Blog Archives

Gender Integration highlighted at USAID Administrator Confirmation Hearing

By Ruth-Anne Renaud on December 4, 2009

We are pleased to share that on Wednesday, December 2nd at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Confirmation Hearing for Dr. Rajiv Shah, the nominee for USAID Administrator, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) posed a a question to Dr. Shah on gender integration, and specifically asked for Dr. Shah’s commitment to carry out gender integration as part Read more…

Posted in Loans, Training, Trust Groups, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Children, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Education, Female entrepreneurs, Food Security Initiative, Foreign assistance, Gender, Gender integration, Infant-mortality rate, Microfinance, Poverty, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin, USAID, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, Women's rights, WON

#MifiMon: Women and Microfinance

By Guest Post on December 2, 2009

The following is a guest post by Sheethal Shobowale, Kiva Fellow at MFIs Asociación Arariwa in Cusco, Peru and Emprender in La Paz, Bolivia starting in January. Interested in learning about microfinance? Follow our biweekly Twitter discussion group #mifimon (because Microfinance Mondays was too long for Twitter’s 140-character limit). Our aim is to host an Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Training, Trust Groups, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged #MifiMon, Accion, Clients, Community, Community development, Education, Entrepreneurs, Equal opportunity, Gender equality, Group lending, Healthcare, Kiva, Lending Laws, Loan Officers, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Savings, Seven Bar Foundation, Social Performance Indicators Blog, The Next 4 Billion, Training, Trust Groups, Twitter, WAM, Women, Women Advancing Microfinance, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

World AIDS Day: Lending Hope to Africa

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on December 1, 2009

AIDS continues to devastate sub-Saharan Africa. Thirty million people have died already, leaving 14 million orphans behind. Without decisive action, millions more will die, at the rate of over 6,600 a day. This figure is likely to increase because of the 9,500 new daily infections in Africa alone. Today marks World AIDS Day. The day Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Training, Trust Groups, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, AIDS, Crisis, Dorothy Kanjautso, Education, HIV/AIDS, Loans, Opportunity International, Orphans, Poverty, Training, Trust Groups, Women, World Aids Day

Shalom… the way things ought to be.

By David M. Knibbe on November 28, 2009

While in Ghana a week ago, I visited the Peace International School. In this particular location just outside of Sunyani, Opportunity International and IDP Foundation Rising Schools are partnering to provide financial services and training to the private school’s proprietor so she can offer a quality education to more children living in poverty. Our clients Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Training
Tagged Banking on Education, Children, Clients, Education, Financial services, Ghana, IDP Foundation, Peace International School, Poverty, Training

Opportunity India Redefines "Astitva"

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on October 6, 2009

“Astitva” is the identity of an Indian woman. While by tradition Indian women are supposed to be respected, common practice dictates that an Indian woman’s contributions usually go unnoticed. Her struggles are unacknowledged, and her dreams are not heard. Opportunity India is working to redefine “Astitva.” Through affordable loans for capital, buttressed by business and Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Training, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Astitva, Education, Henrietta Isaac, India, Loans, Opportunity India, Training, Women

The Power of Mobile Money

By Estelle Berger on October 5, 2009

The microfinance world was buzzing this week about the latest edition of The Economist (9/24/09), which features a special report on the “power of mobile money.” According to Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University’s Earth Institute, the mobile phone has become “the single most transformative tool for development.” A number of innovative uses for the phone Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Loans, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology, Training
Tagged Africa, Economist, G-Cash, Information and communications technology, Kenya, M-banking, M-PESA, Malawi, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity Kenya, Philippines, Safaricom, Smart Money, Tanzania, WIZZIT

#Mifimon: Microfinance in Your Backyard

By Amy Carol Wolff on October 5, 2009

Twitter folks present (in alphabetical order): @AJRenold, @amycarolwolff, @Grameen_DC, @ianscotthaisley, @lethalsheethal, @lend4health, @optinnow, @rarenaud, @robgarciasj, @savetogether This week’s call to action: Find an article on U.S. microfinance and post it as a response to this blog and on our #Mifimon facebook page. Have a conversation with a friend or colleague about U.S. microfinance and tell Read more…

Posted in Loans, Microinsurance, Our Work, Technology, Training
Tagged #MifiMon, Accion, Activists, Banking, Education, Financial services, Grameen America, Lend 4 Health, Microfinance, OptINnow, Poverty, Training, Twitter, Women's Philanthropy

Live: A Report from Opportunity’s Colombia Staff #BOG09

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on October 3, 2009

Jim Frantz and Olga Perez have dedicated their lives to serving the poor. Working at our bank in Opportunity Colombia, they see triumph and heartbreak. Their story today was one of transformation. Colombia is an exciting place for microfinance. With almost 50% of Colombians living below the poverty line, and with so many displaced people, Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Training, Trust Groups
Tagged #BOG09, Board of Governors, Client Stories, Clients, Colombia, Jim Frantz, Loan Officer, Microfinance, Olga Perez, Opportunity Colombia, Trust Groups

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