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Supporting Rural Farmers, Reducing Poverty and Hunger
The John Deere Foundation recently approved a $2.5 million grant to support Opportunity’s agricultural finance program, which will extend a full range of financial services and crop-specific to smallholder farmers in five countries in Africa. “We are impressed with the progress that Opportunity International has made in increasing access to financial services for African farmers, food processors and retailers,” said John Bustle, vice president, John Deere Foundation. “Likewise, we are Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Banking on Africa, Clients, crops, Ending Poverty, Farmers, Financial services, Food security, Ghana, Global Poverty, john deere, john deere foundation, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Savings, Smallholder farmer, sub-Saharan Africa
Why is Microinsurance a Powerful Safety Net for Clients?
Last week, Opportunity supporters and staff dialed in for a lunchtime conference call with Richard Leftley, the president and CEO of MicroEnsure, Opportunity’s microinsurance subsidiary. Leftley shared background on MicroEnsure’s growth in recent years and then answered callers’ questions on what he envisions for the organization’s future. He detailed how insurance is an indispensable tool Read more…
Tagged Africa, Asia, credit life insurance, Crop insurance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, funeral insurance, Ghana, Health insurance, India, Insight Trip, Insurance, Kilimanjaro, Microensure, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Mobile Phones, OIC2011, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, property insurance, Richard Leftley, Tanzania, Weather-index crop insurance, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
CGI Session-Going Small for Big Results: Microfranchise and Entrepreneurial Growth
It’s been a full first day already at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. This morning, CGI sessions have explored climate change with President Clinton and eight other world leaders, population issues with Clinton and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, author of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Then, attendees learned Read more…
Tagged #CGI2011, Africa, Bill Clinton, CGI, CGI 2011, Climate Change, Clinton Global Initiative, Community, Conference, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Loans, Lost Boys of Sudan, MFI, Microfinance, New York, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity International, Poverty, President Clinton, Sudan, The New York Times, Valentino Achak Deng, Women's World Banking, Zimbabwe
A Look Back at YAO’s Summer Fun 2011
Summer 2011 was a busy season for YAO chapters across the country. From a soccer tournament in San Francisco, to the Chicago Half Marathon, to networking at Chapter Happy Hours, Young Ambassadors organized fun summer events that got them inspired and energized to put their passion to end poverty into action. Here are highlights from Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Chicago Half Marathon, chicago half marathon and 5K, Community, Conference, Ending Poverty, Events, Facebook, Financial services, fundraisers, Global Poverty, Insurance, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Tanzania, Poverty, Savings, Tanzania, Training, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, YAO-Chicago, YAO-Denver, yao-la, yao-los angeles, YAO-New York, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Class Is in Session at Neighborhood School Near Kumasi, Ghana
As U.S. students settle into the new school year, we check in with a Ghanaian school in the IDP Rising Schools Program, an initiative created and implemented by the IDP Foundation, Inc., in partnership with Opportunity International and Sinapi Aba Trust (SAT), which funds the development of quality local private schools in Ghana through school proprietor loans and other financial and Read more…
Tagged Africa, Children, Community, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Global Poverty, IDP Foundation, IDP Foundation Rising Schools Program, IDP Rising Schools, Kumasi, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Poverty, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Sinapi Aba Trust, Students, Youth
Kenyan Government Declares Two Days of Mourning for Victims of Monday’s Fire
On Tuesday, Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki declared Wednesday, Sept. 14 and Thursday, Sept. 15 to be days of national mourning following Monday’s oil pipeline fire that has claimed the lives of more than 100 people to date, and injured more than 100 others. The president and the national Cabinet have determined that during these two days, Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, fire, Global Poverty, Kenya, Microfinance, Nairobi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty, tragedy, Women, Youth
Photo Journey of Meeting Microfinance Clients in Rwanda and Uganda
Uganda- A young girl (right) welcomes an Opportunity International visitor from the floor of her father’s shop in a Kampala market. Her young father is an enterprising entrepreneur and Trust Group member who runs a small boutique that sells both new and old clothes, mattresses, and small luggage. Business is good, he reports, and he Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Genocide, Insight Trip, Kampala, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rwanda, Training, Trust Groups, Uganda
What We’re Reading: ONE Blog on Horn of Africa Conference Call with Dikembe Mutombo, Cindy McCain, K’naan
On Friday, Aug. 26th, ONE hosted a conference call with Cindy McCain, musician K’naan and NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo about the famine in the Horn of Africa, answering ONE members’ questions and discussing news from the ground. Below, see the post on the ONE Blog about the call. “How can we help?” That was the question Read more…
Tagged Africa, conference call, Drought, East Africa, Ending Hunger, Ending Poverty, famine, Financial services, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Global Poverty, guest blog, Hunger, MFI, Microfinance, ONE, ONE blog, Opportunity International, refugee, refugee camp, Twitter, World Food Programme
