Blog Archives

“I Have a Dream” for an End to Poverty: Martin Luther King’s March on Washington

Martin Luther King, Jr. led 250,000 people in the “March on Washington” in August 1963. On the national mall, Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. In it, he called for an end to inequality in American society, peaceful reconciliation among races and ethnic groups, and social and economic justice. King said: […W]e Read more…

Posted in Events, In the News, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Poverty, Transformation
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Microinsurance Expanded through New Strategic Investors

Opportunity International announced today that it had divested its majority stake in microinsurance organization MicroEnsure. This will bring additional capital and relationships in order to scale the successful MicroEnsure microinsurance model to serve even more clients in poverty with crop, health, life and property insurance products. New investors in MicroEnsure include International Finance Corporation (IFC), Read more…

Posted in Microinsurance, Our Leadership, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Uncategorized
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What We’re Reading: Council on Foreign Relations, “Five Development Innovations to Watch in 2013″

MicroEnsure, the microinsurance subsidiary founded by Opportunity International, was recently recognized by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) as a “development innovation to watch in 2013.” In a blog post last month, CFR reported that MicroEnsure has “sign[ed] up a million [life insurance] customers [in Ghana] over 14 months, 85% of them new to insurance” by linking Read more…

Posted in Cell phone banking, Microinsurance, Our Work, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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Six New Year’s Goals for Us All

At Opportunity, we are putting the finishing touches on our personal resolutions and our big organizational goals for 2013. Here are six goals — both small and big — that will inspire us all. Feed more hungry people. Be nice to your mom. Learn a new skill. Educate the next generation. Be a good friend. Read more…

Posted in Agricultural Finance, Client Stories, Education, Events, Hunger, Loans, Our Work, Where We Work, Women
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Cracking the Code on Food Security: YAO Leader Samantha Snabes Uses Technology to End Hunger

“The Opportunity International Conference changed my life,” says Young Ambassador Samantha Snabes. The fall 2011 conference, says the NASA “social entrepreneur in residence,” was the moment when she became inspired to take action to do her part to end global poverty. Shortly thereafter, she became part of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) and is currently working Read more…

Posted in Agricultural Finance, Donors, Events, Hunger, Technology, Where We Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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What We’re Reading: Forbes, “Qualities of Successful Entrepreneurs”

What do Richard Branson and Steve Jobs have in common with Opportunity International’s clients? Turns out, a whole lot. In a recent “Forbes” article by Patrick Hull, successful entrepreneurs are those willing to take risks and push boundaries. The article quotes Harvard Business School professor Howard Stevenson, who says, “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Loans, Microfinance, Our Work, Poverty, What We're Reading
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Holiday Giving Guide: Citi Foundation, One Woman and a Gift Card of Opportunity

This year, Opportunity International has unique and interactive ways to give the gift of opportunity to more than four million clients around the world that will not only do good, but will make you feel great. Here are a few of our favorite ways for you to partner with us this holiday season. Your gift will Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Donors, Fundraisers, Gift Cards, Loans, Microfinance, Online Giving, Our Work, Text to Give, What We're Reading, Women
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What We’re Reading: Malin Akerman’s Commitment to Opportunity featured in Us Weekly

Malin Akerman — actress and Opportunity International supporter — was featured this week in the Dec. 3 print edition of “Us Weekly.” In it, Malin talks about her trip to Tanzania in March and her visit to see our entrepreneurial high school at Nicaragua in July. We’re thrilled to see Malin’s passion for our work Read more…

Posted in Donors, What We're Reading, Where We Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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Opportunity Teams Battle Hurricane Sandy & Cyclone Neelam at Home and Abroad

As many of our own Opportunity team members along the East Coast of the U.S. await power and water services following Hurricane Sandy, we join the rest of America in mourning the loss of life and the destruction of property. We applaud our first responders and the many public officials guiding us through these trying Read more…

Posted in Events, In the News, Loans, Microinsurance, Our Leadership, Our Work, Where We Work
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Poverty Eradication Day: Education for a Better Future

Though few need a day to remind them that people around the world live in extreme poverty–in fact, more than half the world lives on less than $2 a day–today is the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, to raise awareness of and support for the issues that cause and result from chronic Read more…

Posted in Education, Events, Loan officer, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, Training, Videos, Where We Work
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