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My Inspirational Meeting in Malawi with Microfinance Client Mary Jackson

By Cynthia Greenwood on August 2, 2011

Recently, Opportunity International staff members traveled to Malawi, seeing firsthand how technology enables us to deliver microfinance services to rural people living in extreme poverty. They met with Opportunity Malawi clients and local staff to capture the stories of entrepreneurs who are working hard to break the cycle of poverty. Below, read staff member Cynthia’s account of her meeting with Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Strategic Partners, Training, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Blantyre, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Community development, Credit Suisse, Education, Electronic wallet strategy, Ending Poverty, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Female entrepreneurs, Financial services, Global Poverty, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile branches, Mozambique, Mulanje, OIBM, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Bank of Malawi, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, staff, success story, Technology, Training, videos, Women

Chicago Microfinance Conference: Technology Innovations and the Future of Microfinance

By Cynthia Greenwood on May 10, 2011

At Friday’s Chicago Microfinance Conference at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, I had the opportunity to attend the morning breakout session, “Innovations in Microfinance.” In the past 40 years, the microfinance industry has grown to its current level whereby MFIs are operating in virtually every country. In this dynamic and rapidly growing Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Work, Technology
Tagged 2011 Chicago Microfinance Conference, ATMs, biometric technology, Booth School of Business, CARE, Cell phone banking, Chicago Microfinance Conference, Clients, hub-and-spoke model, Kenya, Malawi, MicroDreams, Microfinance, mobile banking vehicle, mobile phone banking, OIBM, Opportunity International Bank of Malawi, Opportunity Malawi, point-of-sale devices, POS devices, Poverty, Rural banking, Rural Outreach, Rwanda, Satellite bank branch, Savings account, Technology, University of Chicago, Women

Five Reasons to Honor Moms Everywhere This Mother’s Day

By Cynthia Greenwood on May 5, 2010

This Mother’s Day, Opportunity International celebrates moms around the world, especially our clients who work hard, most under challenging circumstances, to provide for their families. In this blog, we consider just a few of the reasons why moms are so special, as illustrated in the stories that follow. Feel free to add your own stories Read more…

Posted in OptINnow, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Children, Client Stories, Colombia, Global Opportunity Quilt, Holiday, Honduras, Malawi, Mexico, Microfinance, Mother's Day, Mothers, Opportunity International, OptINnow, Rwanda, Trust Groups, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Let’s Celebrate Moms Everywhere

By Cynthia Greenwood on April 30, 2010

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the special women in our lives who made sacrifices for us and taught us how to be “good” people. For me, this was my mom, Kathleen Nightingale. I grew up with five brothers and sisters outside of Valparaiso, Ind. My father worked long hours as a tool Read more…

Posted in OptINnow, Our Mission and Vision, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Children, Client Stories, Gift Idea, Global Opportunity Quilt, Holiday, Insight Trip, Microfinance, Mother's Day, Mothers, Opportunity International, OptINnow, Poverty, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Emerging Market Risks and Rewards

By Cynthia Greenwood on April 9, 2010

Last night, Opportunity International Board Member Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka spoke to a distinguished audience of almost 100 business leaders and students at an event hosted by the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management (watch the video here). Kadita offered up a few things he had learned during his life growing up in the Congo, Read more…

Posted in Our Leadership, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work
Tagged Agriculture, Banking, Banks, Bottom-up approach, Business, Citibank, Community, Congo, Developing World, Emerging Markets, Farmers, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Leaders, Microfinance, Rotman School of Management, social action, social advocacy, Students, Sustainability, Technology, Top-down approach

Here’s a Meaningful Easter Gift Idea

By Cynthia Greenwood on March 31, 2010

Are you looking for a special gift to put in your child’s or grandchild’s Easter basket amidst the brightly colored eggs and chocolates? Consider an OptINnow gift card (starting at just $25) to help teach youngsters about the importance of giving back out of the many blessings your family has received. Later that day, spend a Read more…

Posted in OptINnow
Tagged Business Loan, Children, Colombia, Easter, Entrepreneurs, Ghana, Gift Cards, Gift Idea, Holiday, Kenya, Mexico, OptINnow, Philippines

Providing Financial Services to Women Creates a Better World

By Cynthia Greenwood on March 29, 2010

Opportunity has long known what U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated in a video message to the “Women for a Better World” conference in Spain on Saturday—that empowering women is the key to global progress and prosperity. While Opportunity serves all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender, we place a special emphasis Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Empowerment, Financial services, Gender, Hillary Clinton, India, Melanne Verveer, Melinda Gates, Mothers, ONE, Secretary of State, Women, Women for a Better World, Women Leaders, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Strong Women: The Heart of Community in Kampala, Uganda

By Cynthia Greenwood on March 7, 2010

I woke up today, on the eve of International Women’s Day, thinking about the remarkable women clients I met on a recent trip to Kampala to visit Opportunity Uganda’s operations. For me, these women give new meaning to the words “hardworking,” “committed,” “brave,” and “strong.” Opportunity Loan Officer Charity Namutebi works out of the Read more…

Posted in Loans, Local Staffing, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Savings, Training, Trust Groups, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged $2 a day, AIDS, Build businesses, Charity Namutebi, Client Stories, Community, International Women's Day, Loan Officer, Loans, Mariam Noah, Nuulu Nankya, Opportunity Uganda, Orphans, Ruth Nassimbwa, Savings, Schools, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Opportunity International Provides Crucial Support to Microfinance Bank in Haiti

By Cynthia Greenwood on February 12, 2010

Fonkoze, the largest microfinance organization in Haiti, is being hailed for its distribution of cash more quickly than traditional banks after the earthquake destroyed the country’s banking infrastructure. Opportunity International has been playing a crucial supporting role to Fonkoze in getting the bank up and running after the disaster. After years of struggling to adapt Read more…

Posted in Our Work, Technology, Where We Work
Tagged Banking, Earthquake, Fonkoze, Haiti, Innovation, Mobile Banking, Newsweek, Red Cross, Technology

Yes, We Care, Kenya

By Cynthia Greenwood on February 12, 2010

Capturing the stories of our field staff and clients during our time in Uganda and Kenya inspired us, and we hope it inspires you. While we were having dinner on our final night in Kenya, Ruth-Anne Renaud gave me the idea of starting up a fundraising group at OptINnow.org. It was easy to do, and Read more…

Posted in Loans, OptINnow, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Build businesses, Children, Education, Ending Poverty, Families, Fundraising, Kenya, Loans, Nutrition, OptINnow, Ruth-Anne, Uganda, We Care Kenya, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

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