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Credit Suisse’s Microfinance Work Recognized at the Financial Times/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards
would like to offer our congratulations to Credit Suisse. They were awarded a special commendation for their program in the Sustainable Global Bank of the Year category at the Financial Times/International Finance Corporation Sustainable Finance Awards. The annual FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards, now in their seventh year, are the major global awards for environmentally- and Read more…
Tagged agent network, ATMs, awards, biometric technology, biometrics, capacity-building, Cell phone banking, Cell Phones, Clients, Colombia, Credit Suisse, Electronic wallet strategy, Financial services, Financial Times, Ghana, Insurance, International finance corporation, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Mobile Banking, mobile banks, Opportunity International, POS devices, Rural Outreach, Savings, strategic partners, sustainable finance award, Technology, Temenos T24
Program Update: Opportunity Mozambique is Cultivating Hope among Smallholder Farmers
is helping smallholder farmers achieve optimum output to put more food on the family table and increase food security in their communities. We’re committed to helping farmers in sub-Saharan Africa transition from subsistence to economically- and commercially-active farming. Through an innovative and sustainable approach to agricultural finance, Opportunity provides products and services designed to achieve Read more…
Tagged Agricultural finance, chief transformation officer, Clients, crop yields, Ending Hunger, Farmers, financial literacy training, Food security, Global Poverty, Linda Godinho, Microfinance, Mozambique, Opportunity International, opportunity mozambique, pilot, Poverty, Rural Outreach, rural poverty, Smallholder farmer, sub-Saharan Africa, Training, Transformation, Transformational Training
What We’re Reading: Top 10 Posts on International Women’s Day
As we close out the week, I’m reflecting on some of the articles published in honor of yesterday’s International Women’s Day. Here are just a few of the provocative, interesting, inspiring and even maddening(!) ones I encourage you to read or re-read, in no particular order… “What if Mark Zuckerberg Were Born a Girl in Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Climate Change, CNN, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Huffington Post, International Women's Day, IWD2012, Kenya, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mothers, ONE blog, Opportunity International, Oxfam, Poverty, Rural Outreach, Tanzania, The Guardian, The New York Times, Trust Groups, UN Women, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, World Bank
Connecting in Rural Areas with Enterprise Open Sky (EOS) Technology
In remote areas of Mozambique, Ghana and Rwanda, far from the nearest brick-and-mortar bank branch, many Opportunity International clients, regardless of where they live or work, can make transactions in real time using Enterprise Open Sky (EOS). Built by Opportunity’s MIS Services, EOS is a set of computer programs that works seamlessly in conjunction with the core banking system, provided Read more…
Opportunity Promotes Entrepreneurship for the Next Generation in Nicaragua
Opportunity International is launching a Technical High School to teach youth entrepreneurship skills in the agriculture and tourism industries as part of its community development initiative in Nicaragua. Opportunity recently broke ground on its Entrepreneurial Technical High School in Diriomo, Nicaragua. The school will provide rural students with the education and training they need to Read more…
Tagged Clients, Community, Community development, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Latin America, Nicaragua, Opportunity International, Opportunity Nicaragua, Poverty, Rural Outreach, rural schools, Schools, Students, Training
Check It Out! Credit Suisse Reports on the Impact of Microfinance & Technology in Malawi
We’re pleased to announce that Opportunity International is featured in this month’s Credit Suisse Bulletin. The four-page article, which was the result of Credit Suisse’s visit to Opportunity Malawi last year, is located on pages 42-45. Click here to see a complete copy of the Bulletin or read the story online. In addition, Credit Suisse has Read more…
Tagged Africa, ATMs, biometric fingerprint technology, biometric technology, Cell phone banking, Clients, Credit Suisse, Electronic wallet strategy, Financial literacy programs, financial literacy training, Loan Officer, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile phone banking, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, regional manager, Rural Outreach, Savings, Technology, Training, Trust Groups, Women
Carlos Moreno-The Success of Opportunity’s First Microfinance Client
Carlos Moreno was a small business owner selling spices in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, but he knew he needed additional funding in order to grow his business. In 1971, Carlos became Opportunity International’s very first loan client. Today, Carlos says, “My loan helped me expand my business so I could sell 52 different spices, teas and medicinal herbs.” With the Read more…
We’re Celebrating 40 Years of Poverty Alleviation through Microfinance
For 40 years, Opportunity International has been blessed to serve millions of microfinance clients and honored to partner with passionate supporters committed to ending global poverty. Today, our staff touches the lives of clients on four continents, we develop innovative products that protect families and communities, expand services to remote and rural areas, and so much Read more…
Bank on Africa this Summer and Be a Part of Something Big
Did you know? The African continent is home to 24 of the 25 most impoverished countries on earth, and in Sub-Saharan Africa, less than 10% of the population has an account with a financial institution.Opportunity International‘s Banking on Africa Campaign is bringing millions of Sub-Saharan Africans closer to the day when they can safely deposit Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Banking on Africa, Banking on Africa Campaign, Clients, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Insurance, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Microinsurance, mobile banking vehicles, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rural Outreach, Savings, sub-Saharan Africa, Technology, Training
What We’re Reading: “Rural and Agricultural Finance in the Spotlight at Cracking the Nut Conference”
A few weeks ago, Shari Berenbach, Director of USAID’s Microenterprise Development Office, wrote a blog post on the USAID’s IMPACTblog reported on a conference held in Washington that directly addressed the problems that face agricultural microfinance, as 600 million smallholder farmers currently live on less than $2 a day. Speakers at the conference emphasized new Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, ATMs, biometric fingerprint technology, biometrics, branchless banking, Cell phone banking, Colombia, Community, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Kenya, Latin America, Loans, M-banking, M-PESA, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, mobile branches, mobile phone banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity International, Opportunity Kenya, Opportunity Malawi, Poverty, Rural banking, Rural Outreach, Technology, USAID, USAID Impact blog, what we're reading
