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Meet Our Staff: Why Do I Believe in Opportunity?
In May of 2010, I attended a luncheon hosted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs where Melanne Verveer, the first-ever U.S. ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues, spoke to the significance of investing in women as a means to drive economic growth in the developing world. Equally as captivating as Ambassador Verveer’s remarks was being Read more…
Tagged Ally Lynch, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Meet Our Staff, Melanne Verveer, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity-US, Poverty, Women, Women's Philanthropy
What We’re Reading: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1964 Nobel Lecture on Racial Injustice, Poverty, and War
On December 11, 1964, the day after he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave this lecture at the University of Oslo in Norway. In the lecture, he discussed what he said was “the most pressing problem facing mankind today,” which is a moral and spiritual poverty. As King put it: This problem of Read more…
Tagged agape, Ending Poverty, Faith in Action, Financial services, Fundraising, Get involved, Global Poverty, God, Martin Luther King Day, Martin Luther King Jr., Microfinance, Nobel Peace Prize, Opportunity International, Poverty, racial injustice, War
Thank You for Your Partnership in 2011
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your partnership in 2011. As we look back on the year, we know that it’s because of your ongoing support that Opportunity International is able to empower our clients and their families with life-changing opportunity. Of course, there’s still so much to do. This past Read more…
As I Consider Advent this Year
This advent season, my church’s sermon series is “He is our King.” It’s a refreshingly challenging one as it looks not so much to a meek baby in the manger, but the hope of a powerful God coming to meet humankind within drastic poverty and political oppression. On a recent Sunday, as I listened to Read more…
Tagged Advent, Africa, Christmas, christmas story, church, faith, Faith in Action, India, Jesus Christ, Opportunity International, pastor, Poverty
Opportunity Celebrates 40 Years at “Side by Side” Gala in Minneapolis
Last Thursday night, more than 400 guests gathered at International Market Square in Minneapolis, Minn. to celebrate Opportunity International‘s 40th anniversary at a gala event, “Side by Side: Celebrating 40 Years of Opportunity.” The evening included entertainment by Minnesota resident and contemporary Christian singer Sara Groves and the African musical group Duniya Drum and Dance, Read more…
Tagged 40th anniversary, Al Whittaker, Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Colombia, Duniya Drum & Dance, Events, Faith in Action, Frida Mungoma, fundraisers, gala, Minneapolis, Nonprofit, Opportunity Uganda, Philanthropy, Sara Groves, Side by Side, YAO, YAO-Minneapolis, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Stand Up for Opportunity
I sat down to listen to a panel of Opportunity International volunteers and contributors to hear their thoughts and best practices on how they share and involve their own communities in Opportunity’s mission. Each panel member shared their own journey with Opportunity and how they came to be involved. Though unified in passion, each contributor’s Read more…
Tagged Alison Altdoerffer, Amelia Gingold, Betsy Perdue, Board of Governors, Dick Leathers, Microfinance, Monica Perez, OIC2011, Online fundraising, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Sonya Perez-Lauterbach, Sunshine Sachs & Associates, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, YAO-Denver, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Conference LiveBlog: Geoffrey Thige, COO of Opportunity Kenya
Geoffrey Thige, the dynamic chief operating officer of Opportunity International Kenya, shares from the conference mainstage all about the work and progress Opportunity Kenya has made, utilizing solutions that include mobile phone banking, microinsurance, financial literacy training and more to help clients build a better life. Highlights from Geoff Thige In Kenya, we have 39 Read more…
Tagged Africa, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Global Poverty, Kenya, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, mobile phone banking, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty, Savings, Technology, Training
What We’re Reading: Top 10 Blogs About Microfinance & Poverty Eradication
Blogs are a great way to hear a variety of voices and experience an issue from diverse perspectives and if you’re interested in microfinance and global development there are a variety of sites full of information, opinions, and more. These blogs, like our Opportunity Blog, are fun ways to learn more about the voices and Read more…
Tagged Accion, Asia, banking with the poor network, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Center for Financial Inclusion, CGAP, Community, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, Defeat Poverty, Financial services, global development, Global Poverty, Grameen Foundation, India, India Microfinance, MFI, Microfinance, MicroFinance Transparency, Mykro, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity Blog, Opportunity International, Poverty, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal
Opportunity Co-Hosts Financial Literacy Conference in Kenya
This week in Nairobi, Opportunity International and The Financial Education Fund (FEF)–which is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID)–are co-sponsoring a Financial Literacy Conference to explore how access to financial services can be facilitated and enhanced through financial education initiatives. The Financial Literacy Conference opened with remarks from Professor Njuguna S. Ndunu’u, governor Read more…
Tagged Africa, Conference, Education, Financial Education Fund, Financial literacy programs, Financial services, Ghana, Kenya, MFI, Microfinance, Mozambique, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rwanda, South Africa, Training, Uganda
Traveling with Students of the World (SOW): Seeing the Impact of Microfinance on Opportunity Clients in Ghana
The Students of the World (SOW) Boston team is in Ghana all this month visiting Opportunity Ghana‘s microfinance operations and documenting their experiences in a diverse array of photos, posts and more on their blog. You can see all their updates and content on their site, and stay tuned to the Opportunity Blog and our Facebook Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, ashanti, Blog, Blogging, bonsaaso, Cell Phones, Clients, cocoa, Community, Ending Poverty, Farmers, Financial services, Ghana, Global Poverty, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Poverty, Social Media, Students, Students of the World, Travel, Trust Group, Youth
