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Skip the Mall Today
We’re offering a way for you to skip the mall and spread the joy all at the same time. Instead of fighting the crowds on Black Friday, order Opportunity International gift cards at opportunity.org/giftcard for all your family and friends. With our gift cards, they’ll experience the joy of helping an entrepreneur like Margaret Wangui (pictured) grow her business Read more…
Tagged Africa, Black Friday, Christmas, Clients, Ending Poverty, Gift Cards, Kenya, Loans, Margaret Wangui, MFI, Microfinance, Nairobi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty
Conference LiveBlog: Actress and Philanthropist Connie Nielsen
Actress Connie Nielsen spoke from the stage today at this morning’s plenary session at the Opportunity International Conference. Connie founded the Human Needs Project (HNP) and Road to Freedom Scholarships in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. She spoke today about her work with HNP and the power of working with a community to implement sustainable solutions Read more…
Mobile Phone Banking & Technology: Learn from Microfinance Experts
Geoffrey Thige, chief operations officer of Opportunity International Kenya, arrived at our Oak Brook, Ill. offices this week–his first stop in a U.S. tour that culminates as a guest speaker at Opportunity’s conference in San Francisco, Oct. 14-15. With over 15 years of experience in microfinance, COO Thige oversees Transformation, IT, Risk/Compliance and Special Projects Read more…
Tagged Africa, Breakout session, Clients, Conference, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, international staff, Kenya, M-PESA, Microfinance, mobile phone banking, Nairobi, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty, Safaricom, Technology
In Memory of Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
I had the great honor of twice meeting Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai. The first time was in the frenetic hallways of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. The second was in a quiet lecture room at the Los Angeles Public Library. While the settings were in stark contrast, Professor Maathai was quite the same Read more…
Kenyan Government Declares Two Days of Mourning for Victims of Monday’s Fire
On Tuesday, Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki declared Wednesday, Sept. 14 and Thursday, Sept. 15 to be days of national mourning following Monday’s oil pipeline fire that has claimed the lives of more than 100 people to date, and injured more than 100 others. The president and the national Cabinet have determined that during these two days, Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, fire, Global Poverty, Kenya, Microfinance, Nairobi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty, tragedy, Women, Youth
Empowering Rwandan Women in Microfinance
By Jeffrey Lee, CEO of Urwego Opportunity Bank (UOB) of Rwanda In Rwanda, gender equality is real. For example, more than 50% of the Rwandan senators are women. The chief justice is a woman. Approximately 40% of the state ministers are women, including the ministers of agriculture, of trade, of foreign affairs. Indeed, women are Read more…
Tagged 10000 women initiative, 2010 fall microfinance conference, Africa, alice gasatura, Emerging Leaders, emerging leaders program, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, Goldman Sachs, Kenya, Kigali, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Nairobi, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Rwanda, Poverty, Rwanda, Urwego Opportunity Bank, Urwego Opportunity Bank of Rwanda, Women, Women Leaders, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
An Unforgettable Family Trip to Kenya and Malawi
Opportunity supporter and member of the Board of Governors, Rich McClure, writes of his experiences on the July 2010 Family Week trip to Kenya and his visits to Malawi: Visiting eastern Africa, we met women and men who have enterprises fueled by , who are selling their goods in crowded, dirty marketplaces in Nairobi and Lilongwe. Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Education, Board of Governors, Clients, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Insight Trip, Kenya, lilongwe, Loan Officer, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Nairobi, Opportunity International, Orphans, Poverty, Schools, Trust Groups, Youth
