50 Weeks of Opportunity
Each week for the next 50 weeks, we will share a piece of Opportunity’s history—major or minor, sobering or inspiring, we have gotten where we are today by facing some of the world’s greatest challenges, with you by our side. Please join us in celebrating the many impactful moments that have built the foundation on which we will embark on our most audacious vision yet: ending extreme poverty.
ONE Blog: “Day Two in Guatemala: An Inside Look at Health Programs that Work”
With World AIDS Day coming up on Dec. 1, celebrity activist Christy Turlington Burns reports on her ongoing work with (RED) and the ONE Campaign on the No Child Born with HIV campaign. At Opportunity, we’re inspired by her commitment to improving the lives of women in the developing world with these health initiatives. The following blog post, “Day Two in Guatemala: An Inside Look at Health Programs that Work,” written by Burns, was originally published on the ONE Blog, and it is Burns’ second…
Read MoreIn the News: NPR on Savings at Opportunity Malawi
The NPR website has included a story on Opportunity International’s work in bringing microsavings programs to the people of Malawi. The story featured Opportunity Malawi CEO,Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, and our pioneering work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including an example of just one of our many successful banking outlets in Malawi. As of June 2010, Opportunity Malawi had a total of 284,622 depositors, with savings accounts valued at more than $32 million. The story is based on…
Read MoreGates Foundation Summit: The Power of Savings
On Nov. 16-17, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation held its first-ever 2010 Global Savings Forum in Seattle, Wash. Heads of government, banking, technology and international development gathered from around the world to discuss how to bring financial access to people living in poverty, with a particular focus on helping people protect their futures throughsavings. The forum aimed “to identify new, viable approaches to deliver savings and other financial tools that meet the needs” of those…
Read MoreToday, We Celebrate Universal Children’s Day
Today, Saturday, Nov. 20, is Universal Children’s Day, as set by the United Nations. Time Magazine reports today on a new survey that gives voice to children living in poverty. The Small Voices, Big Dreams survey questioned children ages 10-12, in 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Conducted by ChildFund Alliance, a group of global child development organizations, the survey found that many of the world’s children are hungry, lack education and are engaged in work.…
Read MoreAndhra Pradesh: Will the Crisis Spread Throughout India?
In mid-October, the government of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh passed an ordinance severely restricting the operations of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the region. The controversial action was taken after local officials complained of wide-spread abuses in the rapidly growing for-profit microfinance sector; the MFIs have challenged the ordinance in the state’s high court. As confusion and uncertainty continue in the Indian microfinance sector, one thing is becoming clear: the…
Read MoreONE Blog: Checking in on Maternal Health in Guatemala
With World AIDS Day coming up on Dec. 1, celebrity activist Christy Turlington Burns reports on her ongoing work with (RED) and the ONE Campaign on the No Child Born with HIV campaign. At Opportunity, we’re inspired by her commitment to improving the lives of women in the developing world with these health initiatives. The following blog post, ”Checking in on Maternal Health in Guatemala,” written by Burns, was originally published yesterday on the ONE Blog, and it is Burns’ first…
Read MoreOpportunity & Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy Call for Citizen Diplomacy and Economic Empowerment
In support of the U.S. Summit and Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy this week in Washington, D.C., Opportunity International today called for a renewed focus on citizen diplomacy and economic empowerment. Opportunity Board of Advisors member U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Ret.) Claudia Kennedy encourages individuals to recognize the power of diplomacy and development to improve living conditions and global security. “If we can dramatically impact the economic power and influence of women,…
Read MoreWhat We’re Reading: “Women Find Freedom through Land Ownership”
Every Wednesday, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We feature works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the work we do at Opportunity. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece we’ve highlighted. The following post explores a Nov. 7th article on mediaglobal.org, an independent media organization based in the U.N. that raises awareness on issues related to economic…
Read MoreGlobal Poverty on College Campuses: The Two Dollar a Day Challenge
Today, Sonya Perez-Lauterbach, manager of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) presented about Opportunity’s partnership with the Two Dollar Challenge (TDC)organization to the Development Assistance Task Force at the U.S. Summit for Global Citizenship. Here are a few highlights from Sonya’s presentation… At Opportunity, we feel strongly that young adults in the U.S. have the skills, broad worldview and passion to help end global poverty during their lifetimes. So we’ve created several…
Read MoreU.S. Summit for Global Citizenship Starts Tomorrow!
Tomorrow, the U.S. Summit & Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy begins in Washington, D.C. More than 100 NGO leaders working in nine task force groups on a number of topics, including business and development assistance, have solicited and vetted hundreds of proposals from citizen diplomacy organizations, and selected ten top organizations to present in each task force. More than 500 people are expected to attend the summit. NGOs were called upon to present projects that highlight ways…
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