Stories
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 countries, the Foundation helps women realize their potential and lift themselves out of poverty.…
Read MoreConference LiveBlog: Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, CEO of Opportunity Malawi
This morning, the impassioned and inspiring Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, CEO of Opportunity Malawi, spoke at the conference plenary session about the triumphs of launching Opportunity International Bank of Malawi (OIBM) in 2003–offering formal financial services to impoverished people in Malawi–and the ongoing challenges they still need to address in order to access more of that country. Through Aleksandr and Opportunity Malawi, we truly see the power of microfinance at work. Highlights from Aleksandr-Alain…
Read MoreConference LiveBlog: Dr. Julie Howard of USAID’s Feed the Future
Dr. Julie Howard, the U.S. Government’s Deputy Coordinator for Development for the Feed the Future initiative, shares her background, and her perspectives on food security and global hunger from the main stage today at the Opportunity International Conference. Highlights from Dr. Howard’s presentation I have always wanted to work to implement a different kind of development assistance, one that works with NGOs, and was doing so starting ten years ago. Then, almost a year ago, administrator Shah…
Read MoreConference LiveBlog: Steven Levy, Senior Writer for Wired Magazine
Kicking off this second Friday plenary session of the morning, Steven Levy, Senior Writer for Wired magazine, and author of In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives, talks about technology and how innovative thinking in the technological sector can truly offer solutions to the biggest global issues. Highlights from Steven Levy’s presentation A few years ago I wrote a story about computer hackers and expected a disheveled group of people. But what I found was a group of people…
Read MoreConference LiveBlog: Ambassador Tony Hall of the Alliance to End Hunger
Ambassador Tony Hall is a long-time and tireless advocate for issues of global hunger and poverty eradication, serving as executive director of the Alliance to End Hunger. This morning, Dennis Ripley, Opportunity’s senior vice president of international business development, interviewed Ambassador Hall from the main stage at Opportunity’s conference, sharing his story and how we can affect global food crises. Highlights from the Conversation with Ambassador Tony Hall Hall: I fasted thirty years…
Read MoreConference LiveBlog: Nadine Pembele, Head of Training at Opportunity DR Congo
This third and final plenary session of the day opens with remarks by Mary Lynn Staley, chair of the Opportunity International Board of Governors. She introduces Nadine Pembele, Head of Training for Opportunity International in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Highlights from Nadine Pembele’s Presentation I am very honored to have the opportunity to join you this weekend, and to speak to you all tonight. I’d like to give you a brief snapshot of my country. The DRC, once known as Zaire,…
Read MoreConference LiveBlog: John Ortberg, Author and Pastor of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California
This evening, John Ortberg, pastor at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, spoke from the conference mainstage about why it is important to value every individual person with help and with compassion, because every person is worthy of God’s love. Highlights from Pastor Ortberg’s Speech I’d like to take a few moments to think with you why it’s worth all the labor, all the sacrifice to relieve suffering and battle poverty, when you’re only one person. What it’s really about…
Read MoreBreakout Session: Why Women? Why Now?
In families where women have an income, they have a voice in financial decisions, resulting in better nutrition, health and education for children–including girls. In this breakout session, we learned more about why and how Opportunity International invests the majority of its dollars in serving the most vulnerable people on the planet–women. Panelists shared stories of hope and transformation from their daily work at Opportunity, or their Insight Trip and travel experiences to meet our women…
Read MoreBreakout Session: Global Food Security: Call to Action
As the hunger crisis persists in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere, the urgent need continues for agricultural development, nutrition assistance and humanitarian response–both short- and long-term. Join this discussion that explores the ethical, economic and global security justifications for a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to address worldwide hunger. Facilitator: Dennis Ripley, senior VP, international business development Panelists: Ambassador Tony Hall, Director, Alliance to End Hunger Dr.…
Read MoreBreakout Session: Agricultural Finance: Cultivating Hope
With 65% of the Sub-Saharan African labor force employed in agriculture, which provides 32% of GDP growth, according to the World Bank, the importance of the sector to the economy is clear. Agriculture is recognized as the key to revitalizing Sub-Saharan Africa’s rural regions and significantly reducing the level of poverty. In this breakout session, John Magnay, Opportunity International‘s senior agricultural advisor, explains Opportunity’s innovative and holistic approach to providing small-scale…
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