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In the News: Mobile Phone Banking and Opportunity Malawi
“For a farmer, the mobile phone has opened up a world of opportunity.” –Prof. Jenny Aker, assistant professor of economics at the Fletcher School of Tufts University The Financial Times has just published a story online and in print in their World Food supplement about the effects of mobile phone technology on smallholder farmers in Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Aleksandr Kalanda, Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, Clients, Ending Poverty, Farmers, Financial services, Financial Times, Kenya, Loan Officer, Loans, Malawi, Markets, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, OIBM, Opportunity Bank in Malawi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Smallholder farmer, Technology
Today is World Food Day–Saturday, Oct. 16
Saturday, Oct. 16th is World Food Day, a day designated by the U.N.’s World Food Programme to raise awareness and support in the fight against global hunger. From wfp.org: “World Food Day on October 16 reminds the world that around 1 in 7 people alive today are going hungry[...] [Though,] this year, the number of Read more…
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Changing the Face of Hunger, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Conference, Ending Hunger, Ending Poverty, Ethiopia, fall microfinance conference, Hunger, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Roger Thurow, Tony Hall, United Nations, World Food Day, World Food Programme
What We’re Reading: Putting Savings in the Bank in the Era of Climate Change
Every Wednesday, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We feature works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the work we do at Opportunity. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece we’ve highlighted. The following Read more…
Tagged brazil, Cell phone banking, Children, Clients, Climate Change, Community, Electronic banking, Electronic transactions, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Loan Officer, M-banking, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Poverty, Savings, Technology, The Economist, what we're reading, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Conference Breakout: Engaging the Next Generation of Microfinance Champions
The following post by YAO member and Opportunity supporter Sonja Egeland Kelly is one of the many blog posts we published from the 2010 Fall Microfinance Conference. Click here to read all our conference blog posts… Recognizing the importance of inspiring the next generation of microfinance champions, the Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO)[/intlink] breakout session at the Read more…
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, Africa, Conference, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Jump for Opportunity, Liesel Pritzker, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, OptINnow, Poverty, Tanzania, YAO, yao-la, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
News from Africa: New Mobile Banks and Bank Branches for Microfinance Clients in Mozambique
Great news from Mozambique! Banco Oportunidade de Moçambique is proud to announce the August opening of the Chokwé branch and Chimoio mobile bank. Additionally, Opportunity Mozambique[/intlink] expanded in 2010 with two new hub branch offices, and received approval from both the municipal and Central Bank authorities to open its first container branch office in the Matendene Market. Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, banco oportunidade de mocambique, Clients, Community, container banks, diane ferguson, Ending Poverty, Financial services, john deere, john deere foundation, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile branches, Mozambique, Opportunity International, opportunity mozambique, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Technology
#MifiMon: Agricultural Finance–Tapping Into an Untapped Market
Bimonthly, we hold the Mifi Monday Twitter discussion on a number of topics related to microfinance. Next time, on Monday, Sept. 27, 12-2 p.m. CDT (GMT -5), join our discussion on educational finance, including small-scale educational entrepreneurs, and the impact of educational opportunities on all people, especially women and girls. In last Monday’s #mifimon conversation, we delved into agricultural finance[/intlink], issues Read more…
Tagged #MifiMon, Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, alternative energy, andrew koehler, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cell phone banking, Clients, Community, Conference, Daryl Skoog, Education, educational finance, electricity, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Kenya, Loan Officer, Loans, local staff, local staffing, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, Mobile Phones, Opportunity International, Poverty, power, Satellite bank branch, Schools, solar panels, Students, Technology, the boy who harnessed the wind, Training, Women
Sheryl WuDunn to Speak at Opportunity’s Fall Microfinance Conference in Washington, D.C.
One of the best ways to fight poverty is to educate women and give them economic opportunity. Microfinance institutions are at the center of that solution. I’m looking forward to seeing more and more people getting involved in this effort. –Sheryl WuDunn (March 2010) Sheryl WuDunn, an advocate for global women’s issues and proponent of Read more…
Tagged Asia, Conference, Education, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Goldman Sachs, Half the Sky, International Women’s Day, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance Conference, new york times, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, opportunity microfinance conference, Poverty, Sheryl WuDunn, Women, Women Leaders, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, Women's rights, WON
