Blog Archives

One-Year Anniversary of Grand Opening of Opportunity DRC

By Opportunity International on June 15, 2012

One year ago, celebrated the grand opening of its operations in the DR Congo with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the heart of Kinshasa’s Masina market. Three weeks ago, on Tuesday, May 22, 42 local and international staff, dignitaries and supporters gathered to celebrate the one-year anniversary of this milestone at a special luncheon in Kinshasa Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Events, Local Staffing, Our Leadership, Our Work, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, anniversary, ATMs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Caterpillar Foundation, Cell Phones, church, Clients, Colin McCormack, Democratic Republic of Congo, donor, DR Congo, DRC, DRC Grand Opening, Gilbert Lagaillarde, Harry Turner, Keith Flintham, Kinshasa, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Nadine Pembele, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, point-of-sale devices, SAJE Foundation, Savings, Training, UNCDF, UNDP, Women

Breaking Down Barriers & Building Access Through Microfinance Innovations

By Opportunity International on August 9, 2011

Targeted to reach the most marginalized, Opportunity’s financial products help hardworking people overcome the inherent obstacles of poverty and build a more stable, secure and fulfilling life. Throughout the developing world, people are excluded from access to financial services by barriers like meager, unsteady income; illiteracy; gender bias; expensive transportation and geographic isolation. To address these challenges, Opportunity carefully crafts savings, loan, training Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Resources, Technology
Tagged 2010 Annual Report, Africa, ATMs, biometric fingerprint technology, Cell phone banking, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, DRC, Ending Poverty, Insurance, Loans, Microfinance, mobile banks, Opportunity International, point-of-sale devices, satellite branches, Savings, Technology, Training

Chicago Microfinance Conference: Technology Innovations and the Future of Microfinance

By Cynthia Greenwood on May 10, 2011

At Friday’s Chicago Microfinance Conference at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, I had the opportunity to attend the morning breakout session, “Innovations in Microfinance.” In the past 40 years, the microfinance industry has grown to its current level whereby MFIs are operating in virtually every country. In this dynamic and rapidly growing Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Work, Technology
Tagged 2011 Chicago Microfinance Conference, ATMs, biometric technology, Booth School of Business, CARE, Cell phone banking, Chicago Microfinance Conference, Clients, hub-and-spoke model, Kenya, Malawi, MicroDreams, Microfinance, mobile banking vehicle, mobile phone banking, OIBM, Opportunity International Bank of Malawi, Opportunity Malawi, point-of-sale devices, POS devices, Poverty, Rural banking, Rural Outreach, Rwanda, Satellite bank branch, Savings account, Technology, University of Chicago, Women

What We’re Reading: “How Small Loans Are Pulling Kenyans Out of Poverty Trap”

By Opportunity International on April 6, 2011

Kenya’s Daily Nation posted a piece this weekend that applauded microfinance institutions for offering financial solutions that reach more Kenyan people at the bottom of the economic pyramid. The article praises microfinance for helping to alleviate poverty in the developing world. The microfinance model has proved to be ”a potent tool for increasing access to finance, expanding production and opening Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Technology, Training, Trust Groups, What We're Reading, Where We Work
Tagged Africa, ATMs, Banking, Cell phone banking, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial Access, Financial services, Global Poverty, Kenya, Loans, M-PESA, MFI, Microfinance, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity International, point-of-sale devices, Poverty, Rural banking, Savings, Technology, Training, Trust Groups

Honor Opportunity’s Women Clients Today for International Women’s Day 2011

By Opportunity International on March 8, 2011

On this 100th anniversary, we celebrate the significant progress that has been achieved through determined advocacy, practical action and enlightened policy making. Yet, in too many countries and societies, women remain second-class citizens. [...] In the home and at school, in the workplace and in the community, being female too often means being vulnerable. -U.N. Read more…

Posted in Events, Insight Trips, OptINnow, Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, Our Work, Technology, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Africa, Ban Ki-moon, Banking on Women, biometric technology, biometrics, Cell phone banking, Children, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global change, International Women’s Day, Judith Godiah, Kenya, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Mothers, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, OptINnow, point-of-sale devices, Poverty, Schools, Social Change, Students, Technology, UN Secretary-General, United Nations, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

“Banking on Women” with Access to Microsavings

By Opportunity International on March 7, 2011

The following piece, “Banking on Women,” was published in USA Today‘s special supplement “Investing in Women & Girls” on Friday, March 4. In Blantyre, Malawi, dozens of women sell potatoes in the marketplace. But Grace Msowoya and her business partner Betty Louhana stand out. Frustrated by their small profit margins, they became the first women to Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Leadership, Our Mission and Vision, Resources, Rural Outreach, Savings, Technology, What We're Reading, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
Tagged Africa, ATMs, Bill Morgenstern, Blantyre, Cell phone banking, Cell Phones, CGAP, Children, claudia kennedy, Client Stories, Clients, Community, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Grace Msowoya, International Women's Day, Investing in Women and Girls, lieutenant general claudia kennedy, Loans, M-PESA, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Mothers, Opportunity International, point-of-sale devices, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Schools, Students, Technology, USA Today, what we're reading, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON

What We’re Reading: “Haiti: Could Mobile Banking Be a Legacy of the Earthquake?”

By Opportunity International on January 12, 2011

Every Wednesday, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We feature works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the work we do at Opportunity International. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–-tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece we’ve highlighted. The Read more…

Posted in Events, Resources, Strategic Partners, Technology, What We're Reading
Tagged ATMs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cell phone banking, CGAP, cgap technology blog, Earthquake, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Fonkoze, Gates Foundation, Haiti, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile phone banking, natural disasters, NGO, Opportunity International, point-of-sale devices, Port-au-Prince, POS devices, Poverty, Technology, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, what we're reading, World Bank

Five Million People in Five Years: Bank-Building in Africa

By Guest Post on December 16, 2010

Last Wednesday, Opportunity staff and supporters gathered for the quarterly conference call hosted by the Board of Governors. The topic was “Bank-Building in Africa” and Opportunity’s Banking on Africa campaign, a discussion led by two of our experts in the International Business Development department: Dennis Ripley, SVP of programs, and Simona Haiduc, VP of program management. Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Board of Governors, Insight Trips, Loans, Local Staffing, Microinsurance, Our Leadership, Our Work, Rural Outreach, Savings, Strategic Partners, Technology, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, ATMs, Bank Building, Banking on Africa, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Clients, Country champion team, Democratic Republic of Congo, Donations, DR Congo, Ending Poverty, Financial services, fundraisers, Fundraising, Gates Foundation, Ghana, Guest Post, Insight Trip, Kenya, Kiosk, Loans, Malawi, MasterCard Foundation, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile phone banking, Mozambique, Online fundraising, Opportunity International, OptINnow, point-of-sale devices, POS devices, Poverty, Rwanda, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Smallholder farmer, South Africa, Tanzania, Technology, The MasterCard Foundation, Uganda, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity

SEEP Conference Breakfast Workshop, “E-Banking with Agent Networks”

By Opportunity International on November 9, 2010

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 2010 SEEP Conference, Africa, agent network, Conference, Daryl Skoog, E-banking, Ending Poverty, Financial services, GloboKasNet, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Mozambique, Omidyar Network, Opportunity International, opportunity mozambique, Peru, point-of-sale devices, POS devices, Poverty, Savings, SEEP Conference, SEEP Network, Technology, Temenos T24

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