Stories
The Need for Drinkable Water
Steph was an Intern with Opportunity International in the Summer of 2013. Our first instinct on a hot, humid day is to drink a cold, refreshing glass of water. We rarely think twice about whether it’s available. Faucet on, faucet off. Though clean drinking water is essential for health, 780 million people have no access to it. Inadequate drinking water poses serious health risks such as tapeworms, diarrhea and viruses that lead, in some cases, to preventable deaths. Daily, millions of people across…
Read MoreBig Goals and Great Strides Toward Ending Hunger
Over the past 30 years, the world has made great strides in the eradication of worldwide poverty. In fact, according to a World Bank report, 751 million fewer people are living in extreme poverty compared to 1981. While we are clearly making huge strides, the report also found that the quality of life for those living in poverty is as bad today as it was in 1981. Fortunately, we have greatly decreased the amount of hungry people in the world: Since 1990, the number has dropped by 152 million people.…
Read MoreOpportunity International Gets Blog Action Day Shout Outs
Every year in October, bloggers from around the world unite on Blog Action Day to write about a single topic. This year, it’s Human Rights. Here at Opportunity International we believe a life of dignity and purpose is a fundamental right. Unfortunately most budding entrepreneurs in the developing world don’t have access to education and training necessary to start their own business. Most banks turn them down when they ask for a loan. But not here at Opportunity International. We give small loans…
Read MoreCEO Vicki Escarra Blogs about Agriculture Finance for Huffington Post
Africa has enough arable land to feed a population of 2.5 billion—yet millions of its 1 billion people go hungry every day. But at Opportunity International, we believe equipping farmers in Africa with the funding and market connections to stabilize their production is key to breaking the cycle of hunger. It’s a message Opportunity International CEO Vicki Escarra underscored in her most recent Huffington Post blog about the link between agriculture finance and food security. The blog post spotlighted…
Read MoreFaith in Action: Nonprofit Microfinance in the News
The following is a post written by Professor Emeritus Martin E. Marty for Sightings, a blog from the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School. A prominent interpreter of religion and culture, Marty is the author of more than 50 books, as well as a speaker, columnist, pastor and teacher, and was a professor of religious history for 35 years at the University of Chicago. His original post was published on Monday, Dec. 13, entitled ”Microfinance.” Sightings has…
Read MoreOpportunity International Announces New Unified Vision
At Opportunity International, we’ve worked for 42 years to achieve our mission of giving people in the developing world the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Now we have a stronger way of sharing that mission with the world. Opportunity International announced last week unified messaging that clarifies our vision, mission, motivation, values and methods throughout our worldwide organization. Our work hasn’t changed—just our way of sharing it with the world. Watch Opportunity…
Read MorePope Francis: ‘Where there is Work, There is Dignity’
Pope Francis shared a simple but powerful message during a Sept. 22 visit to the Italian island Sardinia. “Where there is no work,” he said, “there is no dignity.” That philosophy drives Opportunity International every day. Our work isn’t about handouts. We empower people in the developing world to lift themselves out of poverty. Opportunity International loans, training and other services have generated roughly 10 million jobs across more than 22 countries since 1971. But we’re just…
Read MoreProper Healthcare – A Prerequisite to Economic Development in Africa
Monday October 7 is Child Health Day. A day intended to raise people’s awareness of how they can protect and develop children’s health. The following post is by Christie Lacey. Christie was an Intern with Opportunity International in the Summer of 2013. Imagine living in an area where you are lucky to live past 45, the infant mortality rate is 17 percent and more than 34 million children are orphans due to poor healthcare. This is the reality of life in sub-Saharan Africa. The African continent…
Read More‘I Want My School to be Big’: Educator Shares Dreams on ‘GOOD’ Blog
Comfort Appiah was so secretive when she started a school in her home, she didn’t even tell her husband. Fifteen years later, that school now serves 800 children in Accra, Ghana. (And yes, her husband knows.) An Opportunity International loan allowed Comfort to grow the school from its humble roots to approach her goal of educating thousands.Comfort wrote about her journey from underground educator to official school proprietor for the online community GOOD. “I want my school to be big,” she…
Read MoreAn Unstoppable Loan Client
Steph was an Intern with Opportunity International in the Summer of 2013. Opportunity International works in more than 20 countries including the Philippines. Manila businesswoman, Concepcion Valenzuela, makes 10 types of ceramics products in her small rented shop. With the help of several Opportunity loans, Concepcion purchased clay, paint and equipment such as a mixing machine and rented a larger shop. She now employs seven workers and produces an inventory of hundreds of products, including delicate…
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