Reaching a Younger Generation through Inspirational Children’s Book

You can never be too young to understand the power of microfinance.  Just ask Opportunity’s team of volunteers who bring lessons of microfinance to life in the classroom through One Hen, an award-winning children’s tale.  Championed by the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON), the One Hen volunteer program seeks to connect Opportunity supporters with young children to inspire the next generation of global citizens and philanthropists.  

One Hen tells the inspirational story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana, who uses one small loan to buy a hen, build up his business, transform his family’s life and provide a livelihood for generations of villagers.  This remarkable true story is based on the life of Dr. Kwabena Darko, former chairman of the board of directors of Opportunity International Ghana and now one of the largest chicken farmers in West Africa.

One Hen is more than just words on a page, however. OneHen.org is designed to educate children and families about the benefits of microfinance and provides educational resources for parents and teachers. The site, which has won several awards, features interactive games where children can earn beads and then invest their beads on www.onehen.org, to match real loans made from Opportunity International to micro entrepreneurs around the world .The students match the money being sent bead for penny while learning about Microfinance.

WON’s relationship with One Hen provides Opportunity supporters with the necessary tools to reach a new generation of doers and enables volunteers to share the lessons of microfinance with others. Through these programs and others, WON connects the global community of women by supporting and empowering them individually, in their families and throughout their communities.

Watch how Katie Smith Milway, author of One Hen and ABC person of the week, brings microfinance lessons into the classroom.

Schools can learn about Kojo’s story at www.onehen.org. Put your learning’s into practice and form a social entrepreneurship business –the funds raised can be donated to help fund the loan of a hard working entrepreneur featured on www.optinnow.org  

Email won@oppportunity.org to learn more about how you can take the lessons of microfinance to children in your own community.