Stories
What We’re Watching: John Deere Classic on CBS Sports–John Deere Foundation Partners with Opportunity to Make a Difference
This video clip, which aired Sunday, July 10 on CBS Sports during the 2011 John Deere Classic PGA golf tournament, celebrates John Deere’s partnership with Opportunity International through the Classic and other initiatives. Here, John Deere chairman and CEO Sam Allen discusses the company’s commitment to philanthropy and economic development at home and abroad, ensuring that lives are improved and better futures created, emphasized by the work of the John Deere Foundation. The John Deere Foundation…
Read MorePrayers for Peace in Malawi
The following post is a letter from Bill Morgenstern, CEO of Opportunity International, to Opportunity’s staff and supporters about the recent demonstrations in Malawi. While we are still gathering information on the riots in Malawi, we wanted to provide you a brief update on the situation. There are reports that during the anti-government protests yesterday nearly 20 people were killed, many more injured and dozens of businesses ransacked. We are saddened to report that one of our banking kiosks…
Read MoreOpportunity Co-Hosts Financial Literacy Conference in Kenya
This week in Nairobi, Opportunity International and The Financial Education Fund (FEF)–which is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID)–are co-sponsoring a Financial Literacy Conference to explore how access to financial services can be facilitated and enhanced through financial education initiatives. The Financial Literacy Conference opened with remarks from Professor Njuguna S. Ndunu’u, governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, who emphasized that financial literacy not…
Read MoreOur Prayers for the Millions Affected by the Drought in East Africa
For the past two years, a drought has affected East Africa and has placed more than 10 million people at risk. The lack of rain, especially in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, has caused crops to fail, food prices to rise, and cattle to perish, reducing food sources and food security for the people. Unfortunately, there is no immediate end in sight, as rains are not expected in the near future and the harvest season will not occur for several months. In Kenya, it is estimated that 3.5 million people…
Read MoreUpdate: Opportunity DRC in Kinshasa Grows, Expanding Microfinance to More People of the Congo
Opportunity Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) celebrated its grand opening on May 19th in the capital city of Kinshasa. Since Opportunity International‘s arrival in the DRC, we’ve seen marked changes in the lives of the Congolese people. Opportunity DRC is extending much-needed microfinance products in a country where only 1% of the population has access to basic financial services. To date, over 690 Opportunity DRC clients have already received loans to grow their businesses. Two-thirds of…
Read MoreWhat We’re Reading: “Rural and Agricultural Finance in the Spotlight at Cracking the Nut Conference”
A few weeks ago, Shari Berenbach, Director of USAID’s Microenterprise Development Office, wrote a blog post on the USAID’s IMPACTblog reported on a conference held in Washington that directly addressed the problems that face agricultural microfinance, as 600 million smallholder farmers currently live on less than $2 a day. Speakers at the conference emphasized new technology as a way to overcome previous obstacles and create opportunities for these populations. Dr. William Jack of Georgetown…
Read MoreStudents of the World (SOW): Ghanaian Agricultural Finance Client Beatrice is a “Lady of the Land”
The Students of the World (SOW) Boston team has just returned from a month-long trip to Ghana to visit Opportunity Ghana‘s microfinance operations and document their experiences in dozens of photos, posts and more on their blog. You can see all their updates and content on their site, and stay tuned to the Opportunity Blog and our Facebook page for updates from their trip. The following post, “Lady of the Land,” was published on Wednesday, June 18 about Ghanaian agricultural client Beatrice…
Read MoreCelebrating Independence Day around the World
On Independence Day, Americans celebrate with fireworks, barbeques, and joyous gatherings. We celebrate our “Americanness” whole-heartedly today and believe our national identity is a representation of the freedom that we gained in 1776. With that being said, none of us were alive in 1776! In fact, the majority of us don’t have relatives that were in this country during independence. Yet, our desire to celebrate our love for this country manifests within us because of the freedoms it brought…
Read MoreSpotlight on Educational Microfinance & IDP Rising Schools: Students of the World (SOW) Meets Students & Educators in Ghana
The Students of the World (SOW) Boston team is in Ghana all this month visiting Opportunity Ghana‘s microfinance operations and documenting their experiences in a diverse array of photos, posts and more on their blog. You can see all their updates and content on their site, and stay tuned to the Opportunity Blog and our Facebook page for updates from their trip. The following post was co-written by SOW with their Assistant Filmmaker Sarah Stein Lubrano. After arriving in a very lush Kumasi by…
Read MoreDay 4: “Dream Big” – Opportunity Colombia Empowers Young Entrepreneurs, Mothers, Trust Groups & More through Microfinance
The following travel post was written by Jeannette Stewart, a member of the Opportunity International Board of Governors living in Maryland. This week, Jeannette is traveling with her son on the Opportunity Family Week Insight Trip to Colombia. Other Colombia travelers have written posts this week too, catch up on all their adventures by reading their posts here. Teaching Cartagena’s Youth to Dream Big “Dream Big!” hailed Alejandra Sayas as she shared with us her greatest challenges and hopes…
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