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Carol Stream, Illinois 60132

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© 2023 Opportunity Internationala 501(c)3 nonprofit. EIN: 540907624.

News Blog

Extraordinary Situations Demand Extraordinary Responses: Updates on the COVID Crisis in India

by Atul Tandon

As the world is slowly opening up here at home, my friends and colleagues in India are facing the world's worst coronavirus outbreak yet. Countless families, including mine, have lost loved ones over the past few weeks. It's a devastating blow that comes on the heels of an impossible year. This current crisis comes in a season when we are all longing for hope. We are weary, and our faith has been stretched beyond what we ever could have imagined. For months, we have been talking about the  mutually…

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50 for 50: Origin Stories - Latin America

by Opportunity International

In 1971, Opportunity International made its first loan to Colombian entrepreneur Carlos Moreno. Since that fateful first relationship, we have continued to provide access to loans, high-quality education, and financial training to thousands of entrepreneurs like Carlos. For 50 years, we have worked in Latin America, meeting families’ needs and building a community of support for our clients. We recently connected with Leddy “Mitzi” Machado Ariza, a long-time Opportunity Colombia staff member…

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50 for 50: Highlighting Refugee Families on the International Day of Families

by Opportunity International

When Johanna left Venezuela in 2018 headed for Barranquilla, Colombia, she had one goal in mind: a better future for her family. It was the first time she traveled abroad, and she arrived in Colombia as a refugee, facing a different culture, new people, and an entirely unfamiliar reality. Johanna thought she would be able to get a job in a shop, but she ran into persistent barriers and discrimination. Her status as an outsider made it hard for her to support herself and her children. Throughout our…

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50 for 50: Celebrating 7 Educators During Teacher Appreciation Week

by Opportunity International

Opportunity International's Education Finance program began by recognizing education as an integral part of reducing global poverty and inequality. This year, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only emphasized education's critical place in our world and reminded us of teachers' extraordinary creativity, tenacity, and strength. They navigated school closures, attempted to teach virtual classes without reliable connectivity, and ensured that children continued learning amidst so many challenges. In…

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The Book Club is going back to where it all began

by Allison Kooser

Many of you joined us for our Virtual Insight Trip to Colombia last week. Thank you for being part of this special tour—and make sure to check out the recording if you missed it. This month, our Book Club is also traveling to Colombia through fiction, diving into a popular new novel about the very first country in which Opportunity International gave loans to clients 50 years ago!   Experience the Andes mountains, the city of Bogotá, and the daily lives of one family navigating hopes, dreams,…

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50 for 50: An Inside Look at Our Field Offices and Partners

by Opportunity International

One of our favorite parts of Opportunity International Insight Trips is visiting Opportunity's offices and outposts. It is always eye-opening to see where our global colleagues spend their days and where they meet, serve, and train clients. We have all changed how we work over the past year—and most of us have changed the physical location where we work, too! So we're taking a look back at some of our past visits to Opportunity's field offices and partners, and counting down the days until we're…

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50 Years of Memories

by Opportunity International

For 50 years, Opportunity International has provided financial services, training, and support to families living in poverty—and built a dynamic global community of partners, supporters, clients, staff, and friends.From grand openings to Insight Trips to our very first clients, Opportunity's history is marked by moments of joy, impact, and celebration. Join us as we look back on the journey and celebrate the people who have walked alongside us.This video originally aired at Opportunity's 50th Anniversary…

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50 for 50: Listen and Adapt - The Allmans' Story

by Opportunity International

David Allman, a successful part of the real estate community in Atlanta, is known for his deep involvement in community development and his commitment to meeting local needs. Years ago, David befriended and listened to the lessons of Bob Lupton, an outspoken proponent of missions that are aimed at the beneficiaries' needs, not at the desires of the donors or volunteers (Toxic Charity). Lupton's philosophy struck a chord and shaped the Allmans' outlook on missions, philanthropy, and development moving…

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50 for 50: How financial services and access have changed in the last 50 years

by Opportunity International

When Opportunity International was founded 50 years ago, most of the elements that define modern banking today were brand new ideas. The world’s first ATM was installed in a London suburb in 1967. In the United States, 51% of households had a credit card in 1970; today, 83% do. And in developing economies, financial services and access to markets remained largely unavailable throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Women were nearly completely excluded from the limited financial sector that did exist.…

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Left to Tell - What we're reading this month

by Allison Kooser

Last month we read A Girl is a Body of Water, a fictional exploration of girlhood and folklore in Uganda. This month, we're moving south to the neighboring country of Rwanda to remember a painful and essential moment in world history. Honor the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, recognized each year on April 7, by reading a powerful memoir that details one woman's experience during the Rwandan genocide. Join us as we read Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza,…

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