News Blog
Microfinance Has Not Failed. Poorly Designed Credit Has.
Opportunity International CEO Atul Tandon responds to a Wall Street Journal article claiming microfinance has failed, arguing the real problem isn't credit itself but poorly designed lending. Drawing on CGAP research and 60 Decibels client data, he makes the case that responsible, well-supported financial services—paired with training, savings, and protection—drive real improvements in income and resilience, as reflected in Opportunity's own client outcomes.
Read MoreTo teach is to touch a life forever
My mom, Millie Hindmarsh, was a farmer's daughter whose father prized education so highly that he paid for her to board in town to go to school at the height of the Great Depression. Thanks to his investment, Millie became a teacher in one room school houses in Nebraska for 29 years. Her starting salary was $27 a month! For the robust sum she was responsible for stoking the fire, cleaning the school, pitching for the soft ball team, being school nurse as well as teaching 7 grades and making preparations…
Read MoreEarly Successes from Opportunity International’s Branchless Banking Initiative in Rural Tanzania
Tanzania’s agricultural sector has the capacity to dramatically reshape Africa’s economic outlook. However, most of the country’s farmers have little to no access to financial services, training, agricultural inputs (including fertilizer and high quality seeds) and local markets where they can sell their crops. Without these important resources, Tanzanian farmers cannot earn enough income from their crops to afford all of their household needs. As a result, many rural families are forced to…
Read MoreWhy Do We Invest In Women?
In spite of the challenges they face, women worldwide show inspiring resilience and determination to break out of the cycle of poverty.
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 MoreVicki Escarra on global reach, impact and technology
Opportunity CEO Vicki Escarra has been featured on the Chicago Tribune’s Blue Sky Innovation, a premium website and digital publication aimed at the growing community of innovation-minded business professionals and philanthropists in Chicago and around America. The interview highlights the mission of Opportunity International and how the organization creates innovative products and services to help clients in even the most remote areas of the world. “We are currently leading the industry…
Read MoreFacts about Extreme Poverty
Although the world has seen a reduction in poverty over the last few decades, approximately 1.2 billion people still face extreme poverty daily. Here is a blog that contains facts about the populations living in poverty.
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.…
Read MoreOpportunity International and Caterpillar Foundation Celebrate 20 Years of Impact
2013 has been an inspiring year. In this blog series, the 12 Days of Opportunity, we are celebrating the accomplishments made possible by our caring and generous community of partners and supporters. Because of you, our clients are working their way out of poverty, strengthening their families and building vibrant communities in 22 countries around the world. Any relationship that lasts 20 years is worth celebrating—and all the more so when it’s one that has changed 18 million lives worldwide. Opportunity…
Read MoreOpportunity International Gift Cards Featured on WABC Holiday Special
Opportunity International fans in the New York City area, take note: Our gift cards will be highlighted on the Channel 7 WABC holiday special, which airs from 7:30-8 p.m. Dec. 14. The segment will showcase our gift cards among other presents that allow you to charitably give back this Christmas. When you fund a loan with an Opportunity International gift card, it’s truly a gift that keeps on giving. Our clients use the loans to fund businesses that transform their lives, their children’s…
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