Blog Archives

Breakout Session: Banking on Education

By Guest Post on October 15, 2011

A quality education empowers students with the skills and abilities to secure higher paying jobs, build strong families and help in the economic development of their communities. Today, we discovered how Opportunity’s Banking on Education program is increasing educational opportunities for more than 120,000 children in underserved neighborhoods in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. The panelists Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Microfinance Conference, Our Work, Where We Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Tagged Africa, Banking on Education, Char Caldwell, Children, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Ghana, Kenya, Liesel Pritzker, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, School fee loans, Uganda, USAID, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity

Conference LiveBlog: Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, CEO of Opportunity Malawi

By Opportunity International on October 14, 2011

This morning, the impassioned and inspiring Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, CEO of Opportunity Malawi, spoke at the conference plenary session about the triumphs of launching Opportunity International Bank of Malawi (OIBM) in 2003–offering formal financial services to impoverished people in Malawi–and the ongoing challenges they still need to address in order to access more of that country. Read more…

Posted in Events, Microfinance Conference, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, OIBM, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Bank of Malawi, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Savings

Conference LiveBlog: Karen and Ronnie Lott, of Opportunity International’s Board of Governors

By Opportunity International on October 14, 2011

At the final presentation of this morning’s first plenary session of the conference, philanthropists Ronnie and Karen Lott, members of Opportunity International’s Board of Governors, spoke about what brought them to support Opportunity, their life-changing experience meeting client Talekeleni Kagaso on an Insight Trip to Malawi, and why they’re passionate about helping people in poverty. Read more…

Posted in Board of Governors, Events, Loans, Microfinance Conference, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work
Tagged Africa, All Stars Helping Kids, Board of Governors, Children, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, HIV/AIDS, Karen Lott, Kenya, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, NFL, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Ronnie Lott

What We’re Watching: Banking on Education Video by Students of the World at CGI 2011

By Opportunity International on October 6, 2011

We’re watching this video produced in partnership with Students of the World, which had its world premiere on the main stage at this year’s CGI. In it, Opportunity staff and clients discuss the goals and the impact of our Banking on Education program, which provides , and to 280 schools serving 120,000 students in Malawi, Uganda and Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Local Staffing, Microfinance Conference, Our Work, Resources, Savings, Training, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Banking on Education, CGI 2011, Clinton Global Initiative, Community, Conference, Education, Effie Cooke, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Global Poverty, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Loan Officer, Loans, Malawi, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Savings, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Students of the World, Training, Uganda, videos

CGI Day 2-Pres. Barack Obama, Opportunity’s Education Initiatives, Rajiv Shah on Peace & Food Security, and More

By Opportunity International on September 21, 2011

Today’s afternoon plenary session at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative opened with a Students of the World documentary on Opportunity International’s Banking on Education initiative, which is increasing educational opportunities for more than 120,000 children in underserved neighborhoods in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. The video was a progress report on Opportunity’s Banking on Education commitment Read more…

Posted in Events, Resources, Where We Work
Tagged #CGI09, #CGI2011, Africa, Banking on Education, Barack Obama, CGI, CGI 2011, Clinton Global Initiative, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Drought, Ending Hunger, Ending Poverty, Feed the Future Guide, Food security, Food Sustainability, Ghana, Hunger, international day of peace, Malawi, Melanne Verveer, Muhammad Yunus, Nicholas D. Kristof, Poverty, Rwanda, Students of the World, The New York Times, Twitter, Uganda, USAID, videos

Opportunity Staff Interview on BBC Radio 2

By Opportunity International on August 29, 2011

Listen today! BBC Radio 2‘s Jeremy Vine interviews Nick Lea, development economist and an Opportunity trustee, and Lydia Baffour Awuah, head of Africa programs at Opportunity UK. Recording of interview is only available until 2:02 p.m. GMT+1 on Tuesday, Aug. 30th (9:02 a.m. EST in the United States). Listen to the 10-minute interview by clicking here. ** (The interview Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Leadership, Our Work, Resources, Savings, Trust Groups, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, BBC, BBC Radio, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Global Poverty, Loans, Lydia Baffour Awuah, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, Mothers, Nick Lee, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, Opportunity UK, Poverty, Savings, Schools, staff, Students, Technology, Trust Groups, Women

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

My Inspirational Meeting in Malawi with Microfinance Client Mary Jackson

By Cynthia Greenwood on August 2, 2011

Recently, Opportunity International staff members traveled to Malawi, seeing firsthand how technology enables us to deliver microfinance services to rural people living in extreme poverty. They met with Opportunity Malawi clients and local staff to capture the stories of entrepreneurs who are working hard to break the cycle of poverty. Below, read staff member Cynthia’s account of her meeting with Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Strategic Partners, Training, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Blantyre, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Community development, Credit Suisse, Education, Electronic wallet strategy, Ending Poverty, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Female entrepreneurs, Financial services, Global Poverty, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile branches, Mozambique, Mulanje, OIBM, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Bank of Malawi, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, staff, success story, Technology, Training, videos, Women

Prayers for Peace in Malawi

By Opportunity International on July 22, 2011

The following post is a letter from Bill Morgenstern, CEO of Opportunity International, to Opportunity’s staff and supporters about the recent demonstrations in Malawi. While we are still gathering information on the riots in Malawi, we wanted to provide you a brief update on the situation. There are reports that during the anti-government protests yesterday Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Leadership, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, Bill Morgenstern, Malawi, MFI, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, political demonstrations, Poverty

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