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Happy Mother’s Day! Meet Mother & Kenyan Staff Member Betty Mutua
Betty Mutua, Regional Relationship Officer at Opportunity Kenya and a mother of two, visited the U.S. last month and spoke to us about the challenges and triumphs of being a mom while working full-time and going to school. We were so inspired by the grace with which Betty handles the universal challenges of being a Read more…
Tagged Africa, Betty Mutua, Family, Global Opportunity Quilt, international staff, International Visitor, Kenya, local staff, Microfinance, Mother's Day, Mothers, Nairobi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, regional relationship officer, videos, Women
Opportunity Staff Updates on Sustainable Energy Initiatives Around the World
Deborah Foy, Opportunity-UK’s International Programmes Director told me that 2012 is the United Nations’s “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.” In the UN’s own words, “Energy is opportunity. It transforms lives. Economies. The planet.” Opportunity’s clients enjoy some of the world’s sunniest days–but they also experience the darkest nights. Lacking electricity, over a billion Read more…
Tagged Africa, alternative energy, Asia, Clean energy, Clients, Deborah Foy, Earth Day, electricity, Ending Poverty, environmental sustainability, Harry Turner, Jeffrey Lee, Leah Aguirre, Lydia Njoroge, Manfred Kuhn, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Philippines, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity South Africa, Opportunity Uganda, Opportunity UK, Opportunity-US, Rolando Victoria, Technology
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
Breakout Session: Banking on Education
A quality education empowers students with the skills and abilities to secure higher paying jobs, build strong families and help in the economic development of their communities. Today, we discovered how Opportunity’s Banking on Education program is increasing educational opportunities for more than 120,000 children in underserved neighborhoods in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. The panelists Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Education, Char Caldwell, Children, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Ghana, Kenya, Liesel Pritzker, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, School fee loans, Uganda, USAID, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Conference LiveBlog: Geoffrey Thige, COO of Opportunity Kenya
Geoffrey Thige, the dynamic chief operating officer of Opportunity International Kenya, shares from the conference mainstage all about the work and progress Opportunity Kenya has made, utilizing solutions that include mobile phone banking, microinsurance, financial literacy training and more to help clients build a better life. Highlights from Geoff Thige In Kenya, we have 39 Read more…
Tagged Africa, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Global Poverty, Kenya, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, mobile phone banking, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty, Savings, Technology, Training
Breakout Session: Fighting Poverty with Technology
“There is never an end to the opportunities that are brought by technology; we are excited about what those are.” That’s how Daryl Skoog, senior VP of technology, ended his own introduction, as each of the members of the panel discussion was introducing themselves to the audience. Harry Turner, the panel facilitator and CEO of Read more…
Tagged Cell phone banking, Daryl Skoog, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Global Microfinance Operations, Harry Turner, Microensure, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty, Richard Leftley, Robert Westcott, Technology
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
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
Photo Blog: We’re Banking on Africa
This summer, Opportunity has launched the Banking on Africa Campaign. The campaign aims to bring millions of Sub-Saharan Africans closer to the day when they can safely deposit their savings, access loans to grow businesses, and purchase affordable insurance to protect their families—right in their own communities. Check out a photo tour below of some Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Children, Clients, Dikembe Mutombo, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Kenya, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicles, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Malawi, opportunity mozambique, Opportunity South Africa, Opportunity Tanzania, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rwanda, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Students, Tanzania, Uganda
