Creating Jobs, Building Opportunity: Lessons from the World Bank

Last week, I joined fellow changemakers at the World Bank’s annual convening that reminds us of both the immense challenges ahead and the extraordinary progress we have made.

The timing could not have been more fitting. Even as humanitarians and champions for people living in poverty confront rising instability and new challenges, this gathering reaffirmed a simple truth: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Today, we choose to go far.

Celebrating Global Progress

Over the past three decades, the world has witnessed a historic reduction in extreme poverty. The number of people living on less than $3 a day has fallen from over 2.3 billion in 1990 to about 831 million in 2025—a testament to the power of economic growth, education, clean water, electricity, and improved healthcare.

This progress was not accidental. It was powered by job creation and rising labor incomes. Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, recently affirmed: “Jobs are the surest path to dignity, to stability, and they are truly the best way to kill poverty, as the example of the last three to four decades has shown.” 

Recognizing the Challenge

Yet, our work is far from being done. Nearly 838 million people still live on less than $3 a day. Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor, facing a demographic wave: by 2035, 500 million young people will enter the workforce, but only 150 million jobs are projected to be created.

The question before us is clear: How do we create jobs and income opportunities for hundreds of millions of families?

Opportunity International: 54 Years of Impact

For 54 years, Opportunity International has walked alongside families living in poverty, helping them build sustainable livelihoods and break the cycle of poverty for good. It is a decades-long pledge to reaching ever further down the economic pyramid, developing solutions designed for those who are most underserved. We pioneered microfinance in the 1970s, expanded savings and group lending in the 1990s to equip women, and embraced new programs in the 2000s to reach the most remote regions. Every decade has been a renewed commitment to reaching the most underserved.

In 2024 alone, we mobilized $2.5 billion in capital, reached 21 million clients across 30 countries, and supported 580,000 smallholder farmers with training and financial services. Over five decades, we’ve helped tens of millions of families move from survival to stability to success. 

Innovation at the Margins: Digital Tools for Real Lives

And as the world’s economy changes to a digital world, we see new tools to continue innovating. At the World Bank convening, President Banga underscored the importance of human-centered digital tools. He called for “small AI” solutions—application-oriented innovations that work at the margins, where big infrastructure is lacking. These solutions are already in the hands of our clients.

In Malawi, our UlangiziAI chatbot, launched in 2024, puts expert agricultural advice directly into farmers’ hands via WhatsApp. Farmers can send text, voice notes, or photos to diagnose pests, diseases, and soil issues—turning days of waiting into seconds for answers.

Building on this success, we launched FarmerAI in 2025, expanding to Kenya and Ghana. These tools deliver hyper-localized advice, helping farmers make data-driven decisions and improve productivity—even for those with low literacy or no smartphones, thanks to our Farmer Support Agents who act as digital bridges. 

Real Stories, Real Impact

We see these innovations as truly transformative, but the most important quality of our work are not the tools—but the commitment. Let me share Tina’s story—a mother in rural Malawi, one of the most underserved places in the world. When I first met her, she had just begun our 18-month ultra-poverty graduation program. Her vision board was simple: a sturdy roof, a garden and goats, her children in school. Eighteen months later, with guidance from our local staff, Tina’s children are in school, her family eats three meals a day, and her home has a metal roof.

She told me, “Everyone else, they came and they left. But you came, and you stayed.” 

The Road Ahead

Ending extreme poverty is possible if we focus on solutions that equip families to create and sustain their own livelihoods. By leveraging local capital, building practical skills, and providing trusted support, we can help millions build businesses, farms, shops, and schools that transform lives and communities.

Poverty doesn’t end with charity—it ends when families have the tools to build their own future. Our job is to stay the course, to equip them with capital, skills, and support, and to walk with them until they no longer need us.

Let’s commit to going far, together.