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When Disaster Strikes, Access to Savings Can Help
The following post was published on Opportunity International Australia‘s blog in January. Read original post here. The recent onslaught of flooding around the globe has highlighted the devastating impact natural disasters can have on people regardless of where they live. The damage to homes and livelihoods, however, is particularly felt when victims have no form of financial security. Read more…
Tagged Australia, Bank Building, Clients, Community, Deposits, Ending Poverty, Financial services, flood, floods, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance Institution, microsavings, natural disasters, opportunity australia, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Australia, Philippines, Poverty, Savings, Savings account, The Philippines
A New Year for Microfinance in Tanzania
This year at Opportunity Tanzania there were big changes and growth. Among them was the addition of Ross Nathan as the new Chief Operating Officer. Nathan began his work in Tanzania in August, bringing a wealth of knowledge from his 13 years of on-the-ground experience in microfinance operations and strategies in six countries, including setting up regulated Read more…
Tagged Africa, AJ Renold, Bank Building, Branch staff, Christmas, Dar es Salaam, Ending Poverty, Faith in Action, Financial services, Ilala, India, Loan Officer, Loans, local staff, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance Institution, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Poverty, Rwanda, Savings, Tanzania, Urwego Opportunity Bank of Rwanda, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, Zambia
Harvesting Hope for Tomorrow: Women’s Role in Transforming Uganda
Guest blogger and Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) member Julie Hindmarsh sends us this report while on WON’s “Mothers, Daughters and Sisters” Insight Trip to Uganda. What is your greatest challenge in farming? That was the question we posed to a group of rural farmers in Buwenda, Uganda, when we visited them on Thursday. “Transportation,” one Read more…
Tagged Agricultural finance, Agriculture Microfinance, Children, Daughters, Farmers, Girls, Insight Trips, International Women's Day, irrigation, Microfinance Institution, Mothers, School fee loans, School fees, Sisters, Trust Group, Uganda, Weather-index crop insurance, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, WON Uganda Insight Trip 2010
Credit Suisse Microfinance Advocates Partner with Opportunity
Thank you to John Shon, Reference Data Group, Credit Suisse, for this guest blog post. The Credit Suisse Microfinance Advocates Network is an employee global network with the mission to promote microfinance to the rest of the bank. It is our goal to educate employees on current issues faced by the microfinance industry and to create Read more…
Tagged Advocates Network, April DuBois, Credit Suisse, Daryl Skoog, Education, Electronic wallet strategy, Holiday Opportunity Coffee Club, John Shon, Liesel Pritzker, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance Institution, Opportunity International, Richard Spalholz, Technology
Ask a Microfinance Expert: Developing a Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool
Microfinance practitioners and microfinance enthusiasts alike agree that the sustainability of microfinance institutions hinges on the success of cost-benefit analysis. Opportunity’s Director of Knowledge Management Estelle Berger recently produced a report on this very topic. She worked with the SEEP Network and USAID to capture and record Opportunity’s experience with developing a cost-benefit analysis tool Read more…
Congress provides more money for microfinance
Let’s celebrate the increase in appropriations for microfinance and microenterprise development for FY2010. It grew from $245 million to $265 million—terrific in a tight budget year. (This is pending a final vote but reflects the conference report from the House and Senate and is likely to pass.) Also, we are thrilled that Congress has put Read more…
#Mifimon: Where in the world is microfinance working?
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…
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
Insight Trip: Tanzania – A.J. Renold Pre-trip Post
Twenty Young Ambassadors for Opportunity have embarked on a journey that is sure to change their worldview forever. During their 10-day trip to Tanzania and Rwanda, they will discover firsthand the impact of Opportunity’s work on our clients, their families and their communities. We hope you’ll read along as they share their thoughts on people, Read more…
Tagged Africa, Education, Ending Poverty, Insight Trip, Internship, Microfinance, Microfinance Institution, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Rwanda, Tanzania, Travel, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, Young Professionals
