Blog Archives

World AIDS Day 2011: Ending AIDS in a Generation

Today, Thursday, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. This year’s theme, Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, Zero AIDS-related deaths, is an optimistic one but there is good reason to hope. The latest Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Response by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and UNAIDS indicates that increased access to HIV services has resulted Read more…

Posted in Events, Where We Work
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Innovation to Aid the Horn of Africa: USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Last Thursday, USAID administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah spoke at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs lunchtime talk entitled “America’s role in Food Security and the Horn of Africa Famine.” Administrator Shah began with slides and stories from the amalgam of refugee camps that make up the Dadaab camps in Kenya. The camps, which were built for Read more…

Posted in Events, Resources, Rural Outreach, Technology
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A Call for Sustainable Development on Oct. 17, United Nations Poverty Eradication Day

“People living in poverty face increasingly difficult challenges as climate change, environmental degradation and rising food prices threaten their livelihoods and survival.” -United Nations’s Division for Social Policy and Development Today, October 17, is the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) and this year’s theme is “From Poverty to Sustainability: People Read more…

Posted in Events, Loans, Microfinance Conference, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Resources, Where We Work
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Conference LiveBlog: Reeta Roy Accepts the 2011 International Women’s Leadership Award on Behalf of The MasterCard Foundation

Today, Betsy Perdue, co-chair of the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON), presented Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation, with WON’s 2011 International Women’s Leadership Award. Roy accepted the award on behalf of the Foundation, honored for its role in supporting and inspiring global women entrepreneurs. By increasing access to microfinance and youth education in developing Read more…

Posted in Events, Microfinance Conference, Strategic Partners, Technology, Where We Work, Women's Opportunity Network
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“They Gave Their Lives to the Most Noble of Causes.”

Opportunity International is profoundly saddened and offers condolences to the families of the passengers and crew members who were killed in a United Nations plane crash on Monday while landing at N’Djili International Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The passengers included staff from the United Nations and international organizations and NGOs serving in Read more…

Posted in Events
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Half the World’s LDCs Can Emerge from Poverty, Says a New UN Report

On Tuesday, March 29, the United Nations issued a report, summarized at un.org under the title “Half of world’s poorest countries can escape poverty by 2020.” According to the report, which was produced by the Group of Eminent Persons appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, half the world’s 48 least developed countries (LDCs) can “graduate” out of Read more…

Posted in Bank Building, Our Mission and Vision
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Honor Opportunity’s Women Clients Today for International Women’s Day 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
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What We’re Reading: “To Fight Poverty, Invest in Girls” (Time Magazine)

Every Wednesday, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series, featuring pieces 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 following post Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Our Motivation, What We're Reading, Women's Opportunity Network
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Today, Honor Human Rights Defenders, Celebrate Human Rights Day 2010

Human rights are the foundation of freedom, peace, development and justice[...] On this Human Rights Day, let us be inspired by those seeking to make our world more just. And let us remember that everyone — no matter their background, training or education — can be a human rights champion.    -UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Motivation, Our Work, Women's Opportunity Network
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