Blog Archives

The Power of Technology to Eradicate Poverty

By Opportunity International on January 18, 2013

Technology efficiently and cheaply brings financial services to people in remote or rural areas. It breaks through barriers throughout the developing world, where people are excluded from financial services because of illiteracy, expensive transportation and geographic isolation. With the support of our strategic partners, individual donors and dedicated staff, Opportunity International leverages technology to help free people Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Biometrics, Cell phone banking, Client Stories, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, POS devices, Poverty, Resources, Savings, Strategic Partners, Technology, Where We Work, Women
Tagged Africa, Annie Nyangomba, ATMs, biometric fingerprint technology, Cell phone banking, Client Stories, Clients, Cloud technology, Community, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Ending Poverty, Felicitus Mmboge, Financial services, Global Poverty, invest in technology, Kenya, Kinshasa, Leaders, Loans, local staff, Marie-Claire Ina, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Nairobi, Opportunity International, POS devices, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Technology

What We’re Reading: Vicki Escarra in the Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneurial Supporters Empower Communities in Nicaragua

By Opportunity International on January 11, 2013

At Opportunity International, we see our experienced, resourced entrepreneurial supporters as a major asset to the organization that has led to ground-breaking innovations in our work. Today, in the Harvard Business Review, our CEO Vicki Escarra wrote a piece entitled “Funders Can Give More than Money.” Opportunity International’s staff and supporters are a team of innovators. Read more…

Posted in Donors, Loans, Our Leadership, Our Work, Training, Transformation, What We're Reading, Where We Work
Tagged Agriculture, Asset-Based Community Development, CED, Client Stories, Clients, Community, community economic development, David Allman, David Kone, donors, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Fundraising, Geralyn Sheehan, Harvard Business Review, Harvard University, Loans, Microfinance, Mission, Nicaragua, Opportunity International, Opportunity Nicaragua, Poverty, south america, Training, Vicki Escarra, what we're reading

$1.2 Million Raised, 8,000 Women Empowered in One Woman Holiday Challenge

By Opportunity International on January 10, 2013

A big thank you to the hundreds of amazing people who joined Opportunity International’s One Woman Holiday Challenge. At the end of 2012, we contributed more than $1.2 million in just 45 days to empower women in poverty! Together, we enabled over 8,000 women to grow businesses, increase their incomes, and have safe places to Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Donors, Fundraisers, Loans, Online Giving, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Trust Groups, Where We Work, Women
Tagged Africa, Asia, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Donations, Education, Ghana, goals, gypsy, India, invest in women, Nicaragua, One Woman Holiday Challenge, online campaign, Opportunity International, Poverty, south america, Trust Group, Women

Opportunity Ghana Innovates to Reach More Marginalized Clients

By Dana Lunberry on January 3, 2013

Opportunity Ghana is using innovative technology to provide financial services to a greater number of impoverished people in remote and rural areas of the country, many of whom have never before had access to formal banking. Through a “hub-and-spoke” method, Opportunity International uses low-cost delivery methods, including kiosk satellite branches, point-of-sale (POS) devices, cell phone Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Cell phone banking, Loan officer, Local Staffing, POS devices, Rural Outreach, Technology, Where We Work
Tagged accra, Africa, Banking, Cell phone banking, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial Access, Financial services, Ghana, Kumasi, Loan Officer, Loan repayment, Loans, Microfinance, mobile banking vehicle, OISL, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, POS devices, Technology

One Woman Transforms her Community in Colombia

By Opportunity International on December 13, 2012

Opportunity Colombia client Beduith María Henao Beltrán is a testament to the power of one woman to make a difference in the lives of many. In winter, Beduith’s street in the city of Barranquilla was clogged with mud and impassable, making life dangerous, unpleasant and inconvenient. This can also make it difficult for residents to Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Loan officer, Loans, Training, Trust Groups, Uncategorized, Women
Tagged Beduith Maria Henao Beltran, Colombia, Community, community organizer, Financial services, Loans, Microfinance, One Woman Holiday Challenge, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, south america, Training, Trust Groups, Women

Clients Stand Up and Speak Up on UN Human Rights Day

By Opportunity International on December 10, 2012

December 10 is UN Human Rights Day, an opportunity to celebrate universal human rights and advocate for the full enjoyment of all rights by all people, regardless of geography, gender, race or socioeconomic status. This year, Human Rights Day spotlights the rights of all people to make their voices heard in public life and to Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Events, Transformation, Videos, Where We Work, Women
Tagged accra, Africa, Client Stories, Clients, Community, community organizer, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Global Poverty, Human Rights, Human Rights Day, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Poverty, Transformation, United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, videos, Women

Serving the Whole Person with Opportunity’s Transformation Program

By Opportunity International on December 7, 2012

“It’s the dignity of it” was how one African loan client expressed herself to an off-duty staff member standing in line at an Opportunity International bank. She knew she had achieved success through the work of her own hands. Four million such stories play out each day all over the world as Opportunity strives to Read more…

Posted in Loan officer, Local Staffing, Our Method, Our Mission and Vision, Transformation, Trust Groups, What We're Reading
Tagged Africa, Asia, chief transformation officer, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Daniel Ryumugabe, Ending Poverty, Financial services, gypsies, holistic transformation, Impact, Impact newsletter, India, Loan Officer, local staff, Microfinance, Opportunity India, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Poverty, Rwanda, spiritual transformation, Transformation, Trust Groups, Valamarthi

Invest in Education Innovators with Opportunity

By Opportunity International on December 6, 2012

Education is the single largest determining factor for future economic status. Yet, 130 million young people worldwide are not in school — and 70% of them are girls. If a girl cannot complete secondary school, she is at a higher risk of illiteracy, HIV and early marriage, offering little chance of reaching her potential. Comfort Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, Education, Loans, Our Work, Women
Tagged accra, Africa, Ahobrase Academy, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Comfort Appiah, Community, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, invest in education, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Poverty, School fee loans, School Proprietor Loans, school proprietors, Schools, Students, Women

Six Powerful Women Taking Action: The Power of One to Make a Difference

By Emily Terrell on December 5, 2012

We believe in the power of one woman to make a difference. This week, we found stories of six women who are doing their part to impact the lives of many, in their communities and around the world. Each story shows the unique power of one woman, no matter where she is in the world Read more…

Posted in Client Stories, In the News, Our Mission and Vision, What We're Pinning, Women
Tagged afghanistan, amputee, Aung San Suu Kyi, Beduith, Beduith Maria Henao Beltran, Burma, Client Stories, Clients, Colombia, Community, Education, HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, Korea, Nonprofit, One Woman Holiday Challenge, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity International, The power of one, Trust Groups, Women

Opportunity International Honors World AIDS Day

By Brad Skeba on December 1, 2012

December 1, 2012 is World AIDS Day. Today, we at Opportunity International stand with millions around the world, including our clients, in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As an organization that offers AIDS education in some of the world’s hardest hit communities, we look forward to the day when families, friends and clients are freed from Read more…

Posted in Events, Health, Our Work, Training, Trust Groups, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, AIDS, Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, Brad Skeba, Clients, Community, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Education, Ending Poverty, Global Poverty, Health, HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS prevention, Microfinance, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Poverty, sub-Saharan Africa, Training, Trust Groups, Uganda, Unicef, World Aids Day, World Health Organization

Subscribe to the Blog

Search the Blog

Archives

Categories