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SEEP Conference Breakfast Workshop, “E-Banking with Agent Networks”
The 25th Annual SEEP Conference ended Friday after five days of sessions for microenterprise practitioners to learn and connect on the challenges and opportunities faced by microfinance institutions and policymakers. A number of Opportunity staff were at the Arlington, Va. conference, including SVP of technology Daryl Skoog, director of knowledge management Estelle Berger, COO of Read more…
Tagged 2010 SEEP Conference, Africa, agent network, Conference, Daryl Skoog, E-banking, Ending Poverty, Financial services, GloboKasNet, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Mozambique, Omidyar Network, Opportunity International, opportunity mozambique, Peru, point-of-sale devices, POS devices, Poverty, Savings, SEEP Conference, SEEP Network, Technology, Temenos T24
New Video: Opportunity International Emerging Leaders Program
We have just posted a new, updated video about our work with the inspiring women in the Goldman Sachs Emerging Leader Program. Part of the 10,000 Women Initiative, the Emerging Leaders Program is changing the lives of young women working for Opportunity International in eight African countries (Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Democratic Republic Read more…
Tagged 10000 women initiative, Africa, Clients, Democratic Republic of Congo, Education, Emerging Leaders, emerging leaders program, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Goldman Sachs, Half the Sky, Kenya, Loan Officer, Malawi, Media, Mozambique, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rwanda, Students, Tanzania, Training, Uganda, videos, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Conference Breakout: Investing in Half the Sky
The panelists at the breakout session, Investing in Half the Sky. From left to right: Diana Negroponte, Alice Gasatura, Julie Hindmarsh and Ruth-Anne Renaud. The following post by YAO member and Opportunity supporter Sonja Egeland Kelly is one of the many blog posts we published from the 2010 Fall Microfinance Conference. Click here to read all Read more…
Tagged 10000 women initiative, 10k Women, 2010 fall microfinance conference, Africa, alice gasatura, Board of Advisors, Board of Directors, Board of Governors Conference, Children, Community, Conference, Education, Emerging Leaders, emerging leaders program, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Ghana, Goldman Sachs, Half the Sky, Insight Trip, Julie Hindmarsh, Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, Kenya, LEAD Campaign, LEAD Initiative, Loan Officer, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mothers, Mozambique, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Rwanda, OptINnow, Poverty, Professional training, Ruth-Anne Renaud, Rwanda, Schools, Sheryl WuDunn, Students, Tanzania, Training, Transformational Training, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
News from Africa: New Mobile Banks and Bank Branches for Microfinance Clients in Mozambique
Great news from Mozambique! Banco Oportunidade de Moçambique is proud to announce the August opening of the Chokwé branch and Chimoio mobile bank. Additionally, Opportunity Mozambique[/intlink] expanded in 2010 with two new hub branch offices, and received approval from both the municipal and Central Bank authorities to open its first container branch office in the Matendene Market. Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, banco oportunidade de mocambique, Clients, Community, container banks, diane ferguson, Ending Poverty, Financial services, john deere, john deere foundation, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile branches, Mozambique, Opportunity International, opportunity mozambique, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Technology
What We’re Reading: “The Silent Crisis” and Violence in Mozambique
In light of last week’s riots in Mozambique in which 13 people were killed, this post entitled “The Silent Crisis,” published on Opportunity Australia’s blog more than two weeks ago, has even more resonance. This prescient blog post highlighted the concerns over food security and increases in food prices for economically marginalized people living in extreme poverty all Read more…
Tagged Africa, Blog, Blogs, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Financial Times, food, Food security, Food Sustainability, Global Poverty, IMF, India, international monetary fund, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mozambique, opportunity australia, Opportunity Blog, Opportunity International, opportunity mozambique, Philippines, Poverty, South Africa
Agricultural Advisor John Magnay Talks Food Security in Africa, and How Agricultural Finance Can Feed a Continent
“Africa is capable of sustaining its food needs,” said John Magnay, Opportunity’s senior agricultural advisor. “[But] if you look at [crop] yields in Africa, it is at 40% of what it should be.” Magnay, a British-born, 33-year veteran of the agricultural development sector in Africa, has worked with several African governments to develop agricultural advancements, and Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Agriculture Microfinance, Agrifinance, Clients, Ending Hunger, Ending Poverty, Financial services, food, Food security, Food Sustainability, Ghana, Hunger, John Magnay, Loan Officer, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mozambique, northwestern university, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity Uganda, Rwanda, Technology, Uganda, UN
Malawi 2010
Recently, Maria Largey, director of philanthropy at Opportunity UK travelled to Malawi with Deborah Foy, director of programs. They went to meet with current clients, assess the situation in Nsanje (the region with one of the largest unbanked populations in Malawi), and to see firsthand the effectiveness and success of Opportunity Malawi’s POS devices, mobile Read more…
Tagged Blog, Clients, Education, Financial literacy programs, Malawi, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Mozambique, Opportunity UK, POS devices, Trust Groups
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…
Equipping Countries to be Agriculturally Self-Sustainable
There is a green revolution occurring in the developing world led by passionate individuals with a heart for change. Within this revolution, Opportunity International is equipping nations to do something radical–to feed themselves. In honor of www.blogactionday.org, I would like to introduce Lucas Chingore. Lucas is a farmer in Mozambique. His desire was to farm Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Agrifinance, Blog Action Day, Climate Change, Community, Enough, Farmer, Financial Access, Financial services, Food security, Food Sustainability, Ghana, Green Revolution, Kenya, Loans, Lucas Chingore, Malawi, Mozambique, Roger Thurow, Rwanda, Savings, Scott Kilman, South Africa, Sustainable development, Tanzania and Uganda
