A little bit goes a long way...

It's a cold, rainy, windy Monday here in Boston, and although we are (very) used to it, this weather still gets everyone down. You have to admit, waking up every morning to clouds and rain means you need something else to make you smile - and if you don't find it in your cereal, on your commute to work, in your Starbucks or your 8 AM class - you'll need to find it somewhere else.

According to a BBC article, research has found that spending money on other people may be the quickest route to happiness. The research asked people to rate their level of happiness and then asked them to provide a breakdown of how they spend their money. "Regardless of how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not."

So maybe what you need this morning is to do something worthwhile with your money. Maybe that something that will make you smile isn't on this continent. Maybe she's in Palestine or Cambodia. Maybe he's in Azerbaijan or Uganda. Maybe you need to check out Kiva.org.

Kiva is a microlending organization. You lend your $25 to Kiva and they lend it to a man or woman in a developing country who needs the money to start a business for themselves and their family. That person pays the money back over time, meaning you get your $25 back and that person gets a fresh start. Check out this cool video by Kieran Ball that explains how exactly Kiva works.

Not convinced yet? Kiva has had years of success with lending. The coolest part is that you get to pick who you lend to - and you can follow that person as they repay the loan. Another video from CNBC follows John Larson as he travels to meet his loan recipient and see first hand the difference his money has made.

Also - don't forget our Uno's Fundraiser on April 3rd in Kenmore Square. More details on our website!

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Rick probably wasn't talking about the relationship between a nonprofit organization and its new blog, but the sentiment remains the same. Welcome to Blue Kitabu's new site for all the updates you need to know about our wonderful organization!

We'll be letting you know how you can make a contribution to our efforts to improve education in developing countries around the world. We'll also be letting you know about ways you can make a difference everyday, in your own community or in communities thousands of miles away.

For your first good deed, you should check out our website or Facebook page, print out a voucher, and bring it to Uno's in Kenmore Square in Boston on April 3rd to help us raise money for our school in the Loita Hills in Kenya. And while you're at it, you might as well bring several of your friends to help us reach our goal of raising $1,000! What could be a better reason to eat out?

Speaking of Kenya... check out this incredible documentary. "A Small Act" is about a Kenyan man and his story of the vital importance of education. Our intern, Emily, saw it screened at the Coolidge Corner Theater last week and can't stop raving about it. Chris Mburu, the subject of the film, has started a scholarship fund worth supporting.