Monthly Archives: August 2012

What We’re Pinning: Entrepreneurs & Labor Day

Opportunity wouldn’t exist without the hard work of the millions of entrepreneurs around the world that we are blessed to have as clients. In honor of Labor Day and our clients’ tireless efforts, here are some of our favorite entrepreneurial pins of the week!

Posted in Client Stories, Loans, Our Work, What We're Pinning, Where We Work
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An Education and a Brighter Future for Nicaraguan Girls

The following post was written by actress and Young Ambassador Malin Akerman about her July visit to Opportunity’s Emprendedora School in Granada, Nicaragua. It was first published on the Half the Sky movement‘s blog. For more blog posts by Malin, click here. For information on Opportunity’s partnership with Half the Sky, visit opportunity.org/halfthesky. In late Read more…

Posted in Agricultural Finance, Education, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Training, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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Paying it Forward

“I’m at a point in my life where I want to give back,” was his response. “You know, kind of pay it forward.” At the end of the training session for my alma mater’s mentoring program (I volunteer to help college students with their professional development) I had asked my fellow volunteer why he chose Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Meet Our Staff, Videos, Where We Work
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Starting a New Branch in Kyenjojo, Uganda: Building Community Relationships

 is more than just  and  and business—it’s a way forward for many families with few resources and little hope. Wherever we work, we strive to understand the local communities and to get to know the families who use our resources. This is my fourth in a six-part blog series that explores how we serve the Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, Savings, Where We Work
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What We’re Watching: Banking on Education in Ghana

Forty-six million African children have never set foot in a classroom. That’s why we offer education finance initiatives in Malawi, Uganda and in Ghana, where access to school fee loans and school proprietor loans help to create a better future for children and educators at local neighborhood schools. Get to know why we work in Read more…

Posted in Education, Loans, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Strategic Partners, Uncategorized, What We're Watching
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Empowering Women & Girls with Half the Sky

Though microfinance is available to both men and women entrepreneurs, the gains that women achieve are almost three times more likely to be reinvested in their children—providing a powerful generational multiplier that accelerates economic growth. A woman will spend 90% of her income on her family, while men typically spend only 35%. That’s why if Read more…

Posted in Education, Events, Loans, Local Staffing, Online Giving, Our Method, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Women's Opportunity Network
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What We’re Pinning: Women’s Empowerment

We believe that one of the keys to poverty eradication is the empowerment of women. Women represent 70% of those living on less than $2 a day, but typically spend 90% of their income on their families. So in honor of all the hardworking and courageous women around the world, here are some of our Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Strategic Partners, What We're Pinning, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
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Meeting Each of Us Where We Are

The following post was written by Rich McClure, a member of Opportunity’s Board of Governors, about his Insight Trip last week to India. As I finished an impactful Insight Trip to see Opportunity’s operations in Chennai, India, I was convicted again by Jesus’s example of meeting people where they are. No matter how a person Read more…

Posted in Board of Governors, Faith in Action, Insight Trips, Where We Work
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Ranked One of Philanthropedia’s Top Microfinance Organizations for 2012

This week, we were honored to learn that a group of 72 experts identified Opportunity International as one of 11 high-impact nonprofits working in the field of international microfinance. As a result, Philanthropedia has chosen to highlight us as one of their ranked microfinance organizations on their website and on GuideStar’s Take Action site. There, Read more…

Posted in Our Leadership, Our Method, Our Work
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Meet Our Staff: Starting a New Chapter with the Governors

In October 2011, I took a leap of faith leaving some amazing friends and the fast pace of New York City to come back to my sweet hometown of Chicago. I achieved wonderful things in my career, coordinating conferences for 150-2,500 people, special events, outings, and managing a state of the art conference center for Read more…

Posted in Board of Governors, Events, Meet Our Staff, Microfinance Conference, Strategic Partners, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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