Monthly Archives: October 2009

Challenging Children For Change: One Hen 10K Bead Challenge

By Guest Post on October 30, 2009

The following is a guest post from Karen Schultz the Communications Director for One Hen, Inc. The spread of microfinance, as captured in the One Hen story, is drawing more and more kids to participate in poverty eradication. This summer, One Hen completed a successful pilot of our financial literacy curriculum in three urban communities of Read more…

Posted in Events, One Hen Children’s Book
Tagged 10K Bead Challenge, Building Educated Leaders for Life, Children, Children for Children, City Year, Education, Ending Poverty, Entrepreneurs, One Hen, Schools

More Than a Loan: Investing in Holistic Approaches to Microfinance

By Guest Post on October 29, 2009

The following is a guest post from Betsy Perdue, Chair, Women’s Opportunity Network: Tomorrow, I will be participating in a panel with two other Opportunity International supporters at the Chicago Global Donor Network’s 6th annual conference, “Opportunity in Tough Times.” Our panel is titled “More than a Loan: Investing in Holistic Approaches to Microfinance.” Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Savings, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Chicago Global Donor Network’s 6th annual conference, Chicago Global Donors Network, Hotel Rwanda, Microfinance, Microloans, Paul Rusesabagina, Rwanda, Savings, Women's Philanthropy, Women’s Opportunity Network, WON

Saving Their Way Out of Poverty

By Steve Nelson on October 29, 2009

In the Kejetia Market in Kumasi, Ghana, there are 10,000 vendors and market stalls covering an area of 36 acres. Dozens of Susu collectors roam the narrow walkways wearing brightly colored coats with many pockets, each with a wad of money inside. Susu collectors provide a way for people to save and access their own Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Loans, Our Work, Savings, Where We Work
Tagged Clients, Entrepreneurs, Ghana, Markets, Mobile Banking, Opportunity Ghana, Savings, Susu collectors

Social Change is the Business of the Future

By AJ Renold on October 28, 2009

As many would agree, we are in a turbulent time. Old business models are breaking down and our future seems a bit more uncertain with each passing day. At the 10th Innovating Social Change Conference hosted last week by the Kellogg School of Management, I learned that now is the time to forget old business Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision
Tagged 10th Innovating Social Change Conference, Acumen Fund, Australasia, CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises, DBL Investors, Dr. Sanjay Sinho, Education, Enterprise Solutions to Poverty, Ethos Water, Jacqueline Novogratz, John Brock, John Wood, Jonathan Greenblatt, Kellogg School of Management, KIN Global, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children, MicroDreams, Nancy Barry, Nonprofit, Room to Read, SeaChange Capital Partners, Social business, Social capital, Social Change, South Pacific Business Development Microfinance Network, The American India Foundation, Youth

Reaching a Younger Generation through Inspirational Children’s Book

By Ruth-Anne Renaud on October 27, 2009

You can never be too young to understand the power of microfinance. Just ask Opportunity’s team of volunteers who bring lessons of microfinance to life in the classroom through One Hen, an award-winning children’s tale. Championed by the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON), the One Hen volunteer program seeks to connect Opportunity supporters with young children Read more…

Posted in One Hen Children’s Book, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Children, Katie Smith Milway, Kojo, Loans, Microfinance, One Hen, Schools, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Encouraging Collaboration: Microfinance India this Week

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on October 26, 2009

Along with a booming microfinance industry in India comes a variety of organizations offering a variety of different services with a variety of delivery channels. As one such organization in the mix, Opportunity India recognizes the need for open communication and collaboration. This week, the Microfinance India Summit is brining together key leaders in the Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Where We Work
Tagged Collaboration, India, Microfinance

Spotlight from the Field: Maria Felix Gallardo Hernandez

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on October 22, 2009

Pots bubble, bread rises, and tortillas simmer as Maria does what she does every day: builds a better life for her family. And makes plans expand her business. And dreams of enrolling herself in school for the first time. If you were to ask Maria how old she is, she would reply (nonchalantly), “Sesenta y Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Chapala, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Education, Entrepreneurs, Mexico, Trust Groups, Women

Young People Who Desire to Live our Lives “4 others”

By Guest Post on October 21, 2009

The following is a guest post by April Hunt who is a Youth Pastor with X-Force Student Ministries/4others.org (You can reach her at april@4others.org). We’re a group of young people who desire to live our lives “4 others”. With this vision, we launched our ministry, 4others.org, in the hope that we would inspire many more Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, OptINnow, Our Mission and Vision
Tagged 4Others.org, African Water Project, Children's Hunger Fund, CURE International, Donation, Opportunity International, OptINnow, Poverty, Sponsorship, x-Force Student Ministries, Youth

#Mifimon: Where in the world is microfinance working?

By Guest Post on October 20, 2009

The following is a guest post by Grameen America DC’s Alice Geglio, for Opportunity International Interested in learning about microfinance? Follow our biweekly Twitter discussion group #mifimon (because Microfinance Mondays was too long for Twitter’s 140-character limit!) The aim is to host an exchange of ideas about issues relevant to the microfinance industry. You’re welcome to lend Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology
Tagged #MifiMon, Accion, Afganistan, ASA, China, Clients, Financial Regulations, FINCA, Gameen Bank, Ghana, India, Kenya, Latin America, Mexico, MFI, Microenterprises, Microfinance Institution, OptINnow, Peru, Rural banking, Southeast Asia, The Economist, Twitter

This Quarter’s Book of Choice: Half the Sky

By Ruth-Anne Renaud on October 19, 2009

This quarter the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) and Opportunity International’s staff book clubs are diving into Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. A read that Melinda Gates calls “a brutal awakening and an unmistakable call to action”, Half the Sky captures one of our era’s most pervasive human rights violations: the Read more…

Posted in Our Leadership, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Africa, Asia, Children, China, Community, Global Poverty, Half the Sky, Human Rights, Julie Hindmarsh, Melinda Gates, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Subscribe to the Blog

Archives

Categories