Blog Archives

Does the Shoe Fit?

By Opportunity International on April 11, 2013

Day 2: Opportunity International Philippines Insight Trip A post by Lisa Leslie Henderson As I reflect on the experiences of the day, in the hopes of choosing one to highlight in this blog, my thoughts drift to Imelda Marcos – the wife of Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. I’m thinking of her shoe fetish—she had Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Donors, Events, Faith in Action, Health, Insight Trips, Loan officer, Local Staffing, Our Method, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Poverty, Resources, Women
Tagged Imelda Marcos, Philippines, The Philippines

What We’re Reading: Banking in Africa: Continent of Dreams

By Allison Bearden on March 22, 2013

Africa is the next frontier for banks from all corners of the globe. Last week, The Economist aptly portrayed both the high hope and sheer uncertainty felt by financial institutions serving the African continent in Banking in Africa: Continent of Dreams. A number of the article’s key points are central to both why and how Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Our Work, Poverty, Resources, Rural Outreach, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Banking, Banking Tools, Economic development, Economics, Economist, Rural banking

The Power of Technology to Eradicate Poverty

By Opportunity International on January 18, 2013

Technology efficiently and cheaply brings financial services to people in remote or rural areas. It breaks through barriers throughout the developing world, where people are excluded from financial services because of illiteracy, expensive transportation and geographic isolation. With the support of our strategic partners, individual donors and dedicated staff, Opportunity International leverages technology to help free people Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Biometrics, Cell phone banking, Client Stories, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, POS devices, Poverty, Resources, Savings, Strategic Partners, Technology, Where We Work, Women
Tagged Africa, Annie Nyangomba, ATMs, biometric fingerprint technology, Cell phone banking, Client Stories, Clients, Cloud technology, Community, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Ending Poverty, Felicitus Mmboge, Financial services, Global Poverty, invest in technology, Kenya, Kinshasa, Leaders, Loans, local staff, Marie-Claire Ina, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Nairobi, Opportunity International, POS devices, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Technology

Uganda Clients Increase Savings

By Opportunity International on January 9, 2013

Leveraging creative community outreach, Opportunity International Uganda is helping clients invest in their own futures through savings accounts. In just a few months in 2012, a savings drive launched by Opportunity Uganda increased the value of clients’ deposits by 23%, according to the bank’s CEO, André Lalumière. André attributes the campaign’s success to radio advertising Read more…

Posted in Events, Local Staffing, Microfinance, Our Leadership, Our Method, Our Work, Resources, Savings, Training, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, André Lalumière, bank branch, Banking, Banks, Branch staff, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Impact, Impact newsletter, Kalagi, Kampala, Loan Officers, local staff, Microfinance, Nateete, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Savings, savings drive, Uganda

Habitat for Humanity & Opportunity Join Forces to Improve Housing in Africa

By Opportunity International on November 7, 2012

Opportunity International and Habitat for Humanity announced a new partnership to increase access to better housing for families living in poverty. The two organizations will collaborate to provide home improvement financing, housing support services and construction technical assistance to impoverished people to enhance the well-being of communities, beginning in Ghana, followed by Malawi and Uganda. Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Leadership, Our Work, Resources, Rural Outreach, Savings, Strategic Partners, Training
Tagged Adwoa Kwatemaa, Africa, CEO, financial literacy training, Financial services, Ghana, Habitat for Humanity, housing, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Partnership, press release, Savings, strategic partners, sub-Saharan Africa, Training, Uganda, urbanization, Vicki Escarra

Lend Your Voice to The Global Appeal for Responsible Microfinance

By Opportunity International on September 20, 2012

The following post was originally published on the Center for Financial Inclusion blog by Meghan Greene, Manager of the Microfinance CEO Working Group, the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion. Today, in front of the 3,000 attendees of the Convergences 2015 World Forum in Paris, microfinance leaders unveiled the “Global Appeal for Responsible Microfinance,” a landmark Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Our Work, Resources, Strategic Partners, What We're Reading
Tagged Accion, Client Protection Principles, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, FINCA, Freedom from Hunger, Global Poverty, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance CEO Working Group, Millennium Development Goals, Opportunity International, Paris, Poverty, Pro Mujer, Un millennium development goals, VisionFund International, Women's World Banking, World Vision

Microfinance’s Risky Lending Is a Safe Bet

By Kadita Tshibaka on September 17, 2012

The following post by Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, on our Board of Directors, was originally published on The Huffington Post. As I look at the microfinance industry globally, I’m encouraged by the trends and the progress we’ve achieved so far. Whether you search in Wikipedia, CGAP or MIX Market, whatever the source of the data and Read more…

Posted in Agricultural Finance, Bank Building, Education, In the News, Loans, Local Staffing, Microinsurance, Our Leadership, Our Method, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Resources, Savings, Technology, Training, What We're Reading
Tagged Africa, Board of Directors, CGAP, Clients, code of conduct, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Huffington Post, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance industry, mitigate risk, MIX Market, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, Smart Campaign, Training, Transformational Training, Uganda, what we're reading

What We’re Pinning: Our Top Picks This Week on Pinterest

By Opportunity International on July 27, 2012

Everybody on Pinterest has their favorite pins—ones that make you stop and think, move you to take action, or just make you smile. So each week we’re going to share our top picks with you. If they’re some of your favorites too, repin them and share with your friends!

Posted in Resources, Strategic Partners, What We're Pinning, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Cairo, Children, Colombia, Egypt, Gender equality, Geraldine Ferraro, Girls, Half the Sky, Latin America, Mahatma Gandhi, photo blog, photos, Pinterest, Poverty, Social Media, Tanzania, Unicef, what we're pinning, Women, Women Leaders, World Vision

Evangelism is More Than Words

By Guest Post on July 5, 2012

The following post was written by Bob Lupton–a community developer, entrepreneur, and a member of the Board of Directors for Opportunity’s Nicaragua Community Economic Development Project–who brings together communities of resource with communities of need. He’s the founder of the nonprofit FCS Urban Ministries and in the past 40 years has developed housing, congregations, and Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, Our Motivation, Our Work, Resources, Rural Outreach, Where We Work
Tagged Asset-Based Community Development, Atlanta, Bob Lupton, Catholic, charity, christian, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Community development, congregation, Ending Poverty, evangelism, faith, Faith in Action, FCS Urban Ministries, God, Gospel, housing, Jesus Christ, Loans, Nicaragua, Opportunity International, Poverty, Supporters, The Good News, The Opportunity Summit, Toxic Charity

Photo Blog: Happy Fourth of July

By Opportunity International on July 3, 2012

For clients, freedom is… What does freedom mean to you? Leave us your comments below. Happy Independence Day!

Posted in Events, Loans, Microinsurance, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Resources, Rural Outreach, Savings, Training, Trust Groups, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Asia, Clients, Colombia, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Fourth of July, Ghana, Global Poverty, Health insurance, Independence Day, India, Latin America, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microensure, Microfinance, Mothers, Opportunity International, Philippines, Poverty, roof and floor program, Savings, Schools, Students, Tanzania, Training, Trust Groups, Women

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