Stories
Looking Ahead: The Future of Love
"It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done." - Vincent van Gogh For the past several weeks, we have celebrated love here at Opportunity International. We have acknowledged and honored the many relationships and communities that make our work possible. And this celebration of love matters. But it is also just the beginning. Love is not the end game - it is the underlying…
Read MoreLooking Back at Love
For the last month, we've been celebrating love here at Opportunity International. I've enjoyed being a part of conversations about the love shared between clients and loan officers, husbands and wives, parents and children and trust group members. These many relationships are at the core of Opportunity's work and extend the impact of our work - transforming the lives of not just individuals, but entire communities. In case you missed any of the great things happening this month, we've rounded…
Read MoreAdvancing the World's Women
This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post in honor of International Women's Day. I saw an interesting report recently from the International Labour Organization that lists the percentage of women working in managerial positions in 108 countries. I was surprised there are only three countries—Jamaica, Colombia and Saint Lucia—where you are more likely to have a female rather than a male boss. Among developed nations, the United States ranks 15th with 42.7 percent women in managerial…
Read MoreWhat YAO Taught Me About Community
Community matters. For Opportunity International clients, the community provided by Trust Groups allows our clients to feel accountable, challenged and encouraged as they build their businesses and work their way out of poverty. For Opportunity supporters, community is equally important. Our personal networks – our friends, families, workplaces and churches – provide us with a much-needed sense of belonging and support. Understanding this power of community, five years ago we launched a network…
Read MoreAlleviating Poverty through Trust Groups
Recently I had a chance to visit our clients in Uganda. As a writer for Opportunity International, I’ve become quite familiar with our Trust Group model, but never had the chance to see it in action. It was everything I’d written about for years, but so much more. The friendship between the group members was clearly evident, and though I didn’t understand the language, it was obvious that important business was happening and friendships were being strengthened. I wanted to share with you one…
Read MoreQuestions about Trust Groups, Community and Success
As part of my job, I have the privilege of speaking to groups of students and young professionals about Opportunity International. I’m always struck by the consistency of questions that these groups present. Of course, there are unique inquiries related to personal interests and experiences, but largely I’m faced with the same questions no matter who is in the audience. The questions I get most often go something like this: Does Opportunity work? My answer is yes. How do you know? My…
Read MoreSacrifice and Other Marks of Love
Growing up - and still to this day - I’m struck by the work ethic of my dad and mom. Growing up, my brother and I were never in want. We ate well. We never had to sit out a season of hockey because of the cost, despite it being an expensive sport (especially considering how fast children grow). When the time came for me to go to high school, my parents enrolled me in the private school across town because, despite the tuition, my parents desired to plant me in an environment where I could grow.…
Read MoreDanny & Duver: Sacrifice
Duver Sua grew up in a neighborhood riddled with rampant drug activity. Violence and poverty were common, and like many children in his community, his future was uncertain. But Duver had a dream to do more with his life – and he became the first in his family to finish high school. After graduation, Duver took his hard-earned savings and enrolled in the local university, preparing himself with the tools he needed to build a career. But instead of escaping the community that…
Read MoreIron Sharpens Iron
Day in and day out in their custom tailor shop, the husband and wife team of Faith and Frank Rubanda of Mubende, Uganda, demonstrate the powerful transformation that is made capable when a marriage is rooted in both love and an uncompromising dedication to partnership. Faith and Frank are parents to seven children and are both gifted with a true entrepreneurial spirit. For years the husband and wife team dreamed of starting a tailoring business. The couple worked hard and used…
Read MoreClient Love Stories
Federico Rodriguez Bastos and his wife Ruth are working together to support and empower their children, Luis Miguel and Adriana. Encouraged by the love they have for each other and their family, Federico and Ruth have built a business and a life – together. Life has been challenging for Federico and Ruth - a guerrilla war in rural Colombia drove them out of their hometown, forcing them to leave behind their only asset - their land. Faced with the likelihood of poverty as he moved his family to…
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