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.
Greater Food Security Moves Small-Scale Farmers from Subsistence to Success
Millions of sub-Saharan Africans lack access to sufficient high-quality food. Even where natural resources are ample, people suffer from chronic malnourishment due to lack of access to financing, quality seed, fertilizer and distribution channels. That’s why Opportunity International is working to increase regional food security by equipping small-scale farmers with the resources they need to move from subsistence to commercial farming so that they can feed their families and their communities.…
Read MoreWhat We’re Reading: Forbes, “Qualities of Successful Entrepreneurs”
What do Richard Branson and Steve Jobs have in common with Opportunity International’s clients? Turns out, a whole lot. In a recent “Forbes” article by Patrick Hull, successful entrepreneurs are those willing to take risks and push boundaries. The article quotes Harvard Business School professor Howard Stevenson, who says, “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled.” Perhaps this exemplifies the adventurous spirit that defines some wealthier…
Read MoreChristmas Greetings from Ghana and Opportunity’s Global Family
Merry Christmas from Opportunity International‘s global family to yours. On this sacred day, we wish you a Christmas filled with joy, peace and love! Effie Cooke, Opportunity’s head of human resources in Africa, brings a special message from Ghana in a joyful video below. We hope it brings you inspiration today and in the days to come. Merry Christmas and Afishapa from Ghana! Christmas Greetings from Ghana: Christmas Greetings from Ghana from Opportunity International on Vimeo.
Read MoreAn Opportunity for Scrooge & the Untapped Power of George Bailey
Bathed in the spotlight, Ebenezer Scrooge towered above the audience, sitting atop a 10-foot-tall desk in the opening scene of “A Christmas Carol.” My eye was drawn to the sign posted in front of his shop: “Scrooge and Marley Money Lenders.” It dawned on me that Scrooge was, in reality, a tight-fisted microfinance lender who cared only for personal financial gain rather than the success of his clients. As an Opportunity International staff member, I internalized this as I’ve always known…
Read MoreThe Power of One Client, Felicitus, to Impact the Lives of Many
Felicitus Mmboge is one of the millions of Opportunity women clients who has used a small loan to seize a big opportunity, and achieve great change in her life, her family and her community. Twenty years ago, at the age of 22, Felicitus left her struggling village in Western Kenya and took a job as a maid in Nairobi so she could send money back to her family. Each week, she put a little money aside until she had enough to buy a few beauty products to sell in the street. When her employer passed away,…
Read MoreOpportunity Ghana Client Edward Opuku Shares the Path to Success
Edward Opuku put his years of training and education to work to build successful businesses repairing and renting stereo systems, despite the warnings of his friends and neighbors. Believing in himself, and building upon Opportunity International’s resources and training, Edward now has three shops, a warehouse and a team of 10 employees. Edward comes from Akyem Oda Ayirebi in the eastern part of Ghana. He moved to Ghana’s capital, Accra, as a child, and currently lives with his wife and two…
Read MoreOne Woman Transforms her Community in Colombia
Opportunity Colombia client Beduith María Henao Beltrán is a testament to the power of one woman to make a difference in the lives of many. In winter, Beduith’s street in the city of Barranquilla was clogged with mud and impassable, making life dangerous, unpleasant and inconvenient. This can also make it difficult for residents to get to their jobs and operate their businesses. As president of La Valle de Esperanza Trust Group, Beduith rallied the members to raise matching funds for the local…
Read MoreThe McDougals Celebrate 25 Years in the Opportunity International Family
In 25 years of supporting Opportunity International, Governors Fred and Nancy McDougal say they’ve received more than they’ve given. Fred, founder of textbook publishing giant McDougal Littell (now Holt McDougal), first learned of Opportunity from his friend Dave K. Hardin, a former Opportunity board chair. The McDougals would later honor their friend through generous contributions to the Dave Hardin Expansion Fund, which significantly expanded Opportunity’s impact. Fred also served on the…
Read MoreClients Stand Up and Speak Up on UN Human Rights Day
December 10 is UN Human Rights Day, an opportunity to celebrate universal human rights and advocate for the full enjoyment of all rights by all people, regardless of geography, gender, race or socioeconomic status. This year, Human Rights Day spotlights the rights of all people to make their voices heard in public life and to participate in political decision-making. Opportunity Ghana client Patience Fofo Lartey is dedicated to empowering local women to find a voice and earn the respect of their…
Read MoreServing the Whole Person with Opportunity’s Transformation Program
“It’s the dignity of it” was how one African loan client expressed herself to an off-duty staff member standing in line at an Opportunity International bank. She knew she had achieved success through the work of her own hands. Four million such stories play out each day all over the world as Opportunity strives to provide clients with the products and services they need to achieve economic, personal and social transformation. “Poverty is not just a deficit, not just a lack of resources,…
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