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Solar Panel Loans Offer a Beacon of Light for Ugandan Families
In November, launched a solar energy loan to provide power to families currently living with no or unreliable electricity. Opportunity Uganda is now offering clients like Betty Aute (pictured right), a papyrus weaver and mother of two, a solar panel loan of about $300, which covers panels and installation and is repayable over two years, to Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, electricity, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, solar panels, Technology, Uganda
Opportunity Celebrates 40 Years at “Side by Side” Gala in Minneapolis
Last Thursday night, more than 400 guests gathered at International Market Square in Minneapolis, Minn. to celebrate Opportunity International‘s 40th anniversary at a gala event, “Side by Side: Celebrating 40 Years of Opportunity.” The evening included entertainment by Minnesota resident and contemporary Christian singer Sara Groves and the African musical group Duniya Drum and Dance, Read more…
Tagged 40th anniversary, Al Whittaker, Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Colombia, Duniya Drum & Dance, Events, Faith in Action, Frida Mungoma, fundraisers, gala, Minneapolis, Nonprofit, Opportunity Uganda, Philanthropy, Sara Groves, Side by Side, YAO, YAO-Minneapolis, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Meet Ugandan Staff Member Frida Mungoma, Education Finance Manager
This past Monday, just after arriving in the United States, Opportunity Uganda‘s Education Finance Manager Wakhasa Frida Mungoma–known as Frida–sat down with me at the Opportunity-US offices in Oak Brook, Ill. for a discussion of her work, the challenges she faces and the most rewarding aspects of her job. Below, see brief excerpts of my Read more…
Tagged Africa, Education, Education finance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Frida Mungoma, international staff, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, School Proprietor Loans, school proprietors, Students, Uganda, Women, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, YAO-New York, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Breakout session, coffee farmer, Crop insurance, Ending Poverty, Insurance, John Magnay, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Malawi, opportunity mozambique, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Savings, Smallholder farmer, Training
Conference LiveBlog: Anessa Chui of Credit Suisse
This morning, Anessa Chui–VP of Human Resources-Onboarding and Program Management at Credit Suisse–spoke from the main stage at Opportunity’s annual conference. Credit Suisse, a strategic partner to Opportunity International, is the generous sponsor of our conference this year. Anessa visited Opportunity’s operations in Uganda as part of Credit Suisse’s Global Citizens Program, examining the branches’ Read more…
Faith in Action: Opportunity Supporter Walks 500 Miles of Christian Pilgrimage El Camino de Santiago
With just 50 miles to go, Opportunity International supporter Ann Loar Brooks is about to complete a 500-mile walk for Ugandan women. Ann began her journey on August 27th, hiking the last 500 miles of the Christian pilgrimage El Camino de Santiago, which starts from southern France and winds through the Pyrenees across northern Spain. Her mission: to raise awareness Read more…
Tagged Africa, Board of Governors, Clients, Ending Poverty, Faith in Action, Financial Access, Financial services, Fundraising, Global Poverty, Microfinance, Online fundraising, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Supporters, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Back to School with a Visit to See Education Finance in Action in Uganda
As we head back to school in the U.S., we’re thinking a lot about our educational loan clients and school proprietors around the world, and the impoverished children who are receiving an education because of them. Here, staff member Mark shares what he learned about education finance on his recent visit to a primary school in Kampala, Read more…
Tagged Africa, Back to School, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Children, Clients, Community, Education, Education finance, education microfinance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Insight Trip, Kampala, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rise and Shine School, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, Students, Uganda, Youth
Empowerment through Microfinance–Meeting Rwandan Microfinance Client Dorosera Mukagahima
Dorosera Mukagahima made our long two-hour bus ride worth the trek to her remote village. She’s the elected treasurer in her Trust Group of about 30, mostly women. In her business she buys and sells goats—about three at a time. She proudly told us of her sturdy mud brick home with a metal roof, situated Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Family, Financial services, Genocide, Insight Trip, Loans, mark lutz, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Rwanda, Trust Groups, Uganda, Women
An Outstanding Group of Ugandan Microfinance Clients
These people meet weekly in this very, very rough setting to repay their loans. They must each be current on their payments for the group to be deemed current. They all are. On their own (not an idea from the bank) over the past few years this informal group has established a “reserve fund.” The Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Banking on Africa Insight Trip 2011, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Loans, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Opportunity Uganda, Rwanda, Uganda
