I was raised with a sense of responsibly for my community; I learned that if I don’t do something to help to change my immediate community and world, no one will. I volunteer at soup kitchens, donate clothes and household items to those less fortunate, advocate for small, local non-profits I believe in and I invite others along for the ride.

However, I’ve actually never walked in the shoes of someone who’s been less fortunate than I have. When my best friend participated in the Live Below the Line challenge last year, I began to think about it in great detail. How much did it cost to drive a mile to work? How much did that plastic grocery bag cost to make? How much did the company spend every day on those single-serve coffee machines? How much food did I waste weekly? How much money did I waste daily on completely useless, obscene purchases? While I know we can’t live on $1.50 day with car expenses, cell phones, internet, electricity, toll roads – even the amount of water we use daily – I felt that I needed to try something. Could I, for five days, eat for $1.50/day? Could I only spend $7.50 at the grocery store for five days of food?

As I type this on my laptop connected to high-speed internet, check twitter on my mobile phone, have fresh produce from local farms delivered to my doorstep, enjoy filters attached to my faucet to triple-filter (already drinkable) water or drive my dogs to daycare, I know that I will struggle to Live Below the Line. How much can $1.50 buy? One soda from a vending machine? Clearly I couldn’t have happy hours with girlfriends or a pint of strawberries from the farmer’s market.

However, instead of thinking about it from my perspective, I decided to actually step into someone else’s shoes. It was then that I realized something really, really important: to some women and mothers in developing countries, that $1.50 could be the chance to change their world for them and their children; the chance at opportunity.

Unofficially, it is the first day that I am attempting to “Live below the Line,” or survive on less than $1.50 of sustenance a day. (I made an attempt earlier this week, but failed since I had to attend a business lunch, which was obviously above $1.50.) I have already begun to realize how difficult it is to live in a way so many people in the developing world are forced to live.

8:30am:

Starving. What to have for breakfast? I was really craving a bowl of flax granola but unfortunately a bowl (without milk) is $.67 which puts me over my $.50 ration for breakfast. Attempt 2: how about eggs? Well it is doable, but all I can have is 1 egg and half a piece of toast (1 egg is $.25 and ½ slice of Beckman’s Sourdough bread is $.14, so my total is $.39). Can I afford some coffee? Obviously not my usual Americano at Starbucks, but if I take some of the roast I have at home, one serving comes out to $.40…still a little too rich for my blood. I guess it is just water with breakfast. On Track!<

10:30am:

Starving again but can’t think of anything that is inexpensive enough to stay on budget. Count down to lunch begins. On Track!

12:30pm:

Ramen is an easy and inexpensive meal so I go there; at least I will get my full serving worth of sodium. Total is $.33, so not only on track but under budget!

3:00pm:

Typically I would have a mid-afternoon snack but I want to save my remaining $.78 for the day and hold out for dinner. On Track!

6:30pm:

As I brainstorm dinner, I go back to eggs so that I can get some protein. Since rice is also inexpensive I decide to go for some fried rice. One egg + some jasmine rice + some sautéed onion & broccoli and I should still be under budget at $.63, which would give me a remaining $.15 for a few chocolate chips for dessert. As I start to fill this out though, I realize I forgot to calculate the condiments; specifically $.21 in olive oil (expensive), $.12 in soy sauce, and $.04 in Sriracha Hot Sauce. My success has turned to failure as I realized that all together I spent $1.78; $.28 over budget…not to mention that dessert is now out of the picture. Failure!

Attempting to live on $1.50 was a shocking experience. While I failed, I was still amazed I was able to stay even close to the target. I was even more saddened though, when I realized how many people go to bed hungry every night. This experience has helped me realize how lucky we are to have the means, but also how important it is for all of us to make a concerted effort to help eradicate poverty so that someday all people will not go to bed hungry and malnourished. My hope is that someday everyone will be able to live on more than $1.50 a day.

You can Live Below the Line for Opportunity this year. Learn more and register at https://www.livebelowtheline.com/us-opportunity

Joe Sandler is a consultant with The Alexander Group and a founding member of the YAO-San Francisco chapter.

How Great Women Lead

by Cassie Burns

Bonnie St. John addresses attendees at the Interlachen Country Club in Edina.

How can I grow as a leader to develop myself and help others? I often ask myself this as I manage my professional, personal and volunteer lives.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of joining over 150 women in the Twin Cities to discuss the topic of women’s leadership. The event was co-hosted by Opportunity International; Riverbridge Partners; and Leonard, Street & Deinard, three organizations committed to empowering women in leadership roles. It featured a keynote by Bonnie St. John, co-author of the book “How Great Women Lead,” followed by a panel conversation with a group of highly respected local women leaders, moderated by Opportunity International CEO Vicki Escarra.

Panel of women leaders speak on their challenges

Bonnie St. John shared insights from her travels around the globe interviewing women leaders — including Opportunity Nicaragua’s Regional Manager, Noemi Vivas Ocaña. As Bonnie spoke, I was reminded of how universal the role of women in leadership is. No matter the community or context, women naturally rise to lead and care for others. Strong women lead by strengthening others, too. When women lead, there is a deep sense of community.  

Vicki Escarra led a lively conversation with local leaders including Kathleen Blatz, Retired Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court; Sandra Davis, Founder and CEO of MDA Leadership Consulting; Olga Viso, Director of the Walker Art Center; and Sondra Samuels, President and CEO of Northside Achievement Zone. It was inspiring to hear their personal stories of rising into leadership positions, the responsibilities they carried and how they encouraged others in their roles.  A common theme was the importance of leading by empowering others.

I came away from the evening feeling stronger and more energized, with a desire to do more. I know I have many opportunities every day to lead in subtle and visible ways, and I’m now more aware of how I can make the most of them. One small way I can help is by supporting Opportunity’s One Woman Holiday Challenge, which empowers women entrepreneurs around the globe to have financial independence, becoming leaders in their communities. With one gift, I am supporting not only one woman, but many future leaders around her.

Spin60 & Transform a Life!

by Steve Waters

Steve and Kathy Waters meet an Opportunity client (center) in 2011 on an Insight Trip to Colombia.

This month marks a milestone birthday for me. I wanted to celebrate my 60th by doing something completely different. So my wife and I threw a birthday fundraiser for Opportunity International and Hope Unlimited for Children — a one-hour spinning event at Life Time Fitness (which generously donated a studio and an instructor) with 35 of my family and friends.

I was motivated to push myself and my community for the sake of Opportunity clients because of my experience last year on an Insight Trip to Colombia with my wife, Kathy, to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. We saw with our own eyes the transformation in the lives of men and women in Bogotá and Cartagena through Opportunity International’s programs in Colombia. One woman whose home we visited had started seven businesses, including making dollhouse furniture, opening a snack shop and growing houseplants. She talked about how each business contributed to supporting her family. She also talked about wanting business accounting education to help her better manage her businesses. Her face lit up with dignity as she spoke! Many of Opportunity’s clients are saving money for the first time, and now have access to insurance and other financial tools that they could never have dreamed of before. I believe in microfinance for one big reason: because it works!

Steve spins to eradicate poverty at the Spin 60 event.

You can learn about my big birthday event and our fundraising efforts at my fundraiser, “SPIN60 & Transform a Life!”

If you are so inclined, you can donate something to Opportunity’s work right on our website. A donation of any amount would be greatly appreciated, as my fundraiser ends tomorrow, Nov. 29, on my actual birthday. So far, ushering in this new decade has been energizing! Join me in this exciting new chapter. Check out my online fundraiser »

Malin Akerman at Emprendedora School in Nicaragua in July

A couple weeks ago in L.A., I had the pleasure of reuniting with two incredible women, Geralyn Sheehan, Program Director at Opportunity Nicaragua, and Debbie Levin, President of the Environmental Media Association (EMA).

I met Debbie when I got involved with EMA’s School Gardens Program, which supports gardens in urban schools in the L.A. area. I love spending time with the students; through this experience I’ve learned about the positive impact just 45 minutes in the garden can have with children. They’re more focused, they score higher on tests, and they’re happier. I’ve been involved with EMA since 2010. Now, fast-forward to Opportunity International. When we were in Nicaragua over the summer, I saw the students planting their own crops, talking about their challenges and successes, and telling me about how this work will allow the school to be self-sustaining. It was then that I made the connection. We’re all in this together. It doesn’t matter if it’s a student in L.A. or in Nicaragua, they can succeed. But they need the chance. They need the opportunity.

From left: Geralyn Sheehan (Opportunity Nicaragua), Debbie Levin (EMA) & Malin at October’s event

That’s when I decided to make this important connection in L.A. I wanted to introduce my friends to Opportunity International and I wanted to bring Debbie and Geralyn together. Imagine, they’re two dynamic women working toward the same goal, to make the world a better place by providing students the resources they need to succeed. But they’re doing it across the world from each other. They’re both inspirations to me, and I wanted them to meet.

As soon as I returned from Nicaragua, I urgently called Debbie. She needed to know about Opportunity International and she needed to know about the Emprendedora School. I knew that we needed $65,000 to open new classrooms, and I knew that we needed a lot of support to get there. We planned the first of many small events to share information about Opportunity International and the school. Microsoft hosted the event at The Microsoft Experience venue in Venice Beach and, to everyone’s surprise, announced a donation of five laptop computers for the Emprendedora School.

“My work with Opportunity International is more exciting than landing a movie with Tom Cruise.” -Malin Akerman

From left: Actresses Carla Gugino, Malin & Emmanuelle Chriqui

It was amazing to hear both Geralyn and Debbie talk about their work, to see their faces light up when they describe the students. It was impossible not to feel the passion and excitement in the room.

My friends and fellow actors Emmanuelle Chriqui, Carla Gugino, Joe Truglio, and Beth Dover came to support the school and learn more. I thank them — and everyone else — who is supporting this fundraising campaign.

Malin and actor Joe Truglio

We have a long way to go, but through the power of one — one person, one contribution, one garden — we will get there. Please take a moment to contribute to the Nicaragua program, it’s more than a donation, it’s an investment in the future of the students and community in Grenada.

You can follow me on Twitter @malineakerman or join me on Facebook. And see my other Opportunity blogs at opportunity.org/malin.

Deyl in the desert

I’ve always been committed to personal growth, so when I decided to take on this race one of my motivations was to break through all my barriers and limitations. But I also wanted to raise money and awareness for the fight to end poverty in Africa through a nonprofit I’m passionate about.

Why I Race

I knew my fundraiser would have the most impact if I did something extreme that required mountains of effort. Being involved with Opportunity for the last decade has helped me realize that as extreme as my circumstances will be during this race, impoverished families in sub-Saharan Africa face far more oppressive circumstances every single day. I have tremendous respect for the endurance and tenacity of the micro-entrepreneurs that Opportunity serves.

That’s why I set my fundraising goal at $50,000, or $200 per kilometer. It’s just a little more than the average amount of a first Trust Group microfinance loan from Opportunity. This will be a hard race but knowing that if I push myself for one more kilometer, I’ll be able to fund another loan, is going to help keep me motivated. If you want to help me get there, consider sponsoring one or more of my kilometers, and think of me in just a few days as I run them!

Are You Insane?

Growing up, though I was athletic–surfing, mountain biking and doing other activities–I was never drawn to competitive sports. After college, I did some triathlons and even a marathon. (Ironically, I didn’t like the training or the event!) Looking for an even bigger challenge, I was drawn to do an endurance event because of the mental and physical toll it would take on me. Fear is a good motivator, and I think it’s healthy to do things that scare the daylights out of you. So I took on one of the most challenging multi-day ultramarathons on earth. I’m haunted by something Mark Twain said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” I didn’t want to be thinking at age 52, “I shoulda went for it!”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “Are you insane?” over the last six months. A race like this doesn’t fit into most people’s framework. My wife, family, and close friends have been incredibly supportive. They realize that I have so much purpose and passion for this goal. I’m humbled by all the encouragement I’ve received and I think that will keep me going in the difficult moments.

All geared up and ready to race

My Training

My training regimen consisted of putting lots of hours on my legs and getting my body used to exerting in heat. During my peak training, my average weekend would consist of a 90-minute run on Friday, a four-hour run on Saturday, and a three-hour run on Sunday. During the week I would take one rest day for Bikram yoga, a 90-minute speed workout and another light 90-minute run.

This would mostly be done with a 10-15 pound backpack in the thick beach sand in Santa Barbara. The low-tide runs were glorious, as I could connect over 20 miles of beach without setting foot on asphalt. At higher tides, I did laps on our most popular stretches of beach. I got a lot of looks as the guy running back and forth in the heat of the day wearing a long-sleeved shirt, a backpack and a legionnaire hat.

For the heat training, I spent almost a month running the hot and humid beaches and trails of Nosara, Costa Rica. The most challenging, and henceforth most helpful, training was two separate weekends in Death Valley. My friend and fellow competitor Brian Townsend and I ran the Mesquite sand dunes in scorching 115-125 degree heat. We would do three- and four-hour runs and then spend the night at a Death Valley camp eating dehydrated food. We were trying to re-enact the race conditions as much as possible. I developed a healthy fear of the heat on those weekends, so I was determined to figure out my electrolyte needs and how to stay hydrated.

My training lasted a little under six months. Running in the sand turned out to be a huge blessing as it was way less impact on my body than running on paved roads. Remarkably, I did not suffer one running-related injury!

I’m Ready

As far as my health goes, I’ve done everything I can do physically to prepare for this race. I heard someone say about endurance racing: “It’s 90% mental, and the other 10%? Well, that’s mental too.” So, I’ve done a lot of visualization in addition to my physical preparation.

So how hard will I push myself? I didn’t sign up for a vacation. I committed to this race knowing it was going to be grueling and painful at times, and in those moments I would have my greatest lessons. I’m not going to take any stupid risks (I pinky-swore my pregnant wife that I wouldn’t) but I do plan to push past my previous limits. I’m sure that will be painful. At the same time, I want to be present and enjoy the experience.

Wish me luck in the desert!

In late July, I took a whirlwind, one-day trip to Granada, Nicaragua. I arrived in this poverty-stricken country and we spent one full day visiting Opportunity International’s community development projects and meeting just a few of the clients and staff there. Opportunity is a nonprofit that offers financial tools–microloans, access to savings, microinsurance, training–to people in the developing world to help break the cycle of chronic poverty. Our guide for our short trip was Geralyn Sheehan, Opportunity Nicaragua’s Program Director, who took us to meet yucca farmers; community leaders improving roads, roofs and running water; local artisans; and the Emprendedora School.

Emprendedora is a technical school that opened last February and offers a really unique educational opportunity. The students will get a traditional high school diploma plus hands-on training in agriculture and tourism, two of the region’s strongest industries. The school buildings were clean and they sat on lots of land–fields of yucca. Right now the school houses only seventh grade, but they plan to add a new class every year and expect to add eighth grade by next January or February.

In a country where 46% of the kids never make it past sixth grade, a school like Emprendedora is crucial. Not only can it give students a diploma, but they get firsthand experience and job-skills training with agriculture in the yucca fields and tourism in the on-campus ecotourism hotel.

Malin Akerman learns alongside students of the Emprendedora School in Nicaragua.

One of Opportunity’s key strategies at the school is to ensure that students’ families are 100% the forces behind their education. Opportunity can offer access, but without a family’s support, it will be next to impossible for kids to succeed. That’s why school staff builds close relationships with the parents to help solve any issues or barriers to their education. As we walked around the school grounds we saw the kids tending gardens and interacting in their classrooms–kids just being students. They were so respectful and polite, and you could just see the pride on their faces. They felt so privileged to be there; they’re finally getting a chance and they’re taking it.

Emprendedora, like Opportunity Nicaragua’s other community-based projects, is more than microfinance–it’s creating leaders and self-sustainability, and it builds up local communities from the grassroots level. This is what I love about Opportunity. It’s making it possible for the community to get in there and say, “OK, what needs to be done?” And then they’re doing it.

I’m inspired by the women, the children and the families’ drive to survive, and I want to learn from schools that Opportunity started. There’s an end in sight to the tough times, and this is a solution that is self-sustainable. It can cure a lot of problems and educate a lot of kids. This will work.

I cannot wait to go back to Nicaragua. I definitely will be there early next year when they add the new eighth grade classroom, but I want to visit before then too to talk to more of the kids and the teachers, and to bring my husband who’s a drummer and wants to drum with them! This school is a future and way out for kids, especially girls, who might not have had a chance before. That’s why I got involved.

Women in the Trust Group fry seer fish with the travelers.

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 regards Jesus–as a stranger, great teacher, gifted prophet or Lord–He meets each of us in our circumstances. To the Hindus, Muslims and people of other faiths, or no faith, in this country, those that serve on the Opportunity International team here are responding to Jesus’s call to serve the poor. Though they do not say His name, except in limited circumstances, they are dedicated to the Christ-like mission to meet the poor where they are.

In striking parallels to Jesus’s time, we met clients who fished from boats not too different from those on the Sea of Galilee, and we got to know very impoverished women with heavy loads overcoming generational poverty by seeking new life, in this case through microloans. And then those of us from the U.S. filled out the spectrum on the trip of those Jesus encountered–the privileged. The common denominator–the love given by Jesus meets us all where we are.

Rich examines the fish, held by U.S. staff member Adele, as Trust Group members look on.

Jesus told us what we encounter in serving people in poverty: we encounter those who are chosen by God to be rich in faith. The spirit of the impoverished people we met was joyful, amazingly accepting of difficult circumstances and pervasive disease, yet thriving in new ways due to financial opportunities, transformational training, and help from an Opportunity India loan officer and fellow Trust Group members. It has to be that they are being met where they are–in part through this work that is growing opportunity for them.

Travelers, Trust Group members, and Opportunity India staff gather for a group shot.

Our group split up and cooked seer fish, a kind of mackerel, with the women from a couple of Trust Groups, just as they would in their homes. They wore their best colorful saris and we cooked with them on the floor. We danced, we laughed, and we judged who had the best fish. We were in a room that sometimes serves as a Christian church, so we prayed. Mauyra, a young woman with an infectious smile, broke away from the group when she saw me picking up some trash. She told me in her broken English that I had very good habits. It was a good thing that my wife Sharon wasn’t along on this trip to tell her the truth. Because the truth is, I don’t have good habits–I don’t have a habit of being joyful in what seem to me like difficult times. I don’t have a habit of being grateful for what I have, even though I have so much. I don’t have a habit of working hard under very challenging physical conditions, compared to life for many of these women. Mauyra and the women of the fishing village of Pulicat, India, have those habits–and a spirit of joy and peace that is truly remarkable.

Why is that? It is because for these women, Opportunity International is meeting them where they are–because the staff and leaders of Opportunity have been called to serve. They are the hands and feet of Christ–embodying His spirit of service even without saying His name.

I had done my best to explain to a church group the difference between serving and partnering. I had described how developing the poor requires an entirely different strategy from traditional service methods that “do for” those in need. I explained that when you do for people what they have the capacity to do for themselves, you actually weaken rather than strengthen them. I gave practical examples of how lending and investing, how sharing technological knowledge and connecting isolated people with new markets, has enabled whole villages to emerge from poverty. I told them that if we measured actual outcomes rather than merely activities we would have a much better gauge for the effectiveness of our missions.

Anita and Don Blas (in front) with other members of the La Laguna Community Cooperative in Nicaragua

Then it was Q-&-A time. “I see what you are saying about developing the poor,” the first pushback came, “but how do you bring the Gospel into this?” I understood the question. It came from the familiar evangelical premise that the most loving thing we can do for the poor (for anyone) is to share the Gospel with them. The soul is eternal while the body is only temporal. Eternal salvation, then, is the primary concern to God. Evangelism, not economic development, should be the primary task of missions. Right?

It was an honest question, one that deserved a reasoned response.

Four decades of living among marginalized people has expanded my early understanding of the Gospel. The Good News, I have come to believe, is about more than individual salvation. It includes personal salvation, to be sure, but it also involves the transformation of fragmented communities, of unjust institutions, of oppressive systems. The Gospel is Good News for the whole of creation. Even the environment. It is about Shalom, well-being, a prevailing peace.

There may be good reason why the Great Commission to “preach the Gospel to every nation” was preceded by the earlier (and much ignored) New Command “to love each other as I have loved you.” This prior command–Christ’s parting words on His last night with His disciples–would be the validating evidence of His divinity and the identifying mark of His followers. Without this visible demonstration of self-sacrificing unity, Christ’s deity as well as the authenticity of those who claim to follow Him would be questionable. This is more than rhetoric. Dis-unity actually eviscerates the power of the message.

I see the Gospel undermined by aggressive evangelizers who blitz inner-city neighborhoods, collecting decision cards, never bothering to meet, even acknowledge, the saints who populate these very streets. I see affluent (naïve though very sincere) young people who fly into impoverished lands to “lead the lost to Christ,” never imagining that God already may be powerfully at work among His destitute people. I see how denominations set up competing congregations in the same villages, promoting member loyalty by devaluing, even “un-Christianizing,” other groups of believers. Evangelism that does not flow from the New Command may actually do more to thwart the purposes of the Kingdom than to advance it.

And so, my response to the inquirer? Step one: begin by identifying the saints–all the saints, not just those of my political persuasion or theological stripe–and discover how God is at work in their lives. What I will likely discover is that the body of Christ is already embedded within most cultures, badly broken perhaps, but clearly present. Pentecostals judging Baptists, Evangelicals de-Christianizing Catholics, believers split along doctrinal and political fault lines. To plant a new church would fragment them all the more. The best Good News for a fractured society is the Great Command (love God and neighbor) championed by serious devotees to the New Command (love each other). The Great Commission (proclamation) is a predictable outcome, a by-product, not an end in itself. Skipping over the two bedrock Commands on the way to fulfilling the Great Commission is like erecting houses without foundations.

Thus, Christian community development work begins where people are, with their felt needs, the issues of greatest concern to the whole village–like clean drinking water, for example. A well may be a real need but it could be quite expensive and very labor intensive. It would involve more than merely drilling a hole in the ground. An adequate aqueduct system to serve 250 homes scattered across many acres would require a pumping station, a water tower, thousands of meters of pipe. The community must decide if this indeed is their top priority. If it is, community development principles require that local residents first be investors with cash, not just labor. That means fundraisers and family contributions. A water commission must be formed to manage both water flow and cash flow. A project management team must be assembled. There are trenches to dig, pipes to lay, materials to be stored and guarded, food to be prepared. It is a project that requires the participation of every household who wishes to have fresh water flowing to their home. And, of course, nearly everyone does. In the process, neighbors join hands across barriers that have divided them, perhaps for generations. Labels are set aside as needed talents are identified and put to use. Devout church-goers and neighbors with no expressed faith sweat together in the sweltering sun and take breaks together under the shade of mango trees. It is an important community development project that greatly improves the quality of life in the village, and increases the skills and leadership capacities of villagers. But it is more. It is a unifying effort that brings estranged believers into relationship with each other.

It happened just this way in rural Nicaragua. When villagers observed their neighbor Anita, a Catholic and an outspoken member of the Sandinista socialist party, working closely with Don Blas, an elder Baptist pastor and loyal member of the conservative party, eyebrows raised. Two saints, staunch political adversaries, separated by theologies that view the other as heretics, teamed up to bring water to their village–it was enough to stir curiosity in the conversations of their community. But when neighbors saw their relationship deepen and smiles and hugs of genuine affection exchange between the two, hearts were melted.

“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples…” When the followers of Jesus set aside differences, even deeply held ones, to demonstrate care for their neighbors (like providing water), such behaviors become visible. “Father, make them one so that the world will know that you sent me…” When the followers of Jesus yield not only personal preferences, but suspend deeply held convictions in deference to one another, a witness of powerful impact is unleashed.

And so to my questioner who asks, “How do you bring the Gospel into this work?” I answer: begin with the fundamentals. The Great Command and the New Command will take you where you need to go. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel always and use words when necessary.”

Myself with Elizabeth Gideon Kuandika, the head of the Arusha widows group

In my last post I told you about how and why Roberto and I decided to take a trip with Opportunity International to Tanzania.

Here’s a really brief recap of our trip, with highlights, insights and surprises.

First, we travelled to Opportunity International’s Arusha branch to meet with the local staff and see their office and bank. Something that surprised me was how similar the bank in Arusha looked to my local bank branch in L.A. It was clean, airy and of course everyone was incredibly friendly. We spent some time talking about how the loans are dispersed and managed, then we hit the road.

Roberto and I with Opportunity Tanzania's COO Ross Nathan (right) and children at the Faraja Centre

We went to a local market where we met a few Opportunity clients. We met clients who sell potatoes, vegetables and miscellaneous home goods. We also stopped into a bustling restaurant started by an Opportunity client. While everyone worked in the same market, and sold different goods, I couldn’t believe the similarities. Everyone was able to use their loan from Opportunity International to increase business by getting more goods to sell and by hiring people to help them. Then, the first thing they did with their increased profits was send their kids to school. It still sends chills down my back when I think about how a simple concept is changing so many lives.

We also visited with a group of widowed women. The group, brought together by a common bond–they had all lost their husbands–created a Trust Group and together they’re working on their respective businesses. Some of them were farmers and needed more supplies to improve their returns, and others needed the loan to buy supplies to make more handicrafts to sell. I really enjoyed sitting with the women in one group member’s house to hear how they’re thinking about building their own businesses. Again, it was such an inspiring experience.

My favorite picture! Roberto and a little girl at the Faraja Centre

From there, we went to the Faraja Centre, a school and home for orphaned girls, many of whom have been the victims of human trafficking and may have children of their own. I bonded with a young woman named Theresa. She had been brought to the center by the police, but with the love, care and resources from the center she was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. After that visit, Roberto and I knew we would be back to visit the Faraja Centre again. It’s an experience that changed my life. See one of my favorite pictures from the trip at right. It’s Roberto with a young girl at the center.

The next day, we drove for a while to visit the village of Mwanga, to see Opportunity’s Himo branch. It took a couple of hours to get there but once we arrived we had the visit of a lifetime. We sat with about 30 people during a Trust Group meeting and we invited them to ask questions about our lives. We expected the questions to be about life in Hollywood, filming movies, etc. But instead we got one request: to hear Roberto play the drums. So with an upside down water bucket, Roberto pounded out a drum beat. The group rose to their feet, dancing and cheering–it was a pivotal moment for all of us. We realized, through Roberto’s music and talent, we are all connected.

Roberto leads the Trust Group in a drum solo

Sometimes life gets so serious, but with a simple request and the willingness to share, we all have something in common: a love for music.

As the trip continued, we visited healthcare centers, we learned more about the financial tools clients use, and we were humbled, impressed and surprised by how much people are able to do with so little.

Roberto and I took a mini-vacation after the trip to Ngorongoro Crater National Park. I’m so glad we had the time together in Africa to reflect on our first trip with Opportunity International. We know we have found an organization we can support–one that lets people make their own decisions, but provides the tools to do so.

We’re excited to continue our involvement with Opportunity. Not long after we returned we decided to Live Below the Line for Opportunity International–you can read a bit about that challenge here.

Investments in Microfinance Panel: (from left) moderator Paul Christiansen, Jacob Haar, Fernanda Lima, Christian Novak, Patrick Thomas Fisher

I left the 2012 Chicago Microfinance Conference, “Micronext: Strategies and Challenges of Social Impact,” impressed, energized and hungry for more. The conference focused on the strategies and challenges of social impact, facilitating discussions around the direction of microfinance and the lessons from past methodologies. The strong turnout included experts from various microfinance organizations, as well as academics and folks who just wanted to understand microfinance better. I was there with seven other YAO members and YAO supporters, as well as six Opportunity staff members.

The conference offered a chance to speak with microfinance experts in the U.S. and worldwide, offering a broad perspective on the methodologies that work best. Speakers tackled subjects like impact investing, measuring social performance, regulatory requirements, and the range of products available to microfinance institutions around the world. A common focus: the need to give people in poverty access to financial services–savings, insurance,  agricultural and home improvement loans–rather than small business loans alone.

Two sessions interested me in particular…

Author David Roodman discusses his book "Due Diligence." and holds up the flyer for the upcoming YAO-Chicago book discussion!

The session entitled Investments in Microfinance dealt with impact investing and its place within microfinance. Opening microfinance to investors excites me because it elevates the opportunity to get necessary financial services to people in poverty. The four speakers on this panel were Jacob Haar of Minlam Asset Management, Fernanda Lima of Developing World Markets, Christian Novak of TBC Capital Asset Management, Patrick Thomas Fisher of Creation Investments, and moderator Paul Christensen of Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. The speakers all shared their perspectives on impact investing through private equity or debt funding; and each one defined impact investing from his or her perspective and described a strategy to measure social performance. Impact investing goes well beyond the return on investment, providing a double bottom line. Measuring it, however, is difficult. You can measure social performance within impact investing in a number of ways, and I appreciated what each speaker found to be the most relevant. For example, Patrick Fisher emphasized access to and inclusion with financial services for people in poverty. Creation’s metrics include client- and job-creation volume, as well as the number of beneficiaries of financial services. I’d heard about impact investing prior to the conference, but learning from the experiences and perspectives of those involved proved to be invaluable.

YAO members and other attendees at the YAO information table at lunch during the conference.

The last session of the conference focused on David Roodman’s new book, Due Diligence: An Impertinent Inquiry into Microfinance. Roodman summarized his book by emphasizing the need to play to strengths within microfinance, and offered up the idea of “not reducing poverty, but building dynamic institutions to mass-produce useful services to the poor.” Rather than lending to the most impoverished individuals, Roodman supports offering a range of financial services to people within these communities to help them develop themselves. Roodman’s definition of poverty–not necessarily an absence, but a volatility, of income–struck me in particular. It led to a discussion around the various services that could help mitigate such volatility. I left wanting to read Roodman’s book, especially because he wrote it publicly: he posted each chapter on an open blog, soliciting public feedback along the way. The topics in his book facilitated an online discussion, and will continue at an upcoming YAO book discussion, co-hosted with Women Advancing Microfinance (WAM), in Chicago in June.

I’m fairly new to YAO, so alongside a rich educational experience, the conference provided me a great networking opportunity. I connected with other professionals who share my passion to see businesses develop and thrive globally. It’s a start for me to connect with the microfinance community in Chicago, and I look forward to exploring more of these topics at upcoming events.

This post was written by Meredith Anderson. Meredith is a member of YAO-Chicago and worked abroad in microfinance for several years as an employee of HOPE International. She now works as a portfolio administrator at Promus Capital, LLC in Chicago.