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Subscribe via EmailMonthly Archives: April 2012
Opportunity Mozambique is “Empowering Girls, Building the Future”
I just received this story from Mozambique that I wanted to share with you. The lovely staff of Opportunity Mozambique once again demonstrated their commitment to empowering and celebrating women by taking part in International Women’s Day 2012 in early April. Based on this year’s theme “Empowering Girls, Building the Future,” masses of women joined together Read more…
What Does it Take to Ensure Maternal Health Around the World?
If you were an expectant mother, how would you stay strong in the face of a lack of resources and access to proper care? That was the questions on my mind last Monday, April 16, when I attended a screening of Christy Turlington Burns’s documentary “No Woman, No Cry,” along with Opportunity International supporters and Read more…
For Mothers Like Adwoa, Opportunity Changes Everything
“These loans have transformed my life and that of my family. I no longer have to beg people for food, and I can provide for my family. The community has come to respect me as a hardworking woman.”Throughout the world, all mothers want to give their children everything, and they sacrifice in countless unseen ways Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Ghana, Global Opportunity Quilt, God, gratitude, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mother's Day, Mothers, Opportunity International, Poverty, small business loans, Trust Groups
Opportunity Staff Updates on Sustainable Energy Initiatives Around the World
Deborah Foy, Opportunity-UK’s International Programmes Director told me that 2012 is the United Nations’s “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.” In the UN’s own words, “Energy is opportunity. It transforms lives. Economies. The planet.” Opportunity’s clients enjoy some of the world’s sunniest days–but they also experience the darkest nights. Lacking electricity, over a billion Read more…
Tagged Africa, alternative energy, Asia, Clean energy, Clients, Deborah Foy, Earth Day, electricity, Ending Poverty, environmental sustainability, Harry Turner, Jeffrey Lee, Leah Aguirre, Lydia Njoroge, Manfred Kuhn, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Philippines, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity South Africa, Opportunity Uganda, Opportunity UK, Opportunity-US, Rolando Victoria, Technology
Images of Microfinance… in San Diego?!?
When you think about microfinance clients, what comes to mind? For most of us, we think of international microfinance, but some paradigms shifted several weeks ago as attendees of the San Diego Microfinance Summit spent their lunch hours shopping at 45 booths from local San Diego vendors and restaurants, all of which were funded by microfinance loans. Read more…
Tagged Accion, Clients, Community, Conference, Domestic microfinance, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Grameen, Kiva, Loans, Microfinance, San Diego, Technology
Chicago Premiere of No Woman, No Cry, Directorial Debut of Christy Turlington Burns
Yesterday afternoon, YAO members, members of the Board of Governors, several of my colleagues and I went to the Chicago premiere of Christy Turlington Burns‘s directorial debut, the powerful documentary “No Woman, No Cry.” It’s part of the Every Mother Counts campaign, which raises awareness and support for maternal health issues worldwide. In her film, Burns shares Read more…
Tagged Africa, Asia, Bangladesh, CARE, childbirth, Christy Turlington Burns, Community, Education, Every Mother Counts, Global Poverty, Guatemala, Health insurance, Healthcare, Latin America, Maternal Health, maternal mortality rates, Mothers, No Woman No Cry, Poverty, Tanzania, U.S., Women, women's health, Women's Philanthropy
Opportunity Malawi Sends Two Clients to Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI) Summit in the Netherlands
Last week, April 3-4, was the first Child and Youth Finance International (CYFI) summit in Amsterdam, entitled “Reshaping the Future of Finance.” Two young Opportunity Malawi clients were sent to the summit to represent Malawi as special guests, participating in youth panel discussions. One is Grey Katsilizeni, 23, from the rural Lilongwe area of Nambuma. He’s involved in Read more…
Tagged Africa, Ban Ki-moon, Child & Youth Finance International, Children, Colombia, CYFI, Entrepreneurs, Events, G20 Summit, Ghana, international business development, Kevin Smith, lilongwe, Loans, Makonen Getu, Malawi, MFI, Mulanje, Nicaragua, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, Savings, Uganda, UNCDF, United Nations, what we're reading, Youth, YouthStart
April is the Month of Microfinance
April showers bring more than May flowers in the world of microfinance. Shawn Humphrey, an Economics professor from the University of Mary Washington, has started the Student Microfinance Movement, designating April as the Month of Microfinance, and with it comes a showering of educational events and fundraisers. The Month of Mifi raises awareness and support Read more…
Tagged Blogs, Events, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Month of Microfinance, Muhammad Yunus, Opportunity International, Shawn Humphrey, student microfinance movement, Students, To Catch a Dollar, Two Dollar a Day Challenge, Two Dollar Challenge, videos, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Death of Malawi’s President and Swearing in of Former VP Joyce Banda, Malawi’s First Female President
Last week, on Thursday, April 5, Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika died of cardiac arrest, and his vice president, Joyce Banda, was sworn in on Saturday as the new president of Malawi. President Mutharika’s funeral will take place on April 23, and the country is observing a 10-day period of mourning for the departed leader. Upon her Read more…
My Lunch with Ghanaian Staff Member Vida
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Vida Marfo of Opportunity International. She is the Regional Head of Small/Medium Enterprise (SME) and a Manager for Property Folios at Opportunity Ghana. Vida was kind enough to do an interview with me so I could share what I learned from her with all Read more…
Tagged Africa, blogger, Board of Governors, Financial services, Habitat for Humanity, International Visitor, Loans, local staff, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Poverty, Training
