Monthly Archives: October 2010

CGAP Report: Mobile Phone Banking Effectively Reaches the Unbanked

By Opportunity International on October 29, 2010

CGAP Technology Blog posted a report yesterday on the effectiveness of “branchless banking” (mobile phone banking) in seven countries, with eight high profile m-banking providers, including M-PESA in Kenya and Tanzania. Among the highlights: 37% of active clients now in the formal financial system through mobile phone banking were previously unbanked… Mobile phone banking is scaling faster than Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Our Work, Technology, What We're Reading
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, CGAP, cgap technology blog, Credit Suisse, Daryl Skoog, Electronic wallet strategy, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Kenya, Loans, M-banking, M-PESA, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity International, Tanzania, Technology

Our Insight Trip to Meet the Microfinance Clients of Colombia

By Guest Post on October 29, 2010

This guest post was written by Insight Trip traveler and Opportunity supporter Westina Matthews Shatteen, Ph.D., a fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. She traveled Oct. 5-7 to see the impact of Opportunity’s work in Cartagena, Colombia: Our travelers gathered with Trust Group loan officers in their office to begin the day with Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, Insight Trips, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Motivation, Our Work, Trust Groups, Where We Work
Tagged Cartagena, Client Stories, Clients, Colombia, Community, displaced persons, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Harvard University, Insight Trip, Loan Officer, Loan Officers, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, Poverty, Prayer, Savings, Schools, Students, Trust Groups

Ohio State Students Break Bread to Fight Poverty

By Megan Colgan on October 28, 2010

The following is a guest blog post by Megan Colgan, a senior undergraduate student at Ohio State University and a former Opportunity intern: Appetizers galore, tasty homemade meatloaf, a giant platter filled with an assortment of vibrantly colored roasted vegetables, scrumptious cookies and brownies, and more… Mouth watering yet? Mine sure was. I proudly looked at Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Motivation, Our Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Tagged Breaking Bread, breaking bread for microfinance, Campus, campus coordinators, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, MFI, Microfinance, Ohio State University, Opportunity International, Poverty, Poverty Eradication Day, Schools, Social business, Social Entrepreneurship, Students, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity

Chicago Event: Granting Opportunities for Women Worldwide

By Guest Post on October 26, 2010

The following guest post about this Chicago Council on Global Affairs event was written by Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) co-chair Betsy Perdue: “Studies show that women, when provided with a decent wage, invest 90% of their earnings in their families while men invest around 30-40%… Please join Jacqueline Novogratz and Kavita Ramdas for a discussion Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Acumen Fund, Betsy Perdue, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Fund for Women, Half the Sky, Human Rights, India, Jacqueline Novogratz, Kavita Ramdas, Microfinance, Opportunity International, The Blue Sweater, The Case for Support: Bringing Opportunity to Women, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Program Update: Opportunity Launching Microfinance Bank to Reach More Families in Colombia

By Opportunity International on October 22, 2010

In Colombia, Opportunity is creating a finance company that will offer loans, savings, insurance and training to entrepreneurs living in poverty. Opportunity’s three Colombian-based microfinance institutions are being consolidated to form Opportunity Colombia. Opportunity is preparing to submit a banking license application to Colombia’s Financial Superintendency. The consolidation will give nearly 20,000 families access to Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Insight Trips, Loans, Microinsurance, Our Work, Savings, Training, Where We Work
Tagged Bank Building, Client Stories, Clients, Colombia, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Insight Trip, Latin America, Loans, Markets, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, University, Women

A Trust Group in India: The Most Marginalized Women Can Be Reached

By Lydia Baldridge Meier on October 21, 2010

It is refreshing to me that there has been a lot of discussion recently about economic and social empowerment of people living in poverty. Between the report on the Millennium Development Goals progress and the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City in September, it seems the world’s most engaged global leaders are taking notice of Read more…

Posted in Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, Trust Groups, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Chennai, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, gypsies, India, Loan Officer, Loan Officers, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity India, Opportunity International, Poverty, Training, Trust Group, Trust Groups, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

What We’re Reading: The Poor Will Be Glad

By Opportunity International on October 20, 2010

Every Wednesday, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We feature works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the work we do at Opportunity. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece we’ve highlighted. The following Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, What We're Reading
Tagged christian, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, the poor will be glad

Why Women? Investing in Women Invests in Communities

By Opportunity International on October 19, 2010

Throughout the world, women represent an estimated 70% of those living on less than $2 a day. They suffer most from the chronic effects of poor nutrition, insufficient access to healthcare and limited educational opportunities. And they comprise the majority of victims of forced labor, gender violence, and legal and cultural inequities. Yet, when women Read more…

Posted in Resources, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Africa, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Half the Sky, MFI, Microfinance, Mothers, Opportunity International, Poverty, resources, Schools, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

In the News: Mobile Phone Banking and Opportunity Malawi

By Opportunity International on October 18, 2010

“For a farmer, the mobile phone has opened up a world of opportunity.” –Prof. Jenny Aker, assistant professor of economics at the Fletcher School of Tufts University The Financial Times has just published a story online and in print in their World Food supplement about the effects of mobile phone technology on smallholder farmers in Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Aleksandr Kalanda, Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, Clients, Ending Poverty, Farmers, Financial services, Financial Times, Kenya, Loan Officer, Loans, Malawi, Markets, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, OIBM, Opportunity Bank in Malawi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Smallholder farmer, Technology

Today is World Food Day–Saturday, Oct. 16

By Opportunity International on October 16, 2010

Saturday, Oct. 16th is World Food Day, a day designated by the U.N.’s World Food Programme to raise awareness and support in the fight against global hunger. From wfp.org: “World Food Day on October 16 reminds the world that around 1 in 7 people alive today are going hungry[...] [Though,] this year, the number of Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Microfinance Conference, Microinsurance, Our Work, What We're Reading
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Changing the Face of Hunger, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Conference, Ending Hunger, Ending Poverty, Ethiopia, fall microfinance conference, Hunger, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Roger Thurow, Tony Hall, United Nations, World Food Day, World Food Programme

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