Blog Archives

Breakout Session: Innovating to Meet Community Needs

“The more you listen and respond… the way you increase your chances of success and long term benefit is dramatic,” stated Jim Frantz, chief transformation officer at Opportunity Colombia, speaking about the importance of having local input and ownership when implementing initiatives in impoverished communities. This breakout session highlighted just a few of the innovative solutions Read more…

Posted in Events, Microfinance Conference, Our Leadership, Our Work, Resources, Technology, Training, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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Conference LiveBlog: Daryl Collins, Co-Author of Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day

This morning at the Opportunity International Conference, Daryl Collins, co-author of Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day, spoke from the main stage about the financial portfolios of people in poverty and the impact that   has to mitigate the effects of their uncertain financial futures. Highlights from Daryl’s Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Microfinance Conference, Our Work, Resources, Savings, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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What We’re Reading: The Huffington Post on a Microfinance Client in Bogotá

The following post, “Turning Bogota’s Red Light Green: The Miracle of Microfinance,” by Elmira Bayrasli, was published on The Huffington Post on Monday, Sept. 12. It explores the impact of Opportunity’s microfinance work  in Colombia, including loans, savings and training, on one Bogotá client. The original post on huffingtonpost.com can be found by clicking here. Bogotá’s Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Savings, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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What We’re Reading: “Rural and Agricultural Finance in the Spotlight at Cracking the Nut Conference”

A few weeks ago, Shari Berenbach, Director of USAID’s Microenterprise Development Office, wrote a blog post on the USAID’s IMPACTblog reported on a conference held in Washington that directly addressed the problems that face agricultural microfinance, as 600 million smallholder farmers currently live on less than $2 a day. Speakers at the conference emphasized new Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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Opportunity Mexico Hits the Ground Running in 2011

Great news from Opportunity Mexico! As of December 31, 2010, Opportunity Mexico surpassed its target to reach 6,000 families by serving 6,259 active loan clients through three branches. In the past two years, Opportunity Mexico has been working hard to build its client base and reach more people with microfinance solutions to help them work Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, Trust Groups, Where We Work
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Vote for Opportunity: We’re a finalist in National Geographic’s Geotourism Challenge 2010

Opportunity International is one of 12 organizations selected out of a pool of 250 as a finalist in National Geographic’s Geotourism Challenge 2010: Places on the Edge – Saving Coastal and Freshwater Destinations. Changemakers, along with National Geographic, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) have chosen to recognize our work in Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Work, Where We Work
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News: Community Development in Nicaragua

To combat poverty in the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Opportunity has implemented a community economic development initiative in Nicaragua. Our programs provide training and finance for small and medium enterprises in Granada’s most promising industries—tourism and agriculture. Opportunity is helping individuals like Silvia Elena Canda, who learned how to hand-filigree jicaro gourds Read more…

Posted in Faith in Action, Resources, Training, What We're Reading
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ONE Blog: “Cada madre cuenta!”

In honor of World AIDS Day this month, celebrity activist Christy Turlington Burns reports on her ongoing work with (RED) and the ONE Campaign on the No Child Born with HIV campaign. At Opportunity, we’re inspired by her commitment to improving the lives of women in the developing world with these health initiatives. The following blog post, ”Cada Read more…

Posted in Microinsurance, Our Motivation, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
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ONE Blog: “Day Two in Guatemala: An Inside Look at Health Programs that Work”

With World AIDS Day coming up on Dec. 1, celebrity activist Christy Turlington Burns reports on her ongoing work with (RED) and the ONE Campaign on the No Child Born with HIV campaign. At Opportunity, we’re inspired by her commitment to improving the lives of women in the developing world with these health initiatives. The Read more…

Posted in Microinsurance, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
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ONE Blog: Checking in on Maternal Health in Guatemala

With World AIDS Day coming up on Dec. 1, celebrity activist Christy Turlington Burns reports on her ongoing work with (RED) and the ONE Campaign on the No Child Born with HIV campaign. At Opportunity, we’re inspired by her commitment to improving the lives of women in the developing world with these health initiatives. The following blog post, ”Checking in Read more…

Posted in Microinsurance, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
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