News Blog
A Song in the Middle of Suffering
In an open, breezy room in a hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, women are singing. They are all gathered together—patients in various stages of recovery. Some are still waiting for the surgery that will restore their lives. They have suffered physically, emotionally, and socially. Many have been cast out of their homes and communities, and others are so young that they won’t raise their eyes to meet mine. But here they are, singing. These women are part of the Fistula Care Centre on the grounds…
Read MoreRemembering Rwanda
\"When you forgive, you in no way change the past—but you sure do change the future.\" —Bernard Meltzer The joy I felt from the people I met in Rwanda didn’t reconcile on the surface; after all, this nation has a long-standing history of poverty and a decimating genocide 25 years ago where 800,000 people were murdered in 100 days. So, where was all this vitality and hopefulness I saw all around me coming from? Author Darryl Miller says a spirit of poverty is a pattern of thinking that…
Read MoreRead With Us: April Book Club Selection
As we enter a new season, it's time for another Opportunity International Book Club book! But first, let's recap what we just completed: In March, we read the short and powerful story, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. This New York Times bestseller tells the story of two 11-year-olds in Sudan, growing up decades apart from one another. Through alternating narratives, the book tells a story of both hardship and hope, educating us about pieces of global history we might have missed.…
Read MoreRead With Us: March Book Club Selection
It’s a new month, which means it's time for one of our favorite things: sharing our next Opportunity Book Club selection with you! But first, let’s recap what we’ve been reading: Following an intense January reading of Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao, we dove into an incredibly eye-opening (and incredibly long!) read: Why Nations Fail by Daren Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. We were so challenged by the concepts raised by Acemoglu and Robinson in this book. It’s easy to think we understand…
Read MoreTop 5 Reasons to Go to Ghana
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,To gain all while you give,To roam the roads of lands remote,To travel is to live.”—Hans Christian Andersen I’ve spent the last five years of my life crisscrossing the globe. It’s been challenging and exhausting, eye-opening and heart-shattering—and it’s the best thing you could ever do. Travel is absolutely as powerful and incredible as everyone says, and all I can say is this: take the risk. Get on the plane. Take the adventure. I promise you…
Read MoreWhat do you want to be when you grow up?
What do you want to be when you grow up? We asked Opportunity supporters here and clients abroad about their childhood dreams. See how our answers compare and answer our next poll. Where do you get your water? How frequently do you use water? Fill out my online form. var qy9ymr905782e3;(function(d, t) { var s = d.createElement(t), options = { 'userName':'opportunityintl', 'formHash':'qy9ymr905782e3', 'autoResize':true, 'height':'440', 'async':true, 'host':'wufoo.com', 'header':'show', 'ssl':true};…
Read MoreThe Opportunity Difference
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Uganda to witness the work of Opportunity International. I became a donor a few years ago and recently joined the Opportunity team as Chief Philanthropy Officer, so I was keen to kick the tires on our model of providing innovative financial solutions to create sustainable livelihoods for hard-working families. I was wearing two hats: one as an insider and one as a supporter. I left a blustering snowstorm in the states to arrive in Kampala, Uganda, where I was welcomed…
Read MoreThe Power of a Global Community of Women
This January, I returned to my home country of India with a group of Opportunity’s donors, all women, from the United States. We traveled to a tribal region in eastern India, meeting women living with big dreams but limited resources. These women—and the generations before them—have known suffering and struggle. They have survived decades of poverty and oppression, exclusion and pain. But despite these impossible circumstances, they were the picture of grit, determination, and strength. They…
Read MoreCreativity in the Classroom
As a child in school, I often took for granted the detailed, strategic activities my teachers put together to encourage my academic development. Now working for an organization that is serving children through its Education Finance program, I realize just how critical those thoughtful curriculums are. And also, how many children’s educations are suffering without them. At Opportunity, we recognize one of the ways children are engaged in the classroom is through Teaching and Learning…
Read MoreFive Things I Can't Stop Thinking About From the 2019 Gates Letter
Every year, Bill and Melinda Gates release their reflections on the world in their annual letter. Their thoughts continually inspire and challenge me, and this year’s letter is no different. Here are five key things I can’t stop thinking about: “Young Africans will shape the future of not only their own communities but the entire world.”We know that empowering young people is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty—and even more so in Africa, where the population remains uniquely young.…
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