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 EduFinance Supports Entrepreneurs and Enterprise in Schools
This content originally appeared on edufinance.org. The inclusion of business and life-skills training in children’s education is increasingly important, particularly in the developing world, and particularly in Africa. In 2016 the UN estimated Africa’s population at 1.2 billion (almost 50% under age 18) and calculated an increase to 2.4 billion by 2050[i]. To survive this huge increase in population growth young people need skills to rely on for life. Whether entrepreneurial…
Read MoreField Update: Our Insight Trip to India, Part 3
Mark and Sue Real, Opportunity supporters from Colombus, Ohio, traveled on an Insight Trip to India to meet Opportunity's field staff and clients. The trip was eye-opening and inspiring—and they graciously shared a few of their experiences with us. We will be sharing their stories over the course of the week. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here, and learn more about traveling on an Insight Trip with us at opportunity.org/insight. Our next visit was to two small villages outside the pink city of…
Read MoreField Update: Our Insight Trip to India, Part 2
Mark and Sue Real, Opportunity supporters from Colombus, Ohio, traveled on an Insight Trip to India to meet Opportunity's field staff and clients. The trip was eye-opening and inspiring—and they graciously shared a few of their experiences with us. We will be sharing their stories over the course of the week. Read Part 1 here, and learn more about traveling on an Insight Trip with us at opportunity.org/insight. We drove to the home of the leader of a five-woman trust group. Our driver steered…
Read MoreField Update: Our Insight Trip to India, Part 1
Mark and Sue Real, Opportunity supporters from Colombus, Ohio, traveled on an Insight Trip to India to meet Opportunity's field staff and clients. The trip was eye-opening and inspiring—and they graciously shared a few of their experiences with us. We will be sharing their stories over the course of the week. Learn more about traveling on an Insight Trip with us at opportunity.org/insight. Our Insight Trip was Sue’s fourth trip to India and Mark’s first. Sue immediately noticed the increase…
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Meet Cassie and Carol, our Governors Co-Chairs
We recently sat down with Cassie Burns and Carol Pelino—the co-chairs of Opportunity’s Board of Governors. Cassie and Carol are dedicated Opportunity supporters working to grow, engage, and encourage the Governors community. We loved getting to know a little bit more about them, and we hope you love meeting them, too! Carol Pelino and Cassie Burns, Opportunity's Board of Governors Co-Chairs Why (and how) did you get involved with Opportunity International? And why have…
Read MoreCelebrating Mothers: Sorany's Story
In honor of Mothers Day on May 13, we are celebrating some of the amazing women we know around the world who are working tirelessly to support their families and create bright futures for their children. Honor the mothers in your life at opportunity.org/mothersday. Like many girls in her neighborhood in southern Bogotá, Colombia, Sorany found herself pregnant at age 16 and dropped out of school. Her family made her move out of their home, and she was left without a plan and without options. As…
Read MoreCelebrating Mothers: Abdul's Story
In honor of Mothers Day on May 13, we are celebrating some of the amazing women we know around the world who are working tirelessly to support their families and create bright futures for their children. Honor the mothers in your life at opportunity.org/mothersday. Abdul has her hands full. She has three children—the oldest is 23 and the youngest is one and a half. In order to support her family, she processes rice and sells it in the local market. Yet despite her hard work, Abdul struggled…
Read MoreCelebrating Mothers: Caroline's Story
In honor of Mothers Day on May 13, we are celebrating some of the amazing women we know around the world who are working tirelessly to support their families and create bright futures for their children. Honor the mothers in your life at opportunity.org/mothersday. When Caroline Musoke’s two children faced challenges that left them unable to care for their own kids, Caroline stepped up and took in her four grandchildren to raise as her own. As the primary provider for her family, Caroline…
Read MoreCelebrating Mothers: Grettel's Story
In honor of Mothers Day on May 13, we are celebrating some of the amazing women we know around the world who are working tirelessly to support their families and create bright futures for their children. Honor the mothers in your life at opportunity.org/mothersday. When Grettel married her husband Winston, she immediately got involved in the family business. Winston’s father Raymundo learned to make rope from his father, and purchased a rope-making machine from Costa Rica 36 years ago. He…
Read MoreCelebrating Mothers: Jayanthi's Story
In honor of Mothers Day on May 13, we are celebrating some of the amazing women we know around the world who are working tirelessly to support their families and create bright futures for their children. Honor the mothers in your life at opportunity.org/mothersday. As a relationship officer at Opportunity’s Saidapet Branch, Jayanthi serves entrepreneurs throughout India who are working to build businesses and livelihoods. She serves clients, supervises a team, and has pursued her own training…
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