International news agencies such as Voice of America, BBC, and United Press International (UPI) have reported that tensions surrounding the elections resulted in violence that led to 18 civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries. Election results were scheduled to be released on Tuesday, Dec. 6, but have been postponed, and we are awaiting further updates.

In Kinshasa, Gilbert Lagaillarde, CEO of Opportunity DRC, and his staff are closely monitoring the situation surrounding the elections. Opportunity DRC clients are some of the most vulnerable people in Kinshasa, and any disruption to their businesses and livelihoods will have profound consequences for them. The safety and security of Opportunity DRC staff members and our clients is the top priority, and should the violence escalate within the areas where we operate, our branches will be closed until it is once again safe to resume operations. Measures have also been taken to protect the buildings that house Opportunity DRC’s operations, its equipment and other assets, and to mitigate any harm that may occur in the event that tensions further escalate.

We are grateful to report that at this time, all of our staff appear to be safe, and that none of our branches in the DRC have been damaged by the violence that has occurred during the past week.

Opportunity International will continue to monitor developments pertaining to the elections and any resulting unrest that may occur in the days following the release of the election results. We are in daily communication with our staff as they attempt to sort through the situation and gather information on our branches and clients. We’ll provide you updates on our Facebook page and on the Opportunity Blog as they become available.

Please join our prayer for the people of the DRC.

Several weeks ago Gilbert Lagaillarde spoke to Voice of America’s In Focus program about Opportunity’s microfinance operations and the important ways these impact the lives of people in the DRC. Watch the interview here.

“In the Horn of Africa, even in the midst of tragedy, there is a common humanity that unites us all.” -Rajiv Shah, Administrator, USAID

Along with the tragic photos and stories, Shah presented a bleak picture of the future. “More than 30,000 children have already died,” he said. “And the UN estimates that 750,000 more will die from this crisis, not just from lack of food but from disease.” And yet, this is a picture, Shah insisted, that should make the U.S. people proud. As a country and an administration, we’ve deeply invested in this crisis. Along with the help of the World Bank, and most importantly, the governments of Kenya and Somalia, more than eight million people who would’ve been highly vulnerable due to the famine are not, said Shah. A significant portion of our investment has been in vaccinations, both for children and animals, in order to prevent disease. Shah showed the audience a slide of Second Lady Jill Biden visiting a greenhouse outside of Nairobi, where they are growing a more nutritious orange-fleshed sweet potato that will give children more vitamin A to better stave off malnutrition and disease. We also understand the cultural aspect of dealing with this crisis, he said. “We know that women are the key to feeding the children. We know that when more income goes to women, they will use it for the family, contributing it to the education and nutrition of the children, and helping the community move out of poverty.”

Dr. Rajiv Shah at the Nov. 17th talk in Chicago.

Shah went on to discuss more than just the Horn of Africa crisis. He also reminded the audience of the continued need in Haiti. (“Though U.S. people have given overwhelmingly to Haiti, most don’t know the scale of what is still going on.”) He called attention to Feed the Future, the pledge made by President Obama at the 2009 G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy, in light of the 2007-2008 food price spikes and the burgeoning global financial crisis at the time. Feed the Future was a response to the G8 leaders’ acknowledgement that these crises would have the greatest effect on more than three billion of the most vulnerable and impoverished people worldwide. He emphasized the need to represent all findings connected to Feed the Future in a transparent way so that the government will continue to support it going forward.

He also talked about the long-term economic and cultural implications of raising children under chronic malnutrition. He said that a crisis of this magnitude could actually affect children’s ability to one day contribute to the economy, stunting their long-term mental and physical development. He cited studies in which MRIs actually show long-term deterioration of brain matter, and other neurological damage, due to undernutrition and malnutrition in early development.

Visualizing Facebook friendships (by Paul Butler)

Finally, he emphasized the role that technology has played and will continue to play in empowering hungry people. He showed a slide of the world map ”according to Facebook.” The areas showing the most light were areas of high Facebook use and the places with the least light were no surprise: mostly, they were China, Russia, the Amazon, half of the Middle East and most of Africa. (See image at right.) Shah said that with the explosive growth of cell phones and the projected growth of Internet access throughout the developing world in the future, he expects that in 10-15 years on a map like this, “the whole world will be lit up.” The technological tools that NGOs and governments employ now to communicate with people in need, to ascertain where and who needs the most immediate help, and even to transfer money and goods, will only become more useful with greater technological infrastructure in place. He also called attention to Feed the Future’s new online campaign called FWD (Famine. War. Drought. Relief), a social media- and cell phone-based awareness campaign for the Horn of Africa crisis at usaid.gov/fwd.

This hour-long lunchtime talk with Administrator Shah was a provocative and, ultimately, relatively hopeful depiction of the current and future state of hungry people in the Horn of Africa, and the solution, according to Shah, is innovation. After all, he predicted, “The most entrepreneurial humanitarian organizations will continue to strive to think creatively and innovate to solve the world’s problems because they’re packed with people who care.”

Watch the live video stream of Summit plenary sessions, as well as the closing ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Follow the events of the conference on the Microcredit Summit Campaign’s Facebook page and on Twitter @MicroCredSummit at hashtag #2011MCSummit.

Richard Leftley’s workshop session, entitled “What Have We Learned about the Most Effective Ways to Use Micro-Insurance to Reduce Vulnerability: Health, Life, Disaster and More,” will reflect on the lessons Opportunity has learned in delivering microinsurance to millions of people in nine countries. The panel is chaired by Marten Leijon, Executive Director, Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), USA, and features: Craig Churchill, Social Finance Programme, International Labour Organization (ILO), Switzerland; Anne Hastings, CEO, Fonkoze Financial Services, Haiti; Pompy Sridhar, Vice President – Programme, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, India; and Thérèse Sandmark, Agricultural Microinsurance Officer, Grameen Crédit Acrigole Microfinance Foundation, France.

Watch this big annual event unfold in social media and in live video coverage, and join the conversation at #2011MCSummit as experts address some of the most crucial challenges facing the industry today.

Denver YAObeque

by Caitlin Andrews

Facing off for the kickball tourney at YAObeque.

YAO – Denver is happy to report that the 2011 YAObeque was a huge success! Held at Denver’s Sunken Gardens Park on Saturday, Aug. 27, over 30 people gathered to barbeque, play kickball, and spend time with a local community of engaged and globally minded young professionals. We had a great turnout with about half newcomers and half returning YAO supporters, making it a fantastic opportunity to continue spreading our roots in Denver after officially launching the chapter just last May.

We squared off in a big kickball tournament, and each of our four teams represented one of Opportunity’s microfinance products: savings, loans, training and insurance. Our event raised a total of $1,020 for Opportunity clients in Tanzania thanks to the Banking on Africa Campaign and an Opportunity donor who matched all contributions 2:1.

We’re continuing to build our local network of support through fun, educational events such as the YAObeque. A huge thanks to everyone who participated! If you’d like to stay up to date on Denver’s events, become a fan of YAO – Denver on Facebook.

YAO-LA Wipeout Poverty Beach Day

by Alison Oviedo

Returning a point at volleyball with YAO - LA.

Another beautiful day in L.A. made for a great day of meeting new friends, raising awareness and fundraising for Opportunity Tanzania at our Wipeout Poverty Beach Day on Saturday, Aug. 20! The generous donations of attendees, along with Opportunity’s Banking on Africa match, helped us raise over $3,500 for microfinance clients in Tanzania.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to make this opportunity a reality for Tanzanian clients! We were so happy to meet those of you who were new to YAO – LA and we’re looking forward to seeing you at future events. Stay tuned to YAO – LA’s Facebook group for more.

15th Annual Chicago Half Marathon & 5K

by Lauren Dillon

A few of Chicago's runners at the post-race tent.

I want all our Chicago runners to know they deserve a BIG thank you and a high five. On Sunday, Sept. 11 more than 20 YAO members and Opportunity staff showed up bright and early to run either the half marathon or a 5K on behalf of Opportunity’s clients overseas. It was a spectacular day!

As YAO member and half marathoner Kristen said, “What a fun event! I’m looking forward to growing this every year.” I feel the exact same way. We’re really excited to have everyone join us in the adventure of YAO – Chicago — expanding our network, growing people’s awareness, and raising money toward reaching more clients around the globe.

Thank you to all our runners and volunteers. You were ROCK STARS! For more photos from the day, check out YAO – Chicago on Facebook.

YAO members host events all year long because as Young Ambassadors they believe they can build community, learn and have fun all while promoting the work of Opportunity and breaking the cycle of poverty through microfinance. Thanks to everyone who broke a sweat this summer to get the word out about Opportunity and support our amazing clients around the world.

To put your fun ideas into action and join a community of like-minded young professionals join YAO at opportunity.org/yao.

Join YAO on Oct. 14-15 in San Francisco for Opportunity’s annual conference, “Innovating to End Poverty.” You’ll learn from Silicon Valley business leaders and philanthropists, connect with YAO members on our post-conference boat cruise, and leave the weekend inspired to end poverty. Learn more at opportunity.org/conference.

Opportunity Ghana client Beatrice Boaten smiles while standing at her farm. (Photo: Sara Joe Wolansky)

We are sitting inside a small cozy room painted in a rich blue, complete with shelves boasting an array of decorative pieces, photographs and a poster of Jesus. Floral lace decorates the refrigerator and a single window with white curtains lets light in. There is one small old-fashioned television in the corner. This is Beatrice Duku Frimpong Boaten’s sitting room in a house she inherited over 30 years ago from her father, who was one of the community chiefs in her village, Nerebhi.

Along with this house, Beatrice also inherited four acres of land. After Beatrice retired as a teacher, she decided to convert the land into a cocoa farm. She worked as a farmer for 16 years, and in March 2010, she joined Opportunity International‘s agricultural finance program through Opportunity Ghana. As a result of this program, she has received fertilizers, insecticides and learnt farming techniques that have allowed her to increase her output from an average of five bags every year to 13 to 15 bags by the end of every cocoa season. Her income has also been boosted from the increased yield. But improving her own lifestyle and paying for her children’s education is not the only thing to come out of Beatrice’s relationship with Opportunity International. She felt encouraged enough by Opportunity loan officers to gather community members to form two Trust Groups and collectively they have made a community farm, which grows cocoa, plantains, maize, cassava and other crops for the community. Proceeds from the sale of these crops go into the Trust Group’s funds, which in turn pay back the loans farmers have incurred from Opportunity.

Loan officer Abena Sarpong (pictured left) and Beatrice Boaten look over the Trust Group's membership register in Beatrice's sitting room. (Photo: Sara Joe Wolansky)

Leading and working with the community has been a major part of Beatrice’s experience after using the loans and savings program. Farming has been a valued way of life for many of the older community members and by involving everyone through Trust Groups, Beatrice said that it created a greater respect and understanding of the profession in the younger community members. Some of her children want to return from school and help on the farm. Abena Sarpong, who took us to our first cocoa farm in Bonsaaso a few days ago, is also Beatrice’s loan officer. She told us that agriculture is a very important component of Ghana’s economy (more than 48% of GDP and 70% of the rural population depends on agriculture as a source of income) and must be fully developed, which is why Opportunity has invested a lot in agricultural finance.

We visited the community farm with Beatrice and Muhammad Opuku, another member of her Trust Group. Muhammad showed us how to harvest plantain and how a new farming technique they learnt is being applied. Using this technique they planted palm trees in rows, alternating the crops that are being grown to allow for a greater variety on the farm.

When Beatrice speaks about her love for the land she has cultivated all these years, her joy is infectious. During our interview she laughed at every pause in the conversation, her eyes twinkled when we asked her to give us a tour of the farm and when we attempted to thank her in Twi: “Meda’ase,” she grinned at our pronunciation and shook our hands vigorously before we took the long road back to Kumasi.

To read this post on the SOW Boston blog, click here. To read all recent blogs we have reposted from the Students of the World’s trip, click here.

Elizabeth Mensah is a client of Opportunity International. We visited her chop bar as part of our visit to a Trust Group meeting of which she is a member. In these photos, the employees of Elizabeth Mensah’s chop Bar preparepalm soup to serve along with fufu to its customers.

To view the original post on the SOW Boston blog, click here.

The organizers of YAO-ZA! (Photo: emilyelizabethphoto.com)

Greetings from the Denver chapter of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO). We are thrilled to officially become part of the YAO network after YAO-ZA!, our successful chapter launch on Saturday, May 21st. Thanks to a dedicated team and the generous support of our sponsors, families and friends, we were able to raise over $10,000–enough to fund two Trust Groups at Opportunity Tanzania–and spread awareness about Opportunity International’s microfinance work, all while having a great time!

YAO - Denver co-chairs Caitlin Andrews (left) & Monica Perez cut the ribbon. (Photo: emilyelizabethphoto.com)

Nearly 250 Denverites from all parts of the city came to hear about YAO and enjoy a night of local art, music, food and drink. We were lucky enough to be joined by Sonya Perez-Lauterbach, the manager of YAO, as well as members of the Board of Governors, and our keynote speaker Daniel Ryumugabe, the Transformational Impact Manager at Opportunity Rwanda. After some brief words about Opportunity International’s mission and history, we introduced the co-chairs and a few of the members of YAO – Denver, and cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.

Attendees enjoy local art plus handmade Rwandan crafts from Trading for Treasures. (Photo: emilyelizabethphoto.com)

We were thrilled to find a venue for the event in Denver’s Santa Fe Art District at the Colorado Arts Center, Inc.  (CACI). A huge thanks is due to CACI’s executive director Jeff King for hosting the launch. CACI is a local art nonprofit dedicated to growing Denver’s creative spaces.

Many more thanks are due to the local businesses, individuals, and nonprofit organizations that donated their time, energy, and financial support to get YAO – Denver up and running. It’s because of their collaboration that we were able to take an idea, refine it over months of weekly meetings, and develop it into a successful fundraiser and the start of an exciting new globally-minded community in Denver. With some healthy doses of trial, error, and creativity we navigated the logistical hurdles–including finding super-sized scissors for ribbon cutting!–to host this launch and future YAO – Denver events!

Opportunity Rwanda's Daniel Ryumugabe (Photo: emilyelizabethphoto.com)

Now that YAO-Denver is officially established, we have big plans to follow up with a leader retreat and a happy hour on June 9th at Diego’s Mexican Cantina in LoDo. As for the next big event, we’re inspired by other chapters who have hosted benefit concerts–like YAO – Chicago’s Tunes for Tanzania last November–and we hope to plan one of our own this fall.

YAO – Denver is so grateful for the community’s support and we can’t wait to grow our chapter.

Check out YAO – Denver on Facebook for more YAO-ZA! photos and for updates on future events. All photography by Emily Elizabeth Photography.

To join YAO – Denver, register with YAO and check the Denver box in the Chapters section.

Opportunity International staff around the world have been eagerly watching our Facebook and the Opportunity Blog all day, keeping up with news and updates from today’s grand opening ceremony at Opportunity Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa. Presenters at the celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony included Opportunity DRC CEO Gilbert Lagaillarde; Opportunity International US board member and Congolese native Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka; Opportunity International Africa Chairman Francis Pelekamoyo; UNDP Country Director Adama Guindo, and Central Bank of the Congo Governor Jean-Claude Masangu Mulongo.

Watch the video above, check out our updates on Facebook, and read the previous blog post.We’re excited to report in the coming weeks and months on all the ways access to microfinance services will help our Congolese clients create change in their lives.

Flora Mgombewa is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Emerging Leaders Program and works for Opportunity Tanzania. Of the Emerging Leaders Program, Flora says, “I received training here to go out and improve what I was doing before. I’m going to teach [my clients] how to save.”

Would you like to meet Tanzanian staff like Flora in person? Enter for the chance to win a spot on the YAO Insight Trip to Tanzania this summer at opportunity.org/contest or find out more at opportunity.org/banking-on-women.

Click here to enter our contest to win a spot on the Insight Trip to Tanzania.

Enter now through May 11, 2011 for a chance to win a spot on Opportunity International’s Insight Trip to Tanzania in August. You’ll become our multimedia reporter on the ground and experience firsthand how Opportunity’s microfinance initiatives help our clients create change in their lives.

To enter, visit www.opportunity.org/contest and answer the following in 100 words or less:

Tell us what your approach would be to capturing the stories of our women microfinance clients, and illustrating how they’ve worked hard to change their lives, their families, and their communities. Explain what methods you would use (photography, video, writing, other) to produce multimedia reports that can be shared with Opportunity’s online community of supporters.

Click here to enter the contest »

Contest Details

Opens: Wednesday, April 13
Contest Deadline: 11:59 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, May 11
Participant Requirements: This contest is open to US residents 21 years and older.
For complete contest rules and restrictions visit http://www.opportunity.org/contest