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What We’re Reading: Last Week’s Insight Trip to Colombia & Nicaragua
Opportunity International staff and contributors just returned this week from the first Insight Trip of 2012. Their travel adventure took them to Colombia and Nicaragua where they experienced microfinance firsthand and met our staff and clients. Four of our travelers published their personal accounts and reflections on a travel blog at adventuringincolombianicaragua.tumblr.com and we’ve loved reading each Read more…
Tagged Adventuring in Colombia & Nicaragua, Agricultural finance, Blog, Clients, Colombia, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Insight Trip, Latin America, Loans, local staff, Microfinance, Nicaragua, ojala, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, Opportunity Nicaragua, Poverty, Savings, Training, Travel, Trust Groups, Tumblr
Top 5 Highlights from Opportunity’s 2011 in Review
As we take the first steps into 2012, it’s good to see where Opportunity International ventured on the road of 2011. We ran all over the globe and hiked into new territory both literally and figuratively. We celebrated milestones, and went to new heights, for the sake of our clients and the sustainable work of Read more…
Tagged 40th anniversary, 40th anniversary year-end campaign 2011, Africa, Banking on Women, Clients, Devex, Empact, Empact 100, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Future of Entrepreneurship Summit, India, Insight Trip, International Women's Day, Jump for Opportunity, Microensure, Microinsurance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Richard Leftley, Side by Side, sustainable finance award, USA Today, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Celebrating 40 Years of Microfinance with the “Holiday Fête” in Scottsdale, Arizona
On Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, 2011, the members of Opportunity International’s Arizona Board of Governors hosted the “Holiday Fête: Commemorating 40 Years of Client Impact and Transformation,” a 40th-anniversary celebration at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale. “ is proud to celebrate our 40th year of working alongside our clients, staff and supporters to fight global poverty,” Read more…
Tagged 2011 YAO Insight Trip, 40th anniversary, Africa, Arizona, Banking on Women, Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Cindy Schwab-Salem, David Simms, fundraisers, Global Microfinance Operations, Jon Yasuda, Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, Kelly Flanagan, MFI, Microfinance, mobile banks, Opportunity International, Scottsdale, Tanzania, Tanzania Correspondent Contest, Trust Groups, Women, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Why Women? Why Now?
The impact of focusing on women is thus multi-fold: not only will empowering women [with financial services] uplift the lives of women, but it also produces a wider impact on multiple generations and the communities in which they live. -2011 Study by Women’s World Banking In families where have an income, they have a voice Read more…
Tagged Africa, Deborah Farrington, Diane Griffin, DR Congo, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Microfinance, Nadine Pembele, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Ruth-Anne Renaud, StarVest Partners, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, Women's World Banking, WON
Photo Journey of Meeting Microfinance Clients in Rwanda and Uganda
Uganda- A young girl (right) welcomes an Opportunity International visitor from the floor of her father’s shop in a Kampala market. Her young father is an enterprising entrepreneur and Trust Group member who runs a small boutique that sells both new and old clothes, mattresses, and small luggage. Business is good, he reports, and he Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Genocide, Insight Trip, Kampala, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rwanda, Training, Trust Groups, Uganda
Back to School with a Visit to See Education Finance in Action in Uganda
As we head back to school in the U.S., we’re thinking a lot about our educational loan clients and school proprietors around the world, and the impoverished children who are receiving an education because of them. Here, staff member Mark shares what he learned about education finance on his recent visit to a primary school in Kampala, Read more…
Tagged Africa, Back to School, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Children, Clients, Community, Education, Education finance, education microfinance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Insight Trip, Kampala, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rise and Shine School, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Students, Uganda, Youth
Meet Thomas, a Loan Officer in Moshi, Tanzania
Meet Thomas. Thomas is a loan officer in the Moshi branch of Opportunity Tanzania. When I asked him about himself he said he likes hip hop music, traveling, and helping out clients. His Trust Group adores him, as they should, he is a wonderful man who helps out whenever possible. We talked about some of Read more…
Tagged 2011 YAO Insight Trip, Africa, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Insight Trip, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Moshi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Poverty, Tanzania, Trust Groups, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Empowerment through Microfinance–Meeting Rwandan Microfinance Client Dorosera Mukagahima
Dorosera Mukagahima made our long two-hour bus ride worth the trek to her remote village. She’s the elected treasurer in her Trust Group of about 30, mostly women. In her business she buys and sells goats—about three at a time. She proudly told us of her sturdy mud brick home with a metal roof, situated Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Family, Financial services, Genocide, Insight Trip, Loans, mark lutz, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rwanda, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women
An Outstanding Group of Ugandan Microfinance Clients
These people meet weekly in this very, very rough setting to repay their loans. They must each be current on their payments for the group to be deemed current. They all are. On their own (not an idea from the bank) over the past few years this informal group has established a “reserve fund.” The Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity Uganda, Rwanda, Uganda
