Blog Archives

Back-to-School for Children Living in Poverty

School administrator Jacinta Njoki, of the Wisdom Junior Educational Center in Kenya, works with her students in the schoolyard. She started her school in 2001 with a $375 loan from Opportunity, and now has 150 kids and six teachers. Welcome back to school. It’s an exciting time for kids of all ages: new teachers, new Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Local Staffing, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Strategic Partners, Where We Work
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Book Release–UnPoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor

People living in the most extreme poverty in the world do not just survive: they often enjoy rich family relationships, build vibrant communities and exude deep faith. Their ingenuity, persistence, generosity and self-reliance contain teachings for those of us who happen to have been born into relative economic stability. That is the inspiration and the theme of UnPoverty: Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Our Leadership, Our Motivation, Our Work, What We're Reading
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Meet Rev. Jennifer Kottler, Leader of a Breakout Session at Fall Microfinance Conference

Reverend Jennifer Kottler is the director of policy and advocacy at Sojourners, an organization that aims to articulate the biblical call to social justice, “inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world.” Kottler will lead a breakout session at the Fall Microfinance Conference on how to be a stronger Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, What We're Reading
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Dikembe Mutombo to Appear on “African Voices” Program

NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, member of the Board of Advisors, and champion for improving the lives of people in his home country, the DR Congo, will appear on CNN’s African Voices. The program will air at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 31, with two encore presentations to follow on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m., Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Leadership, Our Work, Where We Work
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What We’re Reading: Roger Thurow Encourages Rwandan Farmers to “Keep Up the Momentum”

This week, Roger Thurow, Senior Fellow on Global Agriculture and Food Policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, posted a blog reporting on an unusual situation for farmers in Kirehe, Rwanda — an agricultural surplus. Thurow examines the situation, interviewing Agnes Kalibata, Rwanda’s minister of agriculture, and discusses the positive impact of USAID’s Feed Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Strategic Partners, Training, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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Food & Microfinance: Helping Farmers Reap Rewards

Opportunity International is prominently featured in an article entitled “Food & Microfinance: Helping Farmers Reap Rewards” in today’s Financial Times. The article highlights Opportunity’s leadership in providing both agricultural finance and microinsurance to smallholder farmers to help them increase production, support their families and feed their communities. It also references “Feed the Future,” USAID’s new Read more…

Posted in Loans, Microinsurance, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Technology
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