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Opportunity Tanzania is Listening to Microfinance Clients and Growing
Opportunity Tanzania achieved strong growth during 2011. As of September 30th, Opportunity Tanzania was serving 5,705 microentrepreneurs with loans, reflecting an 84% growth in just nine months, having begun 2011 with 3,093 clients. Entrepreneurs like produce seller Joyce Williamson (pictured) are using loans to improve their businesses and generate more income for their families. More Read more…
Cell Phones Deliver Life Insurance
In October 2010, Opportunity International’s microinsurance subsidiary, MicroEnsure, launched a pilot test with the mobile network Tigo Ghana around a new product embedded into the subscriber’s airtime purchases. The more airtime Tigo customers purchase, the more free life insurance they earn for themselves and a second family member. For Tigo, this insurance has helped reduce client churn Read more…
What We’re Reading: “Ten Biggest Positive Africa Stories of 2011,” The New Yorker
“…Yes, there is tragedy in Africa, and you will always find it there, and we must take those tragedies seriously, but there is also extraordinary opportunity. And if you see this continent as the continent of the future, it sort of reframes it. This is a continent that, by 2050, will be the largest and Read more…
Tagged Africa, Arab Spring, Bono, Cell phone banking, DR Congo, elections, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, famine, Ghana, Healthcare, Horn of Africa, Kenya, Liberia, life insurance, M-PESA, Microensure, Microinsurance, mobile phone banking, Nobel Peace Prize, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, The New Yorker, Tigo, what we're reading
Celebrating 40 Years of Microfinance with the “Holiday Fête” in Scottsdale, Arizona
On Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, 2011, the members of Opportunity International’s Arizona Board of Governors hosted the “Holiday Fête: Commemorating 40 Years of Client Impact and Transformation,” a 40th-anniversary celebration at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale. “ is proud to celebrate our 40th year of working alongside our clients, staff and supporters to fight global poverty,” Read more…
Tagged 2011 YAO Insight Trip, 40th anniversary, Africa, Arizona, Banking on Women, Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Cindy Schwab-Salem, David Simms, fundraisers, Global Microfinance Operations, Jon Yasuda, Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, Kelly Flanagan, MFI, Microfinance, mobile banks, Opportunity International, Scottsdale, Tanzania, Tanzania Correspondent Contest, Trust Groups, Women, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Tunes for Tanzania–who knew a Tuesday could be this good?
While everyone seemed moved by the goal of building a bank in Tanzania, as I gauged from the robust rounds of applause, Tuesday’s Tunes for Tanzania event was also just a good time for all. We packed into Schubas in Chicago to listen to the music of three different bands; we strategized to win tantalizing Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Go Long Mule, Ivory Coats, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Rachel McClusky, Schubas, Tanzania, Tunes for Tanzania, YAO, YAO-Chicago, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Why is Microinsurance a Powerful Safety Net for Clients?
Last week, Opportunity supporters and staff dialed in for a lunchtime conference call with Richard Leftley, the president and CEO of MicroEnsure, Opportunity’s microinsurance subsidiary. Leftley shared background on MicroEnsure’s growth in recent years and then answered callers’ questions on what he envisions for the organization’s future. He detailed how insurance is an indispensable tool Read more…
Tagged Africa, Asia, credit life insurance, Crop insurance, Ending Poverty, Financial services, funeral insurance, Ghana, Health insurance, India, Insight Trip, Insurance, Kilimanjaro, Microensure, Microfinance, Microinsurance, Mobile Phones, OIC2011, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, property insurance, Richard Leftley, Tanzania, Weather-index crop insurance, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
A Look Back at YAO’s Summer Fun 2011
Summer 2011 was a busy season for YAO chapters across the country. From a soccer tournament in San Francisco, to the Chicago Half Marathon, to networking at Chapter Happy Hours, Young Ambassadors organized fun summer events that got them inspired and energized to put their passion to end poverty into action. Here are highlights from Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Africa, Chicago Half Marathon, chicago half marathon and 5K, Community, Conference, Ending Poverty, Events, Facebook, Financial services, fundraisers, Global Poverty, Insurance, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Tanzania, Poverty, Savings, Tanzania, Training, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, YAO-Chicago, YAO-Denver, yao-la, yao-los angeles, YAO-New York, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Top 5 Creative Fundraisers by International Nonprofits
Last February, 29 super-dedicated young professionals and entrepreneurs went to Orlando, Florida to jump out of a plane, skydiving to raise funds and awareness for Opportunity Tanzania‘s microfinance initiatives. Inspired by our supporters’ fundraiser at 18,000 feet, we entered Jump for Opportunity as the “Most Creative Fundraiser by a Charity” in this year’s Classy Awards. Read more…
Tagged Classy Awards, Clients, contest, Creativity, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Florida, fundraisers, Jump for Opportunity, MFI, Microfinance, Nonprofit, Online fundraising, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Orlando, Stay Classy, Supporters, Tanzania, Twitter, University of Chicago, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, young entrepreneurs, Young Professionals
Meet Thomas, a Loan Officer in Moshi, Tanzania
Meet Thomas. Thomas is a loan officer in the Moshi branch of Opportunity Tanzania. When I asked him about himself he said he likes hip hop music, traveling, and helping out clients. His Trust Group adores him, as they should, he is a wonderful man who helps out whenever possible. We talked about some of Read more…
Tagged 2011 YAO Insight Trip, Africa, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Insight Trip, Loan Officer, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Moshi, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Poverty, Tanzania, Trust Groups, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
