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Chicago Microfinance Conference: Technology Innovations and the Future of Microfinance
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…
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
Ayekoo! Millennium Villages & Opportunity Expand Microfinance in Rural Ghana
Congratulations (Ayekoo) to the clients of Opportunity Ghana. A Millennium Villages Project (MVP) satellite branch has now opened in the small rural community of Datano. The Datano satellite branch is a small outlet located in Ghana’s western region, in the Amansie West District of Ashanti, west of Accra. The branch is staffed by three employees including Read more…
Tagged accra, Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Clients, Community, Earth Institute, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Loan Officer, Loans, MDG, MDG's, MFI, Microfinance, Millennium Development Goals, Millennium Promise, Millennium Village, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Poverty, Rural Outreach, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Savings account, Training, Trust Groups, UN Development Programme, Un millennium development goals, UN Millennium Project, United Nations
When Disaster Strikes, Access to Savings Can Help
The following post was published on Opportunity International Australia‘s blog in January. Read original post here. The recent onslaught of flooding around the globe has highlighted the devastating impact natural disasters can have on people regardless of where they live. The damage to homes and livelihoods, however, is particularly felt when victims have no form of financial security. Read more…
Tagged Australia, Bank Building, Clients, Community, Deposits, Ending Poverty, Financial services, flood, floods, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance Institution, microsavings, natural disasters, opportunity australia, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Australia, Philippines, Poverty, Savings, Savings account, The Philippines
Meet Opportunity: Minnesota College Students Get to Know Microfinance
The following post was contributed by YAO core member Nolan Soltvedt. This fall, I spoke to a class at the University of Minnesota about Opportunity International’s work and about my involvement with Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO). The students were asked to write a one-page reflection paper on the topic, which gave me a great insight into a college student’s first impressions Read more…
Tagged Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Campus, campus coordinators, College, Education, Ending Poverty, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Financial services, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Nonprofit, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, Savings account, Schools, Students, Training, Two Dollar a Day Challenge, Two Dollar Challenge, University, Weather-index crop insurance, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
We’re Expanding Financial Access to Rural Malawi. Here’s How You Can Help.
Travel in your mind to the shores of Lake Malawi. In this remote region, extreme poverty is widespread. But because of the donations, hard work and advocacy of Opportunity supporters and staff, the Malawians here have been empowered financially. To reach the unreachable, Opportunity International[/intlink] Malawi has replicated its successful “hub-and-spoke” approach by opening a Read more…
Tagged Africa, Branch staff, Conference, credit life insurance, Crop insurance, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, fundraisers, Fundraising, Insight Trip, Insight Trips, Insurance, Latin America, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Mobile Banking, mobile banking vehicle, mobile branches, Online fundraising, Opportunity International, Opportunity Malawi, opportunity microfinance conference, OptINnow, Poverty, Satellite bank branch, Savings, Savings account, small business loans, Training, Transportation, Washington D.C.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Education as a Solution
Guest blogger and Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) member Julie Hindmarsh sends us this report while on WON’s “Mothers, Daughters and Sisters” Insight Trip to Uganda. What a thrill to visit a school that has received loans from Opportunity Uganda! Maria Nassaka’s husband started the school in 2000 with only 50 children. When he died in Read more…
Tagged Banking on Education, Children, Daughters, Dominican Republic, Ending Poverty, Ghana, Girl, Half the Sky, Loans, Malawi, Mothers, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity Uganda, Savings account, School, School fees, Sheryl WuDunn, Sisters, Teachers, Trust Group, Uganda, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, WON Uganda Insight Trip 2010
Melinda Gates Highlights Opportunity International
Earlier this week, Opportunity International was honored to host Melinda Gates as she visited some of our clients and experienced our banking services in Malawi. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Opportunity is expanding access to savings accounts, loans, training and insurance to people struggling to work their way out of Read more…
