Blog Archives

Conference LiveBlog: Nadine Pembele, Head of Training at Opportunity DR Congo

By Opportunity International on October 14, 2011

This third and final plenary session of the day opens with remarks by Mary Lynn Staley, chair of the Opportunity International Board of Governors. She introduces Nadine Pembele, Head of Training for Opportunity International in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Highlights from Nadine Pembele’s Presentation I am very honored to have the opportunity to Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Board of Governors, Events, Local Staffing, Microfinance Conference, Our Leadership, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Board of Governors, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, local staffing, mary lynn staley, Nadine Pembele, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference

Building Access to Savings and Financial Services

By Opportunity International on October 5, 2011

Despite a desire to save and plan for the future, impoverished people are often excluded from commercial banks. In fact, fewer than 10% of people living on less than $2 a day have access to savings accounts. In the last 40 years, Opportunity International has become a global leader in building regulated banks that provide Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Loans, Microfinance Conference, Our Work, Resources, Rural Outreach, Savings, Where We Work
Tagged 40th anniversary, Africa, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Conference, Daryl Collins, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Global Poverty, Loans, Microfinance, mobile banking vehicle, mobile banks, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Portfolios of the Poor, Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day, Savings, Women

Retrospective on Opportunity’s 40 Years: Spotlight on the 1990s

By Opportunity International on September 9, 2011

Opportunity International celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. In honor of our four decades partnering with microfinance clients, we’re taking a look back at all the triumphs and joys of helping people around the world create change in their lives. A Look Back at the ’90s In the 1990s, Opportunity expanded into new continents, bringing tremendous Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Loans, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged 40th anniversary, 40th anniversary year-end campaign 2011, Africa, Bank Building, Client Stories, Clients, Eastern Europe, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Global Poverty, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Poverty, Women

Last Chance to Triple Your Impact–The Banking on Africa Summer Campaign Ends Tonight

By Opportunity International on August 27, 2011

Congratulations! Because of your support, our Banking on Africa campaign has reached its $75,000 summer goal, making crucial progress toward the day when all people in Sub-Saharan Africa will be able to access powerful financial services that enable them to break the cycle of poverty. Inspired by your enthusiastic support, the 2-to-1 match has been extended until Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Our Work, Resources, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Clients, Donations, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, sub-Saharan Africa, Supporters

Photo Blog: We’re Banking on Africa

By Opportunity International on August 10, 2011

This summer, Opportunity has launched the Banking on Africa Campaign. The campaign aims to bring millions of Sub-Saharan Africans closer to the day when they can safely deposit their savings, access loans to grow businesses, and purchase affordable insurance to protect their families—right in their own communities. Check out a photo tour below of some Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Our Leadership, Resources, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Children, Clients, Dikembe Mutombo, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Kenya, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicles, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Malawi, opportunity mozambique, Opportunity South Africa, Opportunity Tanzania, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rwanda, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Students, Tanzania, Uganda

Embarking on My Journey to Rwanda & Uganda

By Opportunity International on August 8, 2011

For one week, our group of eleven will visit Opportunity International’s work in Africa. I invite you to come along on this adventure. Our motley crew rendezvoused in Rwanda on Saturday, August 6, and for the next week we’ll keep you posted on what we’re doing and feeling. We’re going on this journey, traveling through Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Insight Trips, Loans, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Ending Poverty, Insight Trip, Insight Trips, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rwanda, Uganda, unpoverty

Update: Opportunity DRC in Kinshasa Grows, Expanding Microfinance to More People of the Congo

By Opportunity International on July 15, 2011

Opportunity Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) celebrated its grand opening on May 19th in the capital city of Kinshasa. Since Opportunity International‘s arrival in the DRC, we’ve seen marked changes in the lives of the Congolese people. Opportunity DRC is extending much-needed microfinance products in a country where only 1% of the population has access Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, Savings, Technology, Training, Where We Work
Tagged 10000 women initiative, Africa, Clients, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, DRC, DRC Grand Opening, Emerging Leaders, emerging leaders program, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Gilbert Lagaillarde, Global Poverty, Goldman Sachs, Kinshasa, Loan Officer, Loans, local staffing, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, Technology, Training, Women

What We’re Reading: “Rural and Agricultural Finance in the Spotlight at Cracking the Nut Conference”

By Opportunity International on July 14, 2011

A few weeks ago, Shari Berenbach, Director of USAID’s Microenterprise Development Office, wrote a blog post on the USAID’s IMPACTblog reported on a conference held in Washington that directly addressed the problems that face agricultural microfinance, as 600 million smallholder farmers currently live on less than $2 a day. Speakers at the conference emphasized new Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, ATMs, biometric fingerprint technology, biometrics, branchless banking, Cell phone banking, Colombia, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Kenya, Latin America, Loans, M-banking, M-PESA, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile branches, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Rural banking, Rural Outreach, Technology, USAID, USAID Impact blog, what we're reading

What We’re Watching: Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka’s Voice of America Interview on Congo Grand Opening

By Opportunity International on June 8, 2011

Following the grand opening of our first regulated microfinance institution in the DR Congo, Congolese native and Opportunity supporter Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka appeared on Voice of America‘s In Focus TV program, which airs throughout Africa, to discuss the growth of microfinance in the DRC and the impact of Opportunity DRC on the lives of the Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Loans, Our Leadership, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged Bank Building, Banking on Education, Children, Clients, Congo, Congolese, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, DRC Grand Opening, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, Kinshasa, Loans, Media, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Poverty, Schools, Students, TV

What We’re Watching: Today’s Grand Opening of Opportunity DR Congo in Kinshasa

By Opportunity International on May 19, 2011

Opportunity International staff around the world have been eagerly watching our Facebook and the Opportunity Blog all day, keeping up with news and updates from today’s grand opening ceremony at Opportunity Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa. Presenters at the celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony included Opportunity DRC CEO Gilbert Lagaillarde; Opportunity International US Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Leadership, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Board of Directors, Clients, Congo, Congolese, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, DRC Grand Opening, Ending Poverty, Events, Facebook, Financial services, Gilbert Lagaillarde, Global Poverty, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Kinshasa, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Poverty, videos

Subscribe to the Blog

Archives

Categories