Blog Archives

Meet Ugandan Staff Member Frida Mungoma, Education Finance Manager

By Emily Riemer on November 3, 2011

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…

Posted in Events, Local Staffing, Where We Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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

Class Is in Session at Neighborhood School Near Kumasi, Ghana

By Guest Post on September 16, 2011

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…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Where We Work
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

Back to School with a Visit to See Education Finance in Action in Uganda

By Mark Lutz on August 30, 2011

As we head back to school in the U.S., we’re thinking a lot about our educational loan clients and school proprietors around the world, and the impoverished children who are receiving an education because of them. Here, staff member Mark shares what he learned about education finance on his recent visit to a primary school in Kampala, Read more…

Posted in Insight Trips, Loans, Our Work, Resources, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Back to School, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Children, Clients, Community, Education, Education finance, education microfinance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Insight Trip, Kampala, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rise and Shine School, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Students, Uganda, Youth

Unlocking Potential Through the Power of Education

By Opportunity International on August 19, 2011

Opportunity’s financial products, educational programs and business training help impoverished families, especially women, develop their capacity to the fullest. Where poverty is the way of life, people’s potential is often overshadowed by the struggle to survive. But when equipped with the right tools, even the most vulnerable are able to change their own world and create a better future for their Read more…

Posted in Local Staffing, Our Work, Resources, Strategic Partners, Training, Where We Work
Tagged 2010 Annual Report, Africa, Banking on Education, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, IDP Foundation Rising Schools Program, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Uganda

Photo Blog: We’re Banking on Africa

By Opportunity International on August 10, 2011

This summer, Opportunity has launched the Banking on Africa Campaign. The campaign aims to bring millions of Sub-Saharan Africans closer to the day when they can safely deposit their savings, access loans to grow businesses, and purchase affordable insurance to protect their families—right in their own communities. Check out a photo tour below of some Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Our Leadership, Resources, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Children, Clients, Dikembe Mutombo, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Kenya, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicles, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Malawi, opportunity mozambique, Opportunity South Africa, Opportunity Tanzania, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rwanda, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Students, Tanzania, Uganda

What We’re Watching: Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka’s Voice of America Interview on Congo Grand Opening

By Opportunity International on June 8, 2011

Following the grand opening of our first regulated microfinance institution in the DR Congo, Congolese native and Opportunity supporter Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka appeared on Voice of America‘s In Focus TV program, which airs throughout Africa, to discuss the growth of microfinance in the DRC and the impact of Opportunity DRC on the lives of the Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Loans, Our Leadership, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged Bank Building, Banking on Education, Children, Clients, Congo, Congolese, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, DRC Grand Opening, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, Kinshasa, Loans, Media, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Poverty, Schools, Students, TV

What We’re Reading: “Microfinance: Women’s Way Out”

By Opportunity International on December 22, 2010

Every Wednesday, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We feature works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the work we do at Opportunity. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–-tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece we’ve highlighted. The following Read more…

Posted in Insight Trips, Loans, Local Staffing, Microinsurance, Our Work, Savings, Training, Trust Groups, What We're Reading, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Africa, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Dorothy Tendero, Education, Education finance, educational microfinance, Ending Poverty, Gates Foundation, Girls, Global Center for Women's Land Rights, Insight Trip, Insurance, Investing in Women and Girls, Julie Hindmarsh, ladybird infant primary school, Loans, Mariam Noah, MFI, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Millennium Development Goals, Mobile Banking, Mothers, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rosemary, Rosemary Namande, Ruth-Anne Renaud, Savings, Schools, Students, The Case for Support: Bringing Opportunity to Women, Training, Trust Groups, Uganda, UN Millennium Campaign, Un millennium development goals, what we're reading, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WomenEntrepreneur.com, WON

Educational Entrepreneurs, Bringing Schools to the Underserved

By Opportunity International on November 1, 2010

Education is one of the most vital development tools for individuals and countries. Through the Banking on Education initiative, we’ve disbursed over 450 loans to educational entrepreneurs operating private schools in underserved neighborhoods in Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, the Dominican Republic, and India. As part of this initiative, Opportunity also partners with the IDP Foundation Rising Schools Read more…

Posted in Board of Governors, Events, Insight Trips, Loans, Local Staffing, Microfinance Conference, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Trust Groups, Where We Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, Africa, Banking on Education, Board of Governors, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Conference, Dominican Republic, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, IDP Foundation, IDP Foundation Rising Schools Program, India, Insight Trip, Liesel Pritzker, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Sanitation, School fee loans, School fees, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, strategic partners, Students, Teddy Ajiku, Trust Group, Trust Groups, Uganda

Irene Pritzker, IDP Foundation, Honored with Global Philanthropy Award

By Opportunity International on September 17, 2010

Opportunity International congratulates Irene Pritzker, co-founder and president of the IDP Foundation, Inc., who will be honored with the Foreign Policy Association’s Global Philanthropy Award at the World Leadership Forum Dinner on Sept. 22, 2010. The IDP Foundation is a strategic partner[/intlink] to Opportunity International, working with us on campaigns to promote education and educational Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Where We Work
Tagged Education, Education finance, educational finance, educational microfinance, Ending Poverty, foreign policy association, Ghana, Global Philanthropy, Global Philanthropy Award, IDP Foundation, IDP Foundation Rising Schools Program, irene pritzker, Microfinance, Opportunity International, strategic partners, world policy forum

“5 Myths About Poverty that Christians Should Renounce” by Mark Lutz

By Opportunity International on September 16, 2010

Mark Lutz, Opportunity’s senior vice president of global philanthropy and author of the book UnPoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor, wrote the following post on CNN’s Belief Blog, renouncing five myths about global poverty. See the original post on CNN’s Belief Blog. To learn more about the book UnPoverty, check out UnPoverty.org and our recent blog post[/intlink]. Poverty Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, Our Leadership, Our Work, What We're Reading
Tagged Africa, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, christian, christianity, Clients, CNN, CNN.com, Education, Education finance, educational finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Global Philanthropy, Global Poverty, Jesus Christ, Loans, mark lutz, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, unpoverty

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