Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via EmailMonthly Archives: June 2012
What We’re Reading: Darcy Deane on How Great Women Lead in Teen Vogue and More
Seventeen-year-old Darcy Deane and her mom, Bonnie St. John, wrote the book on inspiring female leaders. In How Great Women Lead: A Mother-Daughter Adventure into the Lives of Women Shaping the World, the co-authors profile some of the world’s most inspiring women–from Hillary Rodham Clinton; to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; to Sharon Allen, the first female Read more…
Tagged Board of Governors, Bonnie St. John, Darcy Deane, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Hillary Clinton, How Great Women Lead, local staff, Microfinance, Nicaragua, Noemi Vivas Ocaña, Opportunity International, Opportunity Nicaragua, Poverty, what we're reading, Women, Women Leaders
Success Story: Banking on Africa Campaign
In 2008, embarked on its most ambitious effort to date, a $123.6 million Banking on Africa campaign to expand financial services for impoverished families throughout sub-Saharan Africa. With the partnership of our committed supporters, we’re celebrating the successful completion of this campaign and we’re confident we’ll reach our Banking on Africa goal: to reach five Read more…
Tagged Africa, Bank Building, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Clients, Community, DR Congo, DRC, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Impact, Insight Trip, Kinshasa, Loans, Masina, MFI, Microfinance, Online fundraising, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Poverty, strategic partners, sub-Saharan Africa, Trust Group
What We’re Reading: Rio +20 and the Role of Women in Economic Development
Last week, June 20-22, over 45,000 people–including world leaders, NGOs, and other policymakers–came together in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as “Rio +20.” (So named because it has been 20 years since the seminal 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), known as “The Earth Read more…
Tagged brazil, Children, Conference, Economic development, Education, Ending Poverty, environmental sustainability, Global Poverty, Latin America, Mothers, Poverty, Rio de Janeiro, The Nature Conservancy, UN Women, United Nations, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Women, World Bank
Meet Our Staff: 10 Questions with Lauren Hawley, New Board of Governors Manager
Lauren Hawley arrived at three weeks ago, taking the role of the manager of the program. She’ll be working to grow the community and coordinate Governor activities, support Governor events, and strengthen this group of highly committed Opportunity supporters and champions. Get to know our newest team member, Lauren… What did you do before you came here? I Read more…
Opportunity Colombia Receives Operational Banking License, Bringing Microfinance to More Impoverished Colombians
On Friday, June 22, the Superintendency of Finance in Bogotá, Colombia, granted Colombia the final operational banking license it needs to be a deposit-taking and full service bank. Opportunity Colombia‘s CEO Enrique Ordonez and his staff began the process of applying for this license 18 months ago in January 2011, and through perseverance, financial support, and a Read more…
Tagged Bank Building, Banking, Banking license, Bogotá, Clients, Colombia, displaced persons, Enrique Ordonez, Financial Access, Financial services, Global Poverty, Jon Yasuda, Latin America, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, news, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, Poverty, Prayer, Savings, Spanish, Supporters, Training, Trust Groups, violence
Win a Chance to See the World
Stand up to global poverty, expand your community and see the world. We’re launching a contest for members of to travel with us. YAO members who recruit three friends with their member referral link (check your email inboxes!), will be entered in a drawing to win a spot on the February 2013 YAO to India. Read more…
Meet Our Staff: Our New Head of Education Finance, Nathan Byrd
This May, we welcomed Nathan Byrd as our new head of education finance. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, and reporting to Colin McCormack, managing director, Africa, Nathan will provide strategic direction and leadership for our education finance program, developing specialized financial tools for schools and families and forming strategic partnerships in the education sector. Nathan is currently Read more…
Tagged afghanistan, Africa, Banking on Education, Children, Colin McCormack, Education, Education finance, Financial services, Ghana, Global Microfinance Operations, India, Kenya, Loans, Malawi, Meet Our Staff, Microfinance, Nathan Byrd, Opportunity International, Rwanda, School fee loans, school tuition loans, Schools, Students, Uganda
The First Day of Summer & Transforming Communities through Solar Power
Today is the first day of summer, the summer solstice, here in the U.S. and our longest day of the year. Hopefully, you’re celebrating tonight with a picnic dinner, a barbeque, maybe an evening run or a walk to take full advantage of the extra minutes of daylight. But today also reminds us of the Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Community, Economic development, Ending Poverty, Financial services, first day of summer, Global Poverty, Iganga, Lady Agnes School, Loans, local economy, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Schools, solar energy, solar panels, solar power, Students, summer, Summer Solstice, Technology, Uganda
A Drumbeat and a Trust Group: My Trip to Tanzania
The following post is by actress Malin Akerman, who recently joined , from her March with her husband Roberto to see Opportunity’s work in Tanzania. In my last post I told you about how and why Roberto and I decided to take a trip with to Tanzania. Here’s a really brief recap of our trip, with highlights, Read more…
Tagged Africa, Arusha, Children, Clients, Faraja Centre, Financial services, Himo, Insight Trip, Loans, Malin Akerman, MFI, Microfinance, Mwanga, Ngorongoro Crater National Park, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Poverty, Tanzania, Trust Groups, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
What Makes a Good Father? Opportunity Colombia’s Chief Transformation Officer on Fatherhood and the Male Trust Group Project
Happy Father’s Day! As we celebrate with the fathers in our lives today, we’re examining what qualities make a good dad. For a group of our clients in a pilot project in Colombia, they’re examining that question in depth, and developing their leadership skills as men and fathers. In the post below, Jim Frantz, Opportunity Read more…
Tagged Children, Clients, Colombia, Community, Faith in Action, Family, Father's Day, Fathers, God, Jim Frantz, Latin America, local staff, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, Proverbs, spouses, Training, Trust Group, wife
