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Subscribe via EmailMonthly Archives: May 2011
This Memorial Day, We Remember Those Fighting to Work Their Way Out of Poverty
The following post was written by Olivia Schultz, a spring intern in Opportunity International‘s marketing department. As we reflect on Memorial Day, a day to remember those who have fought and died for our country, we honor all the men and women who have courageously fought on our behalf so that we can live in Read more…
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, American Security Project, Board of Advisors, claudia kennedy, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Global Poverty, global security, Insurance, lieutenant general claudia kennedy, Loans, Memorial Day, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, peace, Poverty, Savings, Training
We Have a Winner in the Tanzania Correspondent Contest
The results are in! All the votes have been counted and we now have a first, second, and third place winner in our Tanzania Correspondent Contest. First prize First prize winner Kelly Flanagan from Tempe, Ariz. has won a spot on the Opportunity International Insight Trip to Tanzania this summer to be our multimedia reporter on Read more…
What We’re Reading: Roger Thurow on Bill Gates at the Symposium on Global Agriculture & Food Security
The following post, “Expert Commentary–The Importance of Innovation” by Roger Thurow, was published today on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs‘ Global Food for Thought blog about the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security that took place today in Washington, D.C.. Bill Gates came to the Chicago Council’s Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Ending Hunger, Ending Poverty, Events, Feed the Future Guide, Food security, Global Agriculture and Food Policy, Global Food for Thought blog, Innovation, market linkages, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Roger Thurow, sub-Saharan Africa, Technology, Twitter, Washington D.C., what we're reading
“Why Farming?” Today’s Symposium on Global Agriculture & Food Security in Washington, D.C.
Today in Washington, D.C., the Chicago Council on Global Affairs‘ “The Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security: Progress to Date and Strategies for Success” with noted experts in agricultural policy, global development, philanthropy and more. Keynote Speakers: Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Rajiv Shah, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Agriculture Microfinance, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Food security, Gates Foundation, Global Agricultural Development Initiative, Global Food for Thought blog, Global Poverty, Loans, MasterCard Foundation, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Rajiv Shah, Roger Thurow, Rural Outreach, Smallholder farmer, The MasterCard Foundation, Tom Vilsack, USAID, USDA, Washington D.C.
What We’re Watching: Today’s Grand Opening of Opportunity DR Congo in Kinshasa
Opportunity International staff around the world have been eagerly watching our Facebook and the Opportunity Blog all day, keeping up with news and updates from today’s grand opening ceremony at Opportunity Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa. Presenters at the celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony included Opportunity DRC CEO Gilbert Lagaillarde; Opportunity International US Read more…
Tagged Africa, Board of Directors, Clients, Congo, Congolese, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, DRC Grand Opening, Ending Poverty, Events, Facebook, Financial services, Gilbert Lagaillarde, Global Poverty, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Kinshasa, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Poverty, videos
Grand Opening Today of Opportunity DR Congo: Expanding Microfinance to One of World’s Most Impoverished Countries
Today at 10:00 a.m. local time, Opportunity International celebrated the grand opening of Opportunity Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the capital city of Kinshasa, expanding our network of microfinance institutions to the Congo. The grand opening ceremony was attended by local government officials and dignitaries, Opportunity representatives from the DRC and the United States, as Read more…
Tagged Africa, Bank Building, Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, Congo, Congolese, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dikembe Mutombo, dikembe mutombo foundation, DR Congo, DRC, DRC Grand Opening, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Francis Pelekamoyo, Gilbert Lagaillarde, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Kinshasa, NBA, Opportunity Congo, Opportunity DRC, UNDP
What We’re Reading: Opportunity Rwanda’s Daniel Ryumugabe & Chicago Supporters Gather to Discuss Left to Tell
On Monday, I joined 15 women for a meeting of the Chicago Women’s Book Discussion Group in the home of Kim Stephens, a member of Opportunity International‘s Board of Governors. The group, led by my Opportunity colleague, regional director Linda Vander Weele, has been meeting regularly for the past two years to discuss books that touch upon Read more…
Tagged Africa, Board of Governors, Book discussion, Chicago, Community, Economic development, Education, Ending Poverty, Events, Genocide, God, Governors, International Visitor, Kigali, Left to Tell, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Paul Kagame, Poverty, Ruth-Anne Renaud, Rwanda, Transformation, Transformational Training, UOB, Urwego Opportunity Bank, Urwego Opportunity Bank of Rwanda, violence, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Opportunity International Joins Other Thought Leaders in Global Development to Discuss the Future of Philanthropy
The following guest post was written by Emily Yahr, a media consultant for Opportunity International and attendee at Thursday’s Hudson Institute panel discussion. “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” -Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky On Thursday, May 12, representatives from research institutions, think tanks, universities, NGOs, and Read more…
Tagged Board of Governors, Carrie Slease, Conference, David Simms, Events, Global Philanthropy, GlobalGiving, Hudson Institute, MFI, Microfinance, Network Services Organization, Opportunity International, Philanthropy, Savings, Washington D.C., YAO, yao-DC, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
YAO Member on Chicago Microfinance Conference & How Innovations Expand the Reach of Savings
The following guest post was written by Lauren Dillon, a co-chair of the Chicago chapter of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) who works at Illinois-based nonprofit Oasis International. Innovation is at the heart of microfinance. It’s also the engine that propels it. Innovation is packed with chance, risk, fun, adventure! And, when coupled with microfinance, Read more…
Tagged 2011 Chicago Microfinance Conference, Africa, biometric technology, biometrics, CARE, Cell phone banking, Chicago, Chicago Microfinance Conference, DePaul University, Education, Ending Poverty, Entrepreneurs, Financial services, Innovation, Malawi, MFI, MicroDreams, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile phone banking, Oasis International, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Bank of Malawi, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Savings, Simona Haiduc, Technology, Tuition savings accounts, YAO, YAO-Chicago, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, young entrepreneurs, Young Professionals
