News Blog
Waymaker Wednesday: Linda
Inside a bread factory in Accra, Ghana, I was greeted by men whose hands were 3 times the width of mine. The baking ovens and the hot Accra sun made the room temperature well over 100 degrees. Suddenly, I feel this big hug around me, and I turn around. This, I soon learned, was Linda, the owner of the bakery. I’ll never forget meeting this woman in the blue shirt, who you see smiling before you as she did that day. She had gone through a transformation as a client herself, starting with 1 oven…
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Untapped Potential, Enormous Opportunities
Nestled along the Atlantic coast in West Africa, Ghana is a diverse and vibrant country. It’s home to farmers and families; merchants and makers; dreamers and doers. And, like much of sub-Saharan Africa, it struggles with economic poverty.
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Waymaker Wednesday: Joanna
We are lucky to have angels like Joanna in our midst—people who live solely to make their communities a better place. Here, on the left, is Joanna with some of the children in her school. Joanna started her school here in Ghana in a rural area where children just stayed at home, and the illiteracy rate is very high. She said her school gave the parents the freedom to go to their farms during the day to make enough money and make a living for their families. Not only did she provide an education,…
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‘WHEN YOU EDUCATE A GIRL, YOU EDUCATE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY’ - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2022
‘Time to break the bias’ is the theme of International Women’s Day 2022. This year we are putting a spotlight on one of the many inspiring female leaders we have the privilege to work with.
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Life on the Margins: Meeting the Unique Needs of Refugees and Students in Uganda
On the edge of the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, Senga Ndagize tills the land on his small farm. He lets the dirt sift through his fingers—dirt that is not his; dirt that doesn’t hold his history; dirt that holds hope and possibility; dirt that could give his family a bright future.
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Waymaker Wednesday: Gentil
Gentil is an artist who escaped from Burundi. He used to run workshops for young artists and was accused by the government of training rebel soldiers so he had to flee. He now lives with his grandmother and nephews, who he supports in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Gentil, just like any other refugees, faced challenges of access to finance and income opportunities in the settlement. However, through our partner bank, he received a small loan. He used his loan to set up a local portrait business. He…
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Waymaker Wednesday: Santosh
We entered the home of 30-year old Santosh, and were offered a mat on the ground to sit on. We got settled and the men left. And only then, did Santosh remove the scarf that was acting as a veil, and we saw her face. One of eight children, Santosh never went to school. Her parents used what little money they had, to send her brothers instead. Santosh can’t read or write and she struggled to find the words to express why she’s so adamant her daughters won’t miss out on the opportunities she…
Read MoreThe First Step In Continual Improvement: Social Performance Report Released
A major objective of Opportunity International’s Social Performance Management (SPM) program is to better report on how we are achieving our mission to reach those living in poverty and to help them transform their lives. Last month, we took a big step towards that objective by publishing the first Opportunity International Social Performance Report, which presents data on how we are performing against our mission and documents progress towards implementation of the SPM strategy itself. The publication…
Read MoreChatting with Thomas Balya Bugembe, a School Proprietor in Uganda
On Wednesday, February 12, Campus Ambassadors and Young Ambassadors for Opportunity welcomed Thomas Balya Bugembe for a live chat. Thomas is a school proprietor in Uganda who has grown the Maryhill Primary School and Kindergarten outside of Kampala, Uganda from 37 students to over 700 students with tools and training from Opportunity International. One of 13 children, Thomas and his brother were the only two siblings who were able to go to secondary school. After briefly attending seminary, Thomas…
Read MoreLive Chat with Michael Okleme
This week, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity and Campus Ambassadors welcomed Michael Okleme to their first live chat of the year. Michael worked for Opportunity as a loan officer and relationship manager in Ghana, and now works as a fundraiser for Opportunity in the US. As a loan officer, Michael directly served over 600 people working their way out of poverty. Later, as a relationship manager, he helped to double the capacity of his branch and led a team of loan officers working to empower clients.…
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