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Subscribe via EmailMonthly Archives: June 2010
Saying Good-Bye to the People of Uganda
by Alexandra Arch, Writer and Uganda Insight Trip Participant Today we have entered the town of Jinja. After heavy overnight rains, the central market offers us a muddy, puddle-jumping adventure. Stalls overflowing with fruits, vegetables, clothing, music and more are stacked one on top of another in an attempt to avoid the mud. The colors of the Read more…
Opportunity International’s MicroEnsure Named Runner-up
Congratulations to Opportunity International’s subsidiary MicroEnsure, which has been named runner-up for the 2010 Financial Times Sustainable Banking Award for Banking at the Base of the Pyramid. MicroEnsure was recognized for its successful health insurance product serving the low-income market in India. This was the first product in India to provide coverage for maternity and pre-existing Read more…
Don’t Miss the Chance to See Microfinance Work Firsthand in Tanzania
“It was exciting to see how quickly Opportunity is growing in Tanzania. We met so many of its inspiring clients when we visited — real people working hard to improve their lives.” -YAO member and 2009 Insight Trip participant Anne Edwardson On September 4-11, 2010, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) will offer a unique opportunity to Read more…
Tagged Africa, Arusha, Clients, Financial Access, Insight Trip, Kilimanjaro, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rwanda, Students, Tanzania, Tarangire National Park, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, Young Professionals
Getting to the Source: Meeting Ugandan Farmers and the Nile River
by Alexandra Arch, Writer and Uganda Insight Trip Participant The events of the day center on getting to the source. Not only did we trace the chain of coffee production back to the very farmer who planted the seed, but we also arrived at the source of the famed Nile River. Moving out of the Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Agrifinance, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, boda boda, Coffee, Education, Farmers, Financial services, Insight Trip, Kalagi, Kampala, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Nile River, Opportunity International, OptINnow, Poverty, Rural lending, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Food & Microfinance: Helping Farmers Reap Rewards
Opportunity International is prominently featured in an article entitled “Food & Microfinance: Helping Farmers Reap Rewards” in today’s Financial Times. The article highlights Opportunity’s leadership in providing both agricultural finance and microinsurance to smallholder farmers to help them increase production, support their families and feed their communities. It also references “Feed the Future,” USAID’s new Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Agrifinance, Climate Change, Education, Farmers, Financial Times, John Magnay, Leaders, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microensure, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Roger Thurow, Savings, USAID, Women
UN Secretary-General Visits Opportunity Malawi Mobile Bank
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Opportunity Malawi’s mobile bank in the UN Millennium Village of Mwandama on Sunday, May 30. “The secretary-general took time to talk with one of our customers who had just made a deposit. She had her smart card [bank card using biometric technology] in her hand and explained how she uses Read more…
Tagged Africa, Ban Ki-moon, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cell Phones, Financial services, Kiosk, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Millennium Village, Mobile Banking, Mwandama, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Smart cards, Technology, Training, United Nations, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
A Closer Look: Opportunity’s Work in Colombia
Opportunity International’s very first loan was made in Colombia in 1975. Since then, Opportunity Colombia has been working to provide stable financial systems to reduce unemployment, social unrest and violence in the country. And it’s working to become a national-scale bank offering loans, savings, insurance and training to Colombians living in poverty. Opportunity Colombia’s current initiatives: • Launching Read more…
Tagged Clients, Colombia, Entreprenuership, Financial Access, Financial services, Insight Trip, Insurance, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, OptINnow, Poverty, Savings, Technology, Training
