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Top 5 Highlights from Opportunity’s 2011 in Review
As we take the first steps into 2012, it’s good to see where Opportunity International ventured on the road of 2011. We ran all over the globe and hiked into new territory both literally and figuratively. We celebrated milestones, and went to new heights, for the sake of our clients and the sustainable work of Read more…
Tagged 40th anniversary, 40th anniversary year-end campaign 2011, Africa, Banking on Women, Clients, Devex, Empact, Empact 100, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Future of Entrepreneurship Summit, India, Insight Trip, International Women's Day, Jump for Opportunity, Microensure, Microinsurance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Richard Leftley, Side by Side, sustainable finance award, USA Today, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Celebrating 40 Years of Microfinance with the “Holiday Fête” in Scottsdale, Arizona
On Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, 2011, the members of Opportunity International’s Arizona Board of Governors hosted the “Holiday Fête: Commemorating 40 Years of Client Impact and Transformation,” a 40th-anniversary celebration at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale. “ is proud to celebrate our 40th year of working alongside our clients, staff and supporters to fight global poverty,” Read more…
Tagged 2011 YAO Insight Trip, 40th anniversary, Africa, Arizona, Banking on Women, Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Cindy Schwab-Salem, David Simms, fundraisers, Global Microfinance Operations, Jon Yasuda, Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, Kelly Flanagan, MFI, Microfinance, mobile banks, Opportunity International, Scottsdale, Tanzania, Tanzania Correspondent Contest, Trust Groups, Women, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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
Today, Opportunity International and Empact’s Young Entrepreneurs Are at the White House
Today, Opportunity International and Empact visit the White House. Empact, formerly known as Extreme Entrepreneurship Education, is honoring the country’s top 100 young entrepreneurs on their Empact 100 list at a White House event with senior administration officials from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Opportunity staff member Sonya Perez-Lauterbach, the manager of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO), Read more…
Tagged Empact, Empact 100, Future of Entrepreneurship Summit, Global Entrepreneurship Week, Kaufmann Foundation, Opportunity International, Poverty, Startup America Partnership, Washington D.C., White House, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Tunes for Tanzania–who knew a Tuesday could be this good?
While everyone seemed moved by the goal of building a bank in Tanzania, as I gauged from the robust rounds of applause, Tuesday’s Tunes for Tanzania event was also just a good time for all. We packed into Schubas in Chicago to listen to the music of three different bands; we strategized to win tantalizing Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Go Long Mule, Ivory Coats, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Rachel McClusky, Schubas, Tanzania, Tunes for Tanzania, YAO, YAO-Chicago, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Meet Ugandan Staff Member Frida Mungoma, Education Finance Manager
This past Monday, just after arriving in the United States, Opportunity Uganda‘s Education Finance Manager Wakhasa Frida Mungoma–known as Frida–sat down with me at the Opportunity-US offices in Oak Brook, Ill. for a discussion of her work, the challenges she faces and the most rewarding aspects of her job. Below, see brief excerpts of my Read more…
Tagged Africa, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Frida Mungoma, international staff, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, School Proprietor Loans, school proprietors, Students, Uganda, Women, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, YAO-New York, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Innovating to Meet Community Needs
“The more you listen and respond… the way you increase your chances of success and long term benefit is dramatic,” stated Jim Frantz, chief transformation officer at Opportunity Colombia, speaking about the importance of having local input and ownership when implementing initiatives in impoverished communities. This breakout session highlighted just a few of the innovative solutions Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Colombia, Community, Conference, Craig DeRoy, David Allman, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Jim Frantz, Latin America, Nicaragua, OIC2011, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Nicaragua, Poverty, roof and floor program, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Microinsurance: A Powerful Safety Net
Opportunity’s MicroEnsure, the world’s first microinsurance intermediary, provides protection against the many risks faced by those living in poverty. Today, more than 3.2 million clients can fall back on our crop, loan, health, life and property insurance products in times of hardship or disaster. Who’d have thought that getting up at 8 a.m. on a Read more…
Tagged Microensure, Microfinance, Microinsurance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Richard Leftley, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Banking on Education
A quality education empowers students with the skills and abilities to secure higher paying jobs, build strong families and help in the economic development of their communities. Today, we discovered how Opportunity’s Banking on Education program is increasing educational opportunities for more than 120,000 children in underserved neighborhoods in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. The panelists Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Education, Char Caldwell, Children, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Ghana, Kenya, Liesel Pritzker, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, School fee loans, Uganda, USAID, YAO, 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
