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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Happy Labor Day to Our Hard-Working Clients

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
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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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Want to do more to fight poverty? Host a dinner for microfinance.

  The best ideas are shared over food. That’s why Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) is launching “Breaking Bread for Microfinance.”  In honor of on October 17, encourages you to host a dinner for family and friends. It’s a way for guests and hosts alike to share their ideas and their inspirations for global change. Our Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Motivation, Our Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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Climb a Mountain, Get Muddy: YAO’s Adventures on OptINnow

Escape to Bear Mountain, N.Y. YAO-NY member Brandon Green, an investment banker, was looking for a way to get out of the city. So he decided to start a “YAO Adventure Club of sorts,” and brought a group of ten people up to hike on Bear Mountain, N.Y. a few weekends ago. “Everyone chipped in Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, OptINnow, Our Work, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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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…

Posted in Loans, Local Staffing, Microinsurance, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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What We’re Reading: World Finance Magazine Discusses Opportunity’s Agricultural Finance Program

Amosi Kasamira’s face lights up as he shares his plans for the next season. ‘My vision is to replace the grass roof of our home to better protect us from the sun and rain,’ he explains, ‘and I intend to cultivate ten acres next season.’ –Excerpted from: ‘There is Still a Lot of Work Ahead,’ World Read more…

Posted in Loans, Microinsurance, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Training, What We're Reading, Where We Work
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“Is Your Nonprofit Blog a Snoozer?” Find the Solution at SXSW Interactive 2011

Ever wonder how nonprofits write successful blogs, turning high readership into active support? Believe me, it’s a challenge.  No matter how interesting your nonprofit’s work, if you don’t offer a variety of content on your blog–a range of technical, informative and human interest stories–it won’t engage supporters. If you’re the editor of a nonprofit blog–or even Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Work, Technology, What We're Reading
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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…

Posted in Board of Governors, Insight Trips, Local Staffing, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Trust Groups, Where We Work
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