Monthly Archives: August 2010

Learnings for YAO from the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit

Being an effective leader can be a challenge. So as the manager of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO), I’m always eager to learn from effective, experienced leaders from a variety of fields. That’s why I was so pleased when, last Friday, I got the chance to join thousands of people around the world who were listening in and Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Faith in Action, Our Leadership, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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Faith, Hope and Love on our Journey to Kenya

 Opportunity’s John Kamperschroer, VP of Resource Development, recently returned from an Opportunity Family Week Trip to Kenya. He shares reflections from his travels.  As we traveled along the bumpy roads of Kenya, dust and exhaust coated our lungs while receiving–as one driver put it–an “African massage.” We were on our way to visit three Kenyan schools: Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, Insight Trips, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Where We Work
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Top 10 Blog Posts on Education

It’s that time of year again… it’s almost time to go back to school! And for people living in poverty, having access to education is a crucial factor that can help them improve the futures of their children, their communities and themselves. That’s why Opportunity[/intlink] offers school fee loans, as well as education for the establishment of local schools Read more…

Posted in Events, Local Staffing, One Hen Children’s Book, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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Spotlight on the Annual Report: Microfinance Helps Communities Thrive

The Opportunity Progressive Trust Group in Kampala, Uganda provides the perfect example for how Trust Groups[/intlink] can strengthen a community, helping families provide for themselves, send their children to school and build for their futures. Charity Namutebi[/intlink] is an Opportunity Uganda[/intlink] loan officer for the Progressive Trust Group[/intlink]. She says that helping others thrive is her way of serving Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, Local Staffing, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Trust Groups, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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Melinda French Gates on the Impact of Agricultural Finance

 Want to do more to impact global poverty? In an interview in the August issue of Smithsonian magazine, Melinda Gates outlines the techniques the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is using to fight global poverty in the 21st century. (“Melinda French Gates on Saving Lives,” by Terence Monmaney) It’s part of the magazine’s 40th-anniversary issue, featuring ”40 Things You Read more…

Posted in Loans, Microinsurance, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Strategic Partners, Technology, Training, What We're Reading, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
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Spotlight on the Annual Report: Empowering Emerging Women Leaders in Microfinance

Meet Beatrice William. Beatrice is undergoing training through Opportunity International’s Emerging Leaders Program – part of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women Initiative–which trains talented women in banking and finance to help them establish or advance careers in microfinance as loan officers and bank managers. “When I heard that I had been chosen to come to Nairobi for the Emerging Leaders Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Training, What We're Reading, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
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What We’re Reading: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

 Looking for a summer read? At , we’re reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. It’s the story of a young boy with an entrepreneurial spirit who was able to transform the lives of the people in his community. Young William Kamkwamba and his family grew up in surrounded by Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
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Notice anything different?

Regular visitors to the Opportunity blog will notice it has a different look and format than before. Go further. Opportunity.org[/intlink] has been completely refreshed and upgraded. Here are a few of our favorite features on the new site: 1. Photos at Your Fingertips On every page, including the homepage[/intlink], there is a slideshow of thumbnail pictures of Read more…

Posted in Our Work, Technology, What We're Reading
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