Opportunity’s financial products, educational programs and business training help impoverished families, especially women, develop their capacity to the fullest.

Where poverty is the way of life, people’s potential is often overshadowed by the struggle to survive. But when equipped with the right tools, even the most vulnerable are able to change their own world and create a better future for their children. We stand alongside our clients with a mission to provide those tools—the financial products, educational programs and business training they need to move beyond poverty.

Seemingly simple opportunities like the chance to deposit money, receive a small loan, go to school or learn business skills can become transformative life experiences. Armed with resources and knowledge, our clients grow businesses, develop a steady income and create jobs for their neighbors. They gain confidence and find validation. And their potential to become powerful agents of social and economic change in their family and community is realized.

Banking on Education

Opportunity seeks to increase educational opportunities for children and help strengthen the communities in which we work. To do this, we offer school fee loans to help parents afford tuition, and provide customized business training with long-term loans, averaging $5,000, for school proprietors. These ambitious entrepreneurs scale up their schools by adding classrooms, improving infrastructure and hiring qualified teachers. Opportunity serves nearly 120,000 children with loans to 280 schools in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda.

This piece appeared in Opportunity’s 2010 Annual Report. Explore all its stories and info by clicking here.