Stories
Meet the Women of Opportunity
Today, on International Women’s Day, the world comes together to celebrate the achievements, strength and rights of women. On this day, we can all take a few extra moments to see and feel the connections that exist in the community of women that contribute to Opportunity International. It is through these connections that our supporters, staff and clients unite to help and inspire each other. If you’d like to do more to honor and support our women clients, consider making an International Women’s…
Read MoreHow Will You Celebrate Women on March 8th?
In just one week, on Thursday, March 8th, the world will celebrate International Women’s Day 2012. On this day, organizations and individuals will gather to celebrate the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future. Here at Opportunity, where 85% of our clients are women, we’re passionate about equipping the next generation of women with education and access to financial services. Because we’ve seen firsthand that having access to these tools can change the…
Read MoreMeet Client Monica: She is Clothed with Strength and Dignity
When I’m having a rough week, I take a quick break to remember Opportunity‘s clients, like Monica Koranteng, who is most definitely a Proverbs 31 woman. Meet Monica: she watches over the affairs of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Before being introduced to Opportunity Ghana, Monica worked as a “hawker,” selling her wares on the streets of Madina. Most days she wasn’t sure if she could sell enough to eat. Finding it nearly impossible to continue in her situation without…
Read MoreConnecting in Rural Areas with Enterprise Open Sky (EOS) Technology
In remote areas of Mozambique, Ghana and Rwanda, far from the nearest brick-and-mortar bank branch, many Opportunity International clients, regardless of where they live or work, can make transactions in real time using Enterprise Open Sky (EOS). Built by Opportunity’s MIS Services, EOS is a set of computer programs that works seamlessly in conjunction with the core banking system, provided the loan officer can connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or an in-country cell phone provider. EOS enables…
Read MoreEducation Programs in Nicaragua: Sending Children to School
The idea seemed almost too good to be true: a self-sustainable, private high school providing academic coursework in tandem with technical classes and apprenticeship within reach of people living in rural poverty. If it could be done, it would be completely in line with Opportunity Nicaragua’s Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model. I was sold: hook, line, and sinker. In October of last year I learned of Opportunity Nicaragua’s plans to build an entrepreneurial school near their offices…
Read MoreWhat We’re Reading: A Microfinance, Poverty, Empowerment Reading List
Looking for your next big read? We’ve put together a list of compelling books we’re reading, running the gamut from microfinance and international development, to global aid and putting your faith into action. Check out our list and let us know what you think in the comment field below. What would you add, and what doesn’t make your list? Like you, we’re always looking for a good book recommendation so we want to hear from you. 1. Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2…
Read MoreMade in Rwanda… Follow Along with Opportunity Canada
Yesterday, 20 people from across Canada will be coming together in support of two organizations working in one country, Rwanda, to focus on issues of leadership and the development of human capital. A few participants for the first-ever Made in Rwanda Insight Trip and Leadership Summit are already on the ground and others have started blogging, posting on Opportunity Canada’s Facebook page and sharing about their experiences so far. Here’s a few of them… Lisa Wiebe… and her husband Roland…
Read MoreOur Prayers for Victims of Monday’s Devastating Earthquake in Philippines
On Monday morning, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake (U.S. Geological Survey) struck central Philippines in a narrow strait just off Negros Island. The epicenter was closest to Tayasan, a coastal town of about 32,000 people flanked by mountains in Negros Oriental province. The quake could be felt in at least seven central provinces, including Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Cebu and Bacolod, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Wall Street Journal reports that local government…
Read MoreA Trip Down Memory Lane with Some New-Old Photos
We have a lot of great photos at Opportunity International. With all of the amazing clients we get to meet and all of the places we get to work, great pictures aren’t hard to come by. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to keep them neatly organized, some of those photos get buried underneath all of the new ones that come in. But from time to time, as we’re sifting through our photo library, we come across some that just make us stop. They’re not all perfect pictures, but they show our…
Read MoreLook Good, Do Good
This week only, the social entrepreneurs at Sevenly selected Opportunity International as their featured nonprofit, designing t-shirts and a hoodie for sale to benefit our work. They were especially inspired by our work in India, focusing their week-long campaign on our microfinance there, especially health insurance through our microinsurance subsidiary MicroEnsure. After all, our financial services for clients all over the world–including savings products, small business loans and microinsurance—can…
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