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News Blog

Painters, Activists & Engineers at the Clinton Global Initiative

by Rob Meloche

On the last evening of The Clinton Global Initiative, I ended up chatting with the following three people: a painter who uses his art to teach children in Mexico about tolerance and peace, a small business loan officer who works for a community development organization in Harlem, and an engineer who is piloting a solar lantern program for people living in poverty in Pakistan. These weren’t keynote speakers or commitment presenters, just people I happened to sit next to in the hotel lobby. While…

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Teri Goudie, Inspired by Half the Sky, Summits Mount Kilimanjaro for Women in Poverty

by Ruth-Anne Renaud

One week ago, Teri Goudie, a former TV producer for Chicago’s ABC 7, traveled to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, raising donations for Opportunity International and the Janada L. Batchelor Foundation for Children (JBFC). Goudie was inspired to accomplish this incredible feat after reading the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof. She’s joined on her journey by two friends, Lisa Stafford and Patty Orler.…

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Investing in Women and Girls

by Ruth-Anne Renaud

According the to the UN, women undertake 66% of the world’s work. They produce 50% of the worlds food. In spite of this, they earn only 10% of the world’s income. And they own only 1% of the world’s property. With statistics like these, it is no wonder that the Clinton Global Initiative emphasizes the importance of investing in women and girls. As I watched the Wednesday morning plenary panel address this issue, the consensus and conviction among panel members was crystal clear that empowering…

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Insight Trip: Tanzania/Rwanda Day 3 – Suzie Hofert

by Sonja Egeland Kelly

Ambitions soar, hope floats, and change hangs in the air each year at the Clinton Global Initiative. This year is no exception. Today (Wednesday), at 2:45 p.m. EST, Madeline Albright will spotlight Opportunity International as a key player in the advancement of opportunities for children in the developing world. By introducing tuition savings accounts, school fee loans and school financing, Opportunity is investing in education for children living in poverty. Opportunity International CEO Kadita…

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Initiating Change in Education: Opportunity’s CGI Commitment at 2:45 p.m. EST #cgi09

by Sonja Egeland Kelly

Ambitions soar, hope floats, and change hangs in the air each year at the Clinton Global Initiative. This year is no exception. Today (Wednesday), at 2:45 p.m. EST, Madeline Albright will spotlight Opportunity International as a key player in the advancement of opportunities for children in the developing world. By introducing tuition savings accounts, school fee loans and school financing, Opportunity is investing in education for children living in poverty. Opportunity International CEO Kadita…

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What We’re Reading: “Investing in Women & Girls” (MediaPlanet supplement, USA Today)

by Opportunity International

 Every Wednesday on our blog, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We’ll feature pieces or works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the work we do at Opportunity. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece that we’ve highlighted.  This week we’re reading the September 2010 report fromMediaPlanet in USA Today entitled “Investing in Women & Girls: Dedicating…

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The Most Famous Person You’ve Never Heard of

by Rob Moll

Not many Nobel Peace Prize winners remain unknown in their home country. What is more surprising is that an estimated one-sixth of the world’s population is alive because of a man virtually invisible in the U.S. “Though barely known in the country of his birth,” wrote Gregg Easterbrook in his Atlantic profile from a decade ago, “elsewhere in the world Norman Borlaug is widely considered to be among the leading Americans of our age.” Mr. Borlaug died last week at the age of 95. Borlaug…

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UN Gathers This Week to Eradicate Poverty Through the MDGs

by Sonya Perez-Lauterbach

The UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is taking place this week at the UN Headquarters in New York City. A gathering of 140 world leaders are strategizing and discussing how to achieve the eight goals in order to eradicate extreme poverty and its root causes by 2015. I was deeply inspired by their work and their words. Here are my reflections… “We must not fail the billions who look to the international community to fulfil the promise of the Millennium Declaration for…

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3 Breakout Sessions Not to Miss at Fall Microfinance Conference

by Emily Riemer

At Opportunity’s Fall Microfinance Conference, Oct. 8-9, in Washington, D.C., the days will be packed with breakout sessions and presentations from microfinance experts, international visitors and globally-minded individuals passionate about eradicating poverty. For me, this will be my first http://www.opportunity.org/opportunity-international-conference/Opportunity microfinance conference[/intlink], and I’m really looking forward to hearing from guest http://www.opportunity.org/opportunity-international-conference/speakers/speakers[/intlink]…

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Women Advancing Microfinance in Chicago

by Our Mission and Vision

At Opportunity International’s US office, we draw our motivation and sense of purpose from the stories of our clients and their families as they build a bridge out of poverty. This week, I am further inspired by a different group of people – the members of Women Advancing Microfinance (WAM) Chicago. On September 17th this group of women microfinance professionals met together for the first time. Even in its infancy, WAM Chicago is the fastest growing chapter of WAM International. At the inaugural…

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