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Microfinance

Faith in Action: Nonprofit Microfinance in the News

by Professor Emeritus Martin E. Marty

The following is a post written by Professor Emeritus Martin E. Marty for Sightings, a blog from the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School. A prominent interpreter of religion and culture, Marty is the author of more than 50 books, as well as a speaker, columnist, pastor and teacher, and was a professor of religious history for 35 years at the University of Chicago. His original post was published on Monday, Dec. 13, entitled ”Microfinance.” Sightings has…

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Proper Healthcare – A Prerequisite to Economic Development in Africa

by Opportunity International

Monday October 7 is Child Health Day. A day intended to raise people’s awareness of how they can protect and develop children’s health. The following post is by Christie Lacey. Christie was an Intern with Opportunity International in the Summer of 2013. Imagine living in an area where you are lucky to live past 45, the infant mortality rate is 17 percent and more than 34 million children are orphans due to poor healthcare. This is the reality of life in sub-Saharan Africa. The African continent…

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‘I Want My School to be Big’: Educator Shares Dreams on ‘GOOD’ Blog

by Lauren Williamson

Comfort Appiah was so secretive when she started a school in her home, she didn’t even tell her husband. Fifteen years later, that school now serves 800 children in Accra, Ghana. (And yes, her husband knows.) An Opportunity International loan allowed Comfort to grow the school from its humble roots to approach her goal of educating thousands.Comfort wrote about her journey from underground educator to official school proprietor for the online community GOOD. “I want my school to be big,” she…

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An Unstoppable Loan Client

by Steph Jimenez

Steph was an Intern with Opportunity International in the Summer of 2013. Opportunity International works in more than 20 countries including the Philippines. Manila businesswoman, Concepcion Valenzuela, makes 10 types of ceramics products in her small rented shop. With the help of several Opportunity loans, Concepcion purchased clay, paint and equipment such as a mixing machine and rented a larger shop. She now employs seven workers and produces an inventory of hundreds of products, including delicate…

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Transforming Lives Together

by Ally Lynch

On September 26, Opportunity International will celebrate the Caterpillar Foundation’s 20-year partnership. Opportunity estimates that nearly 18.3 million lives will be improved as a result of grants received from the Caterpillar Foundation from 1994 to 2014, which totals nearly $30 million. Because of their caring and generous partnership, our clients are working their way out of poverty, strengthening their families and building vibrant communities. Here is a glimpse into the lives of those impacted…

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What We’re Reading: One Data Report 2013, Part 2

by Trent Anderson

Transparency Makes a Difference Fiscal transparency and the quality of institutions play crucial roles in ensuring that government spending is effective and accountable. Transparency provides people with information they need to hold governments responsible for their use of public funds. Empowered with information, citizens can press governments to spend resources more responsibly – on investments in health services, agriculture and education, for instance – and monitor for misconduct and corruption.…

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What We’re Reading: ONE Data Report 2013, Part 1

by Trent Anderson

As we peel back another page on the calendar, the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is fast approaching. While 2015 appears in the distant future, in reality the MDG goals are less than 1,000 days away. ONE, the anti-poverty campaign established by philanthropic superstar and U2 front-man Bono, teamed with DATA to release the 2013 Report tracking how developing countries are progressing on the ambitious MDG targets using the ‘MDG Progress Index’. The 2013 DATA Report: Financing…

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We’re Thankful for Fathers Around the World

by Stephanie Jimenez

At Opportunity International, we are honored to support fathers around the world who are building better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. This Father’s Day, we are excited to share the story of one of the many exceptional, successful fathers striving to create a difference for his family. Meet Patrick Pande, a remarkable husband and father of 7, living in Uganda. With a strong background in agriculture and a desire to educate his 7 children, Patrick acquired his first…

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The Father of a Community

by Stephanie Jimenez

By Stephanie Jimenez on June 14, 2013 This Father’s Day, we are celebrating Dads. Join us as we share the stories of some of our inspiring male clients, and support more fathers at opportunity.org. Meet Ssalongo, a businessman residing in Kampala, Uganda. Before becoming an Opportunity client, he earned $2 a day from a small chicken business he inherited from his grandfather. Although Ssalongo was moderately successful, he felt unsatisfied and was determined to make a change. Ssalongo borrowed…

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Growing a Family Small Business

by Ally Lynch

Francisco and Fidel Aleman are brothers working together to run a wood artisan business that has been in their family for the past 15 years. They were initially taught the trade by their “abuelo” Jose Jacinto Aleman. Jose is now 95 but still hangs around their workshop during the day. Through partnering with Opportunity Nicaragua for the past 2 years as part of the Artisan Community Program, Fidel and Francisco have been able to export their products out of Nicaragua. Because of this, they have…

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