう人生を送るのです

And after a while, I developed what I think many of us do,

やがて 多くの人と同じように

is this predictable response,

こんなふうに反応するようになりました

where I started to feel bad every time I heard about them.

貧困の話を耳にするたびに可哀想に思い

I started to feel guilty for my own relative wealth,

相対的に豊かな自分に罪悪感を覚えるのです

because I wasn't doing more, apparently, to make things better.

十分な貢献をできていないからです

And I even felt a sense of shame because of that.

そのために恥ずかしさも感じました

And so naturally,

そこで自然に

I started to distance myself.

私は距離をおくようになり

I stopped listening to their stories

貧しい人たちの話を 以前のように

quite as closely as I had before.

こと細かに聞かなくなりました

And I stopped expecting things to really change.

事態が改善するとも思えなくなりました

Now I still gave -- on the outside it looked like I was still quite involved.

でも 時間とお金を積極的に

I gave of my time and my money,

割いているように見えたでしょう

I gave when solutions were on sale.

買える解決策には お金を出していました

The cost of a cup of coffee can save a child's life, right.

コーヒー１杯分のお金で

I mean who can argue with that?

子ども1人が救えるのは事実です

I gave when I was cornered, when it was difficult to avoid

気持ちが追いつめられたら寄付しました

and I gave, in general, when the negative emotions built up enough

哀れみの感情が高まったときも寄付して

that I gave to relieve my own suffering,

他の誰でもない自分の苦しみが

not someone else's.

和らぐのです

The truth be told, I was giving out of that place,

本当はそんな理由で寄付していました

not out of a genuine place of hope

純粋に希望を抱いての行為ではなく

and excitement to help and of generosity.

援助の心とか親切心でもないのです

It became a transaction for me,

私に取って単なる取引や

became sort of a trade.

売買に成り下がりました

I was purchasing something --

日々を過ごす権利のような物を

I was buying my right to go on with my day

買っていたのです

and not necessarily be bothered by this bad news.

悲しいニュースに悩まされない権利です

And I think the way that we go through that sometimes

悩みを切り抜けようとするあまり

can, first of all,

なによりもまず 彼らの

disembody a group of people, individuals out there in the world.

人間性や個性のことを忘れて

And it can also turn into a commodity,

ある種の商品のように扱ってしまうのは

which is a very scary thing.

実に恐ろしい振る舞いです

So as I did this, and as I think many of us do this,

私と同じように 対処した人も多いでしょう

we kind of buy our distance,

いわば距離を買うようなものです

we kind of buy our right to go on with our day.

日常の暮らしを続ける権利を買うのです

I think that exchange can actually get in the way of the very thing that we want most.

この取引は 一番望んでいるはずの

It can get in the way of our desire

意味ある形で誰かの人生に

to really be meaningful and useful in another person's life

役立ちたいという願いを妨げます

and, in short to love.

つまり簡単に言えば愛の妨げになります

Thankfully, a few years ago, things shifted for me

ありがたいことに 数年前に転機がありました

because I heard this gentleman speak, Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

私はムハマド・ユヌス博士の講演を聞いたのです

I know many in the room probably know exactly who he is,

多くの皆さんは彼のことをよくご存知でしょうが

but to give the shorthand version

知らない方のために

for any who have not heard him speak,

ごく簡単に紹介します

Dr. Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize a few years ago

ユヌス博士はマイクロファイナンスを

for his work pioneering modern microfinance.

確立した功績でノーベル平和賞を受賞しました

When I heard him speak, it was three years before that.

私が彼の話を聞いたのは受賞の3年前でした

But basically, microfinance -- if this is new to you as well --

簡単にマイクロファイナンスを説明します

think of that as financial services for the poor.

貧しい人のための金融サービスです

Think of all the things you get at your bank

銀行が提供するサービスを

and imagine those products and services

一日数ドルで暮らす人に合わせて

tailored to the needs of someone living on a few dollars a day.

提供する仕組みです

Dr. Yunus shared his story,

ユヌス博士は彼の物語と

explaining what that was,

グラミン銀行で成し遂げたことを

and what he had done with his Grameen Bank.

語りました

He also talked about, in particular, microlending,

特に小額貸与について説明しました

which is a tiny loan

これは小額の融資で

that could help someone start or grow a business.

起業と事業の成長を支援するものです

Now, when I heard him speak, it was exciting for a number of reasons.

彼の話を聞いて いくつかの理由で興奮しました

First and foremost, I learned about this new method of change in the world

まず何より 世界を変える新しい方法を学んだのです

that, for once, showed me, maybe,

関わり合いを持ちながら

a way to interact with someone

資金を貸与するのは

and to give, to share of a resource in a way that wasn't weird

無理のない方法だと知りました

and didn't make me feel bad --

可哀想だからすることではありません

that was exciting.

これには わくわくしました

But more importantly, he told stories about the poor

さらに重要なことは 貧しい人についての話は

that were different than any stories I had heard before.

これまで聞いたこともないような話でした

In fact, those individuals he talked about who were poor was sort of a side note.

たまたま貧しいけれども

He was talking about strong, smart,

力と知恵と熱意のある起業家が

hardworking entrepreneurs who woke up every day

自分と家族の生活を良くするために

and were doing things to make their lives and their family's lives better.

努力しているという話だったのです

All they needed to do that more quickly and to do it better

それをもっと素早く 適切に実行するために

was a little bit of capital.

彼らに必要なのは少しの資金でした

It was an amazing sort of insight for me.

この見方には 驚かされました

And I, in fact, was so deeply moved by this --

大きく心を動かされました

it's hard to express now how much that affected me --

どれほど心を捉えられたのか言葉にできません

but I was so moved that I actually quit my job a few weeks later,

とても感動したので 数週間後には仕事を辞めて

and I moved to East Africa

東アフリカに向かい

to try to see for myself what this was about.

自分の眼で確かめることにしました

For the first time, actually, in a long time

人生で初めて 一人ひとりの個人と

I wanted to meet those individuals, I wanted to meet these entrepreneurs,

会いたいと思いました 起業家たちと会って

and see for myself what their lives were actually about.

その暮らしを 自分で確かめたかったのです

So I spent three months in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

ケニアとウガンダとタンザニアで3ヶ月を過ごし

interviewing entrepreneurs that had received 100 dollars

100ドルで起業や事業拡大をした

to start or grow a business.

起業家にインタビューしました

And in fact, through those interactions,

そしてこれらの交流を通して

for the first time, I was starting to get to be friends

形の見えない 遠い存在だと

with some of those people in that big amorphous group out there

ずっと思っていた人たちと

that was supposed to be far away.

初めて友人になりました

I was starting to be friends and get to know their personal stories.

友達になって一人ずつの話を知りました

And over and over again,

そしてインタビューを何度も

as I interviewed them and spent my days with them,

繰り返して 彼らと過ごす日々の中で

I did hear stories of life change

人生が変化した話を

and amazing little details of change.

細部にわたって聴きました

So I would hear from goat herders

融資でヤギを数頭買ったという

who had used that money that they had received to buy a few more goats.

ヤギ飼いの話を聞くのです

Their business trajectory would change.

商売を軌道に乗せて

They would make a little bit more money;

もう少しの収入を得ると

their standard of living

生活水準を高めて

would shift and would get better.

より良い暮らしを送れます

And they would make really interesting little adjustments in their lives,

暮らしの中の小さな改善が興味深いのです

like they would start to send their children to school.

子どもを学校にやるとか

They might be able to buy mosquito nets.

蚊帳を買えるようになるとか

Maybe they could afford a lock for the door and feel secure.

扉の鍵を買って安心できるようになるとか

Maybe it was just that they could put sugar in their tea

客をもてなすお茶をいれるときに

and offer that to me when I came as their guest

砂糖も入れられることが

and that made them feel proud.

誇らしいとか

But there were these beautiful details, even if I talked to 20 goat herders in a row,

20人のヤギ飼いに順番に話を聞いても

and some days that's what happened --

素敵なディテールがいろいろあるのです

these beautiful details of life change

あるとき生じた素晴らしい人生の変化が

that were meaningful to them.

どれだけ意味あるものなのかを知って

That was another thing that really touched me.

私は感動しました

It was really humbling to see for the first time,

魔法の杖があれば

to really understand

全ての問題が解決するかのように

that even if I could have taken a magic wand and fixed everything,

考えていた自分の思い違いに

I probably would have gotten a lot wrong.

初めて気がつきました

Because the best way for people to change their lives

本人が最善だと思う方法こそが

is for them to have control and to do that in a way that they believe is best for them.

人生を変える一番良い方法だからです

So I saw that and it was very humbling.

こうして自分の思い込みに気づきました

Anyway, another interesting thing happened while I was there.

向こうではさらに面白いことがありました

I never once was asked for a donation,

一度たりとも 寄付を求められなかったのです

which had kind of been my mode, right.

貧困と援助を結びつけていた私は

There's poverty, you give money to help --

寄付を求められるだろうと覚悟していました

no one asked me for a donation.

だれ一人として寄付を求めませんでした

In fact, no one wanted me to feel bad for them at all.

可哀想と思ってほしい人などいなかったのです

If anything, they just wanted to be able to do more of what they were doing already

強いて言えば すでに取り組んでいることを

and to build on their own capabilities.

さらに進めて能力を高めたいというのです

So what I did hear, once in a while,

時々私が耳にしたことは

was that people wanted a loan --

お金を借りたい人がいること

I thought that sounded very reasonable and really exciting.

合理的で素晴らしいことだと思いました

And by the way, I was a philosophy and poetry major in school,

私の専攻は哲学と詩学だったので

so I didn't know the difference between profit and revenue when I went to East Africa.

現地訪問の時には 利益と収入の区別もつかず

I just got this impression that the money would work.

ただお金が役に立つという印象を受けただけでした

And my introduction to business

私がビジネスに触れたのは

was in these $100 little infuses of capital.

わずか100ドルの資本提供からでした

And I learned about profit and revenue, about leverage, all sorts of things,

利益と収入やレバレッジなどについては

from farmers, from seamstresses, from goat herders.

農家や仕立て屋やヤギ飼いたちから学びました

So this idea

さて ビジネスと希望についての

that these new stories of business and hope

こんな新しい話を

might be shared with my friends and family,

友人や家族に伝えて

and through that, maybe we could get some of the money that they needed

必要とするお金を集めて貸し出し

to be able to continue their businesses as loans,

ビジネスを続けられるようにできるはずです

that's this little idea that turned into Kiva.

この小さなアイデアから Kiva が生まれました

A few months later, I went back to Uganda

数ヶ月後 デジカメを手に

with a digital camera and a basic website

ウガンダに戻って 簡単なウェブサイトを

that my partner, Matthew, and I had kind of built,

パートナーのマシューと作ると

and took pictures of seven of my new friends,

新しい友人たち 7 人の写真を載せて

posted their stories, these stories of entrepreneurship, up on the website,

彼らの起業家としてのエピソードを添えて

spammed friends and family and said, "We think this is legal.

周囲に嘆願メールを送りました

Haven't heard back yet from SEC on all the details,

「法律面もOK SECからの問い合わせも受けていません

but do you say, do you want to help participate in this,

この人たちが必要なお金を

provide the money that they need?"

提供してもらえませんか？」

The money came in basically overnight.

資金はほぼ一晩で集まりました

We sent it over to Uganda.

ウガンダに送金して

And over the next six months, a beautiful thing happened;

そのあと6ヶ月 素晴らしい展開です

the entrepreneurs received the money,

起業家たちはお金を受け取り

they were paid, and their businesses, in fact, grew,

受け取ったお金で事業を発展させて

and they were able to support themselves

自立を進めることができ

and change the trajectory of their lives.

人生の軌道を変えることができました

In October of '05,

2005年の10月には

after those first seven loans were paid,

最初の7件のローンは返済され

Matt and I took the word beta off of the site.

ウェブサイトもベータ版ではなくなりました

We said, "Our little experiment has been a success.

「ささやかな実験は成功した

Let's start for real." That was our official launch.

ここからが本番だ」 公式なスタートでした

And then that first year, October '05 through '06,

2005年10月から2006年までの初年度に

Kiva facilitated $500,000 in loans.

Kiva は50万ドルの貸出を行い

The second year, it was a total of 15 million.

2年目には1500万ドルになりました

The third year, the total was up to around 40.

3年目には4000万ドルでした