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.
Opportunity LiveBlog: Sharing Your Story
Daniel Taylor is a storytelling professional. He understands the importance of where to start a story, how to tell it, and what its conclusion should be. At Opportunity International’s fall Board of Governors Conference, each session he led was standing room only. We are delighted to have him join us again for our Spring 2010 Confernece. The wisdom he shares resonates so deeply with the Opportunity family. Daniel’s seminal book, Tell Me a Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories, is powerful.…
Read MoreWelcome to the Opportunity Microfinance Conference
Welcome to Phoenix. The sun is shining, the hallways of the Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center are filling up, and hopes are high as we begin the Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, hosted by the Opportunity Board of Governors. These next few days promise to be ones brimming with stories. Indeed, the theme of the conference is “Share Her Story: Change Your World.” We invite you to join us right here at blog.opportunity.org during the conference. Along with speakers and special…
Read MoreMourning with World Vision
Opportunity International mourns with World Vision for the loss of six staff members who were killed by gunmen in an attack on their office in Pakistan yesterday. The office focused on providing continued relief to the Mansehra District, where a devastating earthquake killed 80,000 in 2005. These World Vision staff members were local citizens who were dedicated to improving the lives of those in their community affected by poverty and disasters. Please remember in your prayers the families of these…
Read More“Will Kiva Kill Your Nonprofit? Donations 2.0” Nope, not ours!
Ian Haisley, Jonathan Neddenriep, Reuben Thiessen and I will be meeting in Austin, Tex., this Friday to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival. We are very excited to be with the “world’s most creative web developers, designers, bloggers, wireless innovators, content producers, programmers, widget inventors and new media entrepreneurs.” The festival includes presentations and panel discussions, and I will be representing OptINnow in the panel discussion, “Will Kiva Kill…
Read MoreBill Morgenstern Named CEO of Opportunity International
We at Opportunity International are excited to welcome our new CEO, Bill Morgenstern. We are grateful that a man of Bill’s great character and compassion has found his way to Opportunity International to work alongside us to serve those who are suffering in the world. “I am tremendously honored to join Opportunity International and its almost 40-year history as a leader in the microfinance field,” Bill said. “The story of Opportunity continues to be the story of the people we serve.…
Read MoreStrong Women: The Heart of Community in Kampala, Uganda
I woke up today, on the eve of International Women’s Day, thinking about the remarkable women clients I met on a recent trip to Kampala to visit Opportunity Uganda’s operations. For me, these women give new meaning to the words “hardworking,” “committed,” “brave,” and “strong.” Opportunity Loan Officer Charity Namutebi works out of the Kira Branch inKampala, Uganda’s capital city. Charity, just 27 years old, serves 455 clients in 20 Trust Groups. She encourages…
Read MoreGaining Insight into Women Worldwide
An important component of celebrating International Women’s Day is being aware of and recognizing the difficulties and challenges women still face daily around the world. Opportunity International believes you can even take the common cliché “think globally, act locally” and apply it to this day. We plan on doing this for our in-office International Women’s Day event on March 8. We also realize the significance of thinking globally and acting globally, which is why we’re using…
Read MoreCelebrate International Women’s Day with “Half the Sky”
One way you can celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 is to begin reading the book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Late last year, Julie Hindmarsh, a leader in the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) of Opportunity International, suggested that WON host a “Half the Sky” book reading with members and staff. Here are some of the comments from the ensuing discussion. “There is hope, even amidst all the evil…
Read MoreInternational Women’s Day: Coming Together to Recognize and Celebrate
International Women’s Day is about coming together to recognize and celebrate the social, economic and political achievements of women all around the world. On this global day of celebration, it’s important to focus on the individual stories of women who show resilience, strength and courage each and every day. Opportunity International works with these very same women. With determination, knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit and courage, plus the support of microfinance services, these women transform…
Read MoreInternational Women’s Day: What it is/why we celebrate…and more
Have you heard of International Women’s Day? Do you know much about the history or significance of this day? Although the official date is Monday, March 8, we will be contributing posts this week on everything from the history of International Women’s Day to how it relates to the microfinance services that Opportunity International provides to clients worldwide (85% of whom are women). Let’s start with a brief history of International Women’s Day. It first emerged at the turn of the…
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