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Young Ambassador Reporting from Tanzania
On Sunday, Feb. 21, I flew from Chicago, Ill., to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. After almost two days of travel, I stepped out of the Julius Nyerere International Airport into humid, 90 degree weather. I knew I was in Tanzania. Thankfully, my luggage arrived with me and I went on to the Opportunity Tanzania head office. Over Read more…
Opportunity LiveBlog: Banking on Africa
Over 75 percent of people in Africa lives on less than $2 per day. So when Opportunity looked at its expansion plan, Africa was the region that began to take priority. In 2008 Opportunity launched an ambitious campaign to make significant impact on the world’s poorest people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015. Building upon its Read more…
Opportunity’s new start-up in Tanzania to become a regulated financial institution?
Opportunity Tanzania has begun the transition to become a regulated deposit-taking institution. With the help and guidance of Opportunity’s Bank Building Team, Tanzania’s CEO, Peter Olivier expects to secure a license from the Bank of Tanzania to operate as a regulated deposit-taking entity during the first half of 2010. This Micro Finance Institution license will Read more…
Saving Their Way Out of Poverty
In the Kejetia Market in Kumasi, Ghana, there are 10,000 vendors and market stalls covering an area of 36 acres. Dozens of Susu collectors roam the narrow walkways wearing brightly colored coats with many pockets, each with a wad of money inside. Susu collectors provide a way for people to save and access their own Read more…
Tagged Clients, Entrepreneurs, Ghana, Markets, Mobile Banking, Opportunity Ghana, Savings, Susu collectors
Opportunity Clients “Living Green”
One thing that I love about Opportunity International is that we listen to our clients. And when it comes to living sustainably, it’s a good thing we are because there is a lot to learn! In honor of Blog Action Day, I’d like to share what we are learning. As Opportunity expands its services into Read more…
Tagged Agriculture, Blog Action Day, Clients, Community, Community Based Entrepreneurship Development Program, Ending Poverty, environmental sustainability, Farmer, Living Green, Malawi, Opportunity Bank in Malawi, Opportunity International, Philippines, Poverty
CALL TO ACTION: Building Better Banking Tools for Everyone
Do you think this is an idea to change the world? Opportunity International certainly does. Nearly three billion people live on less than $2 a day, struggling to buy food. The overwhelming majority of these 3 billion people live in developing countries, where no social safety net exists. They need more than just a loan. Read more…
The Power of Mobile Money
The microfinance world was buzzing this week about the latest edition of The Economist (9/24/09), which features a special report on the “power of mobile money.” According to Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University’s Earth Institute, the mobile phone has become “the single most transformative tool for development.” A number of innovative uses for the phone Read more…
Tagged Africa, Economist, G-Cash, Information and communications technology, Kenya, M-banking, M-PESA, Malawi, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity Kenya, Philippines, Safaricom, Smart Money, Tanzania, WIZZIT
