Blog Archives

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

By Opportunity International on December 25, 2011

On behalf of Opportunity International‘s global family, we wish you all the joy, peace, love and blessings of Christmas. More than ever, we’re grateful for your ongoing support of our work, which helps empower our clients and provides life-changing opportunity to their families. Below, please watch a special Christmas message featuring our clients from Malawi, Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged Advent, Christmas, Clients, Colombia, Community, Ending Poverty, Family, India, Malawi, Mexico, Opportunity International, peace, videos, Women

Opportunity Mexico Hits the Ground Running in 2011

By Diane Ferguson on March 16, 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
Tagged Blog, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, individual, Latin America, Loan Officer, Loans, local staff, market, Mexico, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, opportunity mexico, Poverty, Professional training, small business loans, Training, Trust Groups, Youth

Double Your Business’s Impact on Global Poverty with Caterpillar’s Matching Grant

By Opportunity International on November 15, 2010

Investing in microfinance through Opportunity International is the best, most efficient way that we’ve found through all of our philanthropic investments to make progress possible in the lives of people who need our help most. – Caterpillar Foundation Vice President Will Ball Caterpillar Foundation announces an aggressive, year-end $1 million challenge grant that will enable corporations Read more…

Posted in Events, Microfinance Conference, Our Work, Resources, Rural Outreach, Savings, Strategic Partners
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, Africa, Agricultural finance, Caterpillar Foundation, Caterpillar Inc., Caterpillar match, China, Conference, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Global Poverty, India, Indonesia, Mexico, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Philanthropy, Poverty, Rural banking, Rural Outreach, Savings, Technology, Will Ball, William Ball

Happy Labor Day to Our Hard-Working Clients

By Opportunity International on September 6, 2010

Labor Day in the U.S. is a century-old holiday–a tribute to trade and labor–that honors workers and their families. For Opportunity clients in the developing world, often self-employed entrepreneurs, providing for the future can be a difficult struggle. So on this Labor Day, we honor all of our clients who work hard every day to provide Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged Children, Client Stories, Clients, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Guadalajara, Higher education, Holiday, labor day, Loans, Mexico, MFI, Microfinance, Mothers, Opportunity International, opportunity mexico, Poverty, Schools, Students, Training, Trust Groups, University, Women

Five Reasons to Honor Moms Everywhere This Mother’s Day

By Cynthia Greenwood on May 5, 2010

This Mother’s Day, Opportunity International celebrates moms around the world, especially our clients who work hard, most under challenging circumstances, to provide for their families. In this blog, we consider just a few of the reasons why moms are so special, as illustrated in the stories that follow. Feel free to add your own stories Read more…

Posted in OptINnow, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Children, Client Stories, Colombia, Global Opportunity Quilt, Holiday, Honduras, Malawi, Mexico, Microfinance, Mother's Day, Mothers, Opportunity International, OptINnow, Rwanda, Trust Groups, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

Here’s a Meaningful Easter Gift Idea

By Cynthia Greenwood on March 31, 2010

Are you looking for a special gift to put in your child’s or grandchild’s Easter basket amidst the brightly colored eggs and chocolates? Consider an OptINnow gift card (starting at just $25) to help teach youngsters about the importance of giving back out of the many blessings your family has received. Later that day, spend a Read more…

Posted in OptINnow
Tagged Business Loan, Children, Colombia, Easter, Entrepreneurs, Ghana, Gift Cards, Gift Idea, Holiday, Kenya, Mexico, OptINnow, Philippines

Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Teach me and I will understand.

By Guest Post on December 7, 2009

The following is a guest post from John Wayman written on November 12th, 2009. Eighteen hours ago, I was one of 10 students from Northern Illinois University preparing to embark on a trip to Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, to learn more about and study in depth the elements that comprise the principles of Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Training, Trust Groups, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Clients, Empowerment, Entrepreneurs, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Loans, Local staffin, Mexico, Microfinance, Northern Illinois University, Passion, Students, Trip, Trust Groups, Women

Spotlight from the Field: Maria Felix Gallardo Hernandez

By Sonja Egeland Kelly on October 22, 2009

Pots bubble, bread rises, and tortillas simmer as Maria does what she does every day: builds a better life for her family. And makes plans expand her business. And dreams of enrolling herself in school for the first time. If you were to ask Maria how old she is, she would reply (nonchalantly), “Sesenta y Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Chapala, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Education, Entrepreneurs, Mexico, Trust Groups, Women

#Mifimon: Where in the world is microfinance working?

By Guest Post on October 20, 2009

The following is a guest post by Grameen America DC’s Alice Geglio, for Opportunity International Interested in learning about microfinance? Follow our biweekly Twitter discussion group #mifimon (because Microfinance Mondays was too long for Twitter’s 140-character limit!) The aim is to host an exchange of ideas about issues relevant to the microfinance industry. You’re welcome to lend Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology
Tagged #MifiMon, Accion, Afganistan, ASA, China, Clients, Financial Regulations, FINCA, Gameen Bank, Ghana, India, Kenya, Latin America, Mexico, MFI, Microenterprises, Microfinance Institution, OptINnow, Peru, Rural banking, Southeast Asia, The Economist, Twitter

Painters, Activists & Engineers at the Clinton Global Initiative

By Rob Meloche on September 25, 2009

On the last evening of The Clinton Global Initiative, I ended up chatting with the following three people: a painter who uses his art to teach children in Mexico about tolerance and peace, a small business loan officer who works for a community development organization in Harlem, and an engineer who is piloting a solar Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Mission and Vision
Tagged Activists, Banking on Education, Clinton Global Initiative, Harlem, Laureate Wangari Maathai, Mexico, Nobel Peace Prize, Pakistan, Poverty, Social Change

Subscribe to the Blog

Archives

Categories