Stories
Share the National Day of Prayer with Us
Today is the National Day of Prayer, officially marked as a day to “mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture,” and listed on nationaldayofprayer.org alongside the scripture, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12) At Opportunity we’re celebrating the day by sharing our prayers–for our loved ones, our community, and people around the world–with all our supporters and we want you to join us. We’ll be sharing…
Read MoreGrandmas, Friends, Wives and Mothers: A Tribute to Important Women in Our Lives
Young Ambassadors (YAO) members and Opportunity International staff weigh in on the important women in their lives and what they mean to them: My Grandma is one of my soulmates. Her heart has always understood mine and I have always understood hers. Ever since I was a child we have been able to talk for hours about life, relationships, and most importantly our Heavenly Father. My Grandma has taught me what it looks like to live a Godly life, where all your trust and faith rests in God’s promises.…
Read MoreOpportunity Mozambique is “Empowering Girls, Building the Future”
I just received this story from Mozambique that I wanted to share with you. The lovely staff of Opportunity Mozambique once again demonstrated their commitment to empowering and celebrating women by taking part in International Women’s Day 2012 in early April. Based on this year’s theme “Empowering Girls, Building the Future,” masses of women joined together to pay tribute to Mozambique’s women and girls who contribute significantly to their families and communities. These everyday heroics…
Read MoreWhat Does it Take to Ensure Maternal Health Around the World?
If you were an expectant mother, how would you stay strong in the face of a lack of resources and access to proper care? That was the questions on my mind last Monday, April 16, when I attended a screening of Christy Turlington Burns’s documentary “No Woman, No Cry,” along with Opportunity International supporters and several of my colleagues. Burns’s film–part of the Every Mother Counts campaign, screened on Monday in partnership with Lifeway Foods, Inc. – highlights the complex barriers…
Read MoreFor Mothers Like Adwoa, Opportunity Changes Everything
Throughout the world, all mothers want to give their children everything, and they sacrifice in countless unseen ways to make it happen. As you each honor your own mom this Mother’s Day, allow us to share the story of a very inspirational woman, Adwoa Kwatemaa, one of nearly four million women who inspire Opportunity International to change everything for mothers around the globe. Adwoa lives in rural Kofurida, Ghana, and is a mother of six and a grandmother. When Adwoa was widowed 12 years ago,…
Read MoreOpportunity Staff Updates on Sustainable Energy Initiatives Around the World
Deborah Foy, Opportunity-UK’s International Programmes Director told me that 2012 is the United Nations’s “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.” In the UN’s own words, “Energy is opportunity. It transforms lives. Economies. The planet.” Opportunity’s clients enjoy some of the world’s sunniest days–but they also experience the darkest nights. Lacking electricity, over a billion people around the world are forced to rely on kerosene lamps that emit no more light than…
Read MoreImages of Microfinance… in San Diego?!?
When you think about microfinance clients, what comes to mind? For most of us, we think of international microfinance, but some paradigms shifted several weeks ago as attendees of the San Diego Microfinance Summit spent their lunch hours shopping at 45 booths from local San Diego vendors and restaurants, all of which were funded by microfinance loans. They ranged from high-end chocolate artisans to jewelry makers to the latest popular hipster restaurant. Opportunity International attended the fourth-annual…
Read MoreChicago Premiere of No Woman, No Cry, Directorial Debut of Christy Turlington Burns
Yesterday afternoon, YAO members, members of the Board of Governors, several of my colleagues and I went to the Chicago premiere of Christy Turlington Burns‘s directorial debut, the powerful documentary “No Woman, No Cry.” It’s part of the Every Mother Counts campaign, which raises awareness and support for maternal health issues worldwide. In her film, Burns shares the stories of at-risk pregnant women in four parts of the world: a remote Maasai tribe in Tanzania; a slum in Bangladesh; a…
Read MoreOpportunity Malawi Sends Two Clients to Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI) Summit in the Netherlands
Last week, April 3-4, was the first Child and Youth Finance International (CYFI) summit in Amsterdam, entitled “Reshaping the Future of Finance.” Two young Opportunity Malawi clients were sent to the summit to represent Malawi as special guests, participating in youth panel discussions. One is Grey Katsilizeni, 23, from the rural Lilongwe area of Nambuma. He’s involved in buying and selling of crop produce. The other is Agnes Kwelete, a 17-year-old girl from Mulanje who attends Chisitu Community…
Read MoreApril is the Month of Microfinance
April showers bring more than May flowers in the world of microfinance. Shawn Humphrey, an Economics professor from the University of Mary Washington, has started the Student Microfinance Movement, designating April as the Month of Microfinance, and with it comes a showering of educational events and fundraisers. The Month of Mifi raises awareness and support for both domestic and global microfinance, and unites and prepares students to become the next generation of microfinance practitioners. Throughout…
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