Blog Archives

Growing Rural Economies through Agricultural Finance in Africa

In the last decade, Opportunity International embarked on an agricultural finance and rural savings program to spur economic activity and provide enduring resources for smallholder farmers and other rural clients in five African countries, including Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique and Rwanda. Opportunity’s approach is to help farmers move from subsistence growing to cash crop production Read more…

Posted in Loans, Microinsurance, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Where We Work
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Our Leadership, Resources, Where We Work
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Microinsurance Product Helps Protect Mozambican Families

Launched on Jan. 3, 2011, Opportunity Mozambique now offers its clients the protection of a credit life insurance policy that includes funeral coverage. This policy, developed with the help of Opportunity International’s microinsurance subsidiary MicroEnsure, helps families maintain the progress they have achieved even when faced with life’s tragedies. This enhanced policy is being offered Read more…

Posted in Microinsurance, Where We Work
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Opportunity Mozambique Is on a Roll with Three New Mobile Banking Vehicles

Last week, Doug Pond, head of operations for Opportunity Mozambique, announced the Mozambique Central Bank’s approval of our three newest mobile banking vehicles. Opportunity plans to deploy all three mobile banking vehicles in the coming weeks to significantly increase its outreach to families living in Mozambique’s rural villages. With the rollout of its agriculture finance Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Loans, Local Staffing, Microinsurance, Our Work, Savings, Technology, Where We Work
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Power to Fight AIDS: A Mozambiquan Microfinance Client Shows His Strength

This week, Wednesday, Dec. 1 marks the 22nd annual World AIDS Day. Since 1988, it has become one of the most recognized international health days and provides a key opportunity each year to raise awareness, remember those who have been victims of AIDS, and celebrate progress in the fight against this devastating epidemic. We all Read more…

Posted in Events, Faith in Action, Where We Work
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Microfinance Loan Officers Go Green with Electronic Bikes

Opportunity International’s loan officers are going green. They are traveling to loan client locations with the assistance of electric bicycles. If electric cars are the epitome of a culture that is constantly trying to reduce its carbon footprint, then electric bicycles (e-bikes) rank in the same category. That’s why Daryl Skoog, Opportunity International’s SVP of Read more…

Posted in Local Staffing, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Technology
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Our Leadership, Our Work, Strategic Partners, Technology, Trust Groups
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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…

Posted in Bank Building, Loans, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Strategic Partners, Where We Work
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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…

Posted in Events, Our Work, What We're Reading
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,