Blog Archives

Serving the People of Malawi with a New Satellite Bank Branch

By Opportunity International on May 18, 2010

Community members in Ndirande, Malawi admire the new satellite bank branch. Exciting news from Malawi… Opportunity Malawi has now opened a satellite bank branch in Ndirande Township, an informal settlement located three miles south of Blantyre and six miles from Limbe, and the largest community in the Blantyre area. The roads in the densely populated township Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Our Work, Savings, Technology, Training, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, ATMs, Cell phone banking, Credit Suisse, Family, Loans, Malawi, Marketplace, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Ndirande, Opportunity International, OptINnow, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Technology, Training, Women's Opportunity Network, WON

Ambassador Melanne Verveer Discusses the Global Roles of Women

By Emily Riemer on May 13, 2010

Welcome to the 21st-century reality: empowering women in the developing world alleviates poverty and grows economies. Gender equality equals smart economic progress. On Tuesday, May 4, Ambassador Melanne Verveer addressed the Chicago Council on Global Affairs about the importance of women’s roles in global economic growth. In the discussion entitled “Investing in Women, Enriching the World,” Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Savings, Training, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Ambassador, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Empowerment, Ending Poverty, Food security, Gender, Gender equality, Global Women's Issues, Half the Sky, Hillary Clinton, HIV/AIDS, International development, Melanne Verveer, Microfinance, Nutrition, Opportunity International, Poverty, President Obama, Ruth-Anne, State Department, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Strong Women: The Heart of Community in Kampala, Uganda

By Cynthia Greenwood on March 7, 2010

I woke up today, on the eve of International Women’s Day, thinking about the remarkable women clients I met on a recent trip to Kampala to visit Opportunity Uganda’s operations. For me, these women give new meaning to the words “hardworking,” “committed,” “brave,” and “strong.” Opportunity Loan Officer Charity Namutebi works out of the Read more…

Posted in Loans, Local Staffing, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Savings, Training, Trust Groups, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged $2 a day, AIDS, Build businesses, Charity Namutebi, Client Stories, Community, International Women's Day, Loan Officer, Loans, Mariam Noah, Nuulu Nankya, Opportunity Uganda, Orphans, Ruth Nassimbwa, Savings, Schools, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Two Days of Discovery in Uganda

By Ruth-Anne Renaud on February 8, 2010

Cynthia Greenwood, Opportunity’s public relations specialist, and I recently traveled to Uganda and Kenya to capture the stories of Opportunity’s clients, programs, loan officers and services. We started our trip in Kampala, Uganda, where we spent two days discovering the intersections amongst our clients: a school proprietor, a Trust group, marketplace vendors, and children that Read more…

Posted in Insight Trips, Loans, Local Staffing, Microinsurance, Our Mission and Vision, Rural Outreach, Savings, Training, Trust Groups, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged AIDS, Banking on Education, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Education, Financial services, Kenya, Loan Officers, Loans, Savings, School, School fee loans, Training, Trust Group, Uganda, Women

Melinda Gates Highlights Opportunity International

By Rob Meloche on January 29, 2010

Earlier this week, Opportunity International was honored to host Melinda Gates as she visited some of our clients and experienced our banking services in Malawi. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Opportunity is expanding access to savings accounts, loans, training and insurance to people struggling to work their way out of Read more…

Posted in Microinsurance, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Strategic Partners
Tagged Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Davos, Financial Access, Health, Healthcare, Malawi, Melinda Gates, Mobile Banking, Rural banking, Savings, Savings account, World Economic Forum

With a Grateful Heart I: Mrs. Jabalasa’s Potatoes and Promise

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on November 24, 2009

This year as we stock up on pumpkin and pecans, cook our Thanksgiving meals and recount our blessings, I am reminded of those who provide their communities with food. In particular, I’m thinking of an Opportunity International client with a food retail business who has found security in financial services this year. Mrs. Jabalasa has a successful potato Read more…

Posted in Our Work, Savings
Tagged Client Stories, Clients, Financial services, Malawi, Savings account, Thanksgiving

Help Create Opportunity for Women Worldwide

By Guest Post on November 13, 2009

The following is a guest post from Women’s Opportunity Network Member, Susan Gillette: I have just finished reading “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn. It’s a difficult but inspiring read about the oppression of women in the developing world Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Savings, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Community, Education, Half the Sky, Nicholas D. Kristof, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

More Than a Loan: Investing in Holistic Approaches to Microfinance

By Guest Post on October 29, 2009

The following is a guest post from Betsy Perdue, Chair, Women’s Opportunity Network: Tomorrow, I will be participating in a panel with two other Opportunity International supporters at the Chicago Global Donor Network’s 6th annual conference, “Opportunity in Tough Times.” Our panel is titled “More than a Loan: Investing in Holistic Approaches to Microfinance.” Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Savings, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Chicago Global Donor Network’s 6th annual conference, Chicago Global Donors Network, Hotel Rwanda, Microfinance, Microloans, Paul Rusesabagina, Rwanda, Savings, Women's Philanthropy, Women’s Opportunity Network, WON

Saving Their Way Out of Poverty

By Steve Nelson on October 29, 2009

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…

Posted in Bank Building, Loans, Our Work, Savings, Where We Work
Tagged Clients, Entrepreneurs, Ghana, Markets, Mobile Banking, Opportunity Ghana, Savings, Susu collectors

Equipping Countries to be Agriculturally Self-Sustainable

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on October 15, 2009

There is a green revolution occurring in the developing world led by passionate individuals with a heart for change. Within this revolution, Opportunity International is equipping nations to do something radical–to feed themselves. In honor of www.blogactionday.org, I would like to introduce Lucas Chingore. Lucas is a farmer in Mozambique. His desire was to farm Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Savings, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Agrifinance, Blog Action Day, Climate Change, Community, Enough, Farmer, Financial Access, Financial services, Food security, Food Sustainability, Ghana, Green Revolution, Kenya, Loans, Lucas Chingore, Malawi, Mozambique, Roger Thurow, Rwanda, Savings, Scott Kilman, South Africa, Sustainable development, Tanzania and Uganda

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