News Blog
Feeding the Flock: Empowering Smallholder Farmers to Improve Food Security
"On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three French hens ..." Three French hens may be a small flock, but for a rural community, even a small flock can make a big impact. Around the world, approximately 80% of farms are smallholder farms, constituted of about five acres of less, with many located in rural, marginalized communities. However, two-thirds of smallholder farmers in Africa are poor and malnourished. Without the ability to invest in quality seed and fertilizer, these farmers…
Read MoreNew law passed giving better benefits for donations made via your IRA
As we close out 2015, tax deductions and exemptions are at the forefront of many people’s minds. The IRA Charitable Rollover tax exemption was recently made permanent—and just in the nick of time to take advantage of it in 2015! If you’re not familiar with this exemption, it allows each owner age 70½ and older to make charitable contributions—up to a maximum of $100,000 a year—from their IRA accounts. These distributions for charitable purposes are not taxed, are not included in your…
Read MoreCalling all Clients: How Mobile Phones are Driving Financial Inclusion
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Four Calling Birds Stella, Malawi Joseph, Malawi Felistus, Kenya Cashpor client in India Today, we know that a mobile phone is used for much more than calling. It’s the world in your hands. And for Opportunity clients who are able to bank via their mobile phones, it really does open up the world. Mobile phone banking saves clients time, money and increases their awareness of their financial position. It also enables banks to bring financial…
Read MoreFive Digits and One Simple Solution for Client Identification
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five golden rings.... The picture above shows the five simple options an Opportunity client has to prove their identity: their digits. Fingerprint recognition is not just a way to bring the technology to rural Africa. It is a transformational service to the most marginalized people. Our clients don’t have to own an official identification card to open a secure savings account. They don’t need to know how to sign their name. When a woman…
Read MoreA-Laying the Foundation for Sustainable Jobs
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six geese a-laying... Throughout the holiday season, we see simple acts of generosity magnify – whether it’s a line of coffee-goers paying it forward for the customers behind them, a group of carolers brightening the day for busy commuters in the train station, or a batch of cookies delivering much-needed holiday sugar rushes to fellow co-workers, one small act, just like a goose a-laying, can produce a much larger impact. Opportunity International…
Read More7 Years of Loans and 7 Times the Growth: Ahobrase Academy in Ghana
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me seven swans-a-swimming... While reflecting on the seventh day of Christmas, I ran across this photo of seven little sweethearts, (on this seventh day of Christmas we will call them dear little swans) and it got me thinking about the impact of Opportunity International School Improvement loans. Children, just like our seven little swans pictured, are now swimming in opportunities to ensure they build amazing futures and break the cycle of generational…
Read MorePaying it Forward to Maids-a-Milking
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eight maids-a-milking... Mother to eight children, Alice Katuramy certainly has her hands full. Surrounded by abject poverty in rural Uganda, life has not been easy. Choosing between food and education, an untenable prospect for any loving parent, was a daily decision she was forced for make. A dedicated mom, Alice is no stranger to rolling up her sleeves to toil alongside her husband, rearing cattle for beef. Today, her farm is thriving –…
Read MoreLadies Dancing, Families Thriving: Unlocking the Potential of Women Entrepreneurs
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing... When women gain equal opportunity, communities and economies thrive. Around the world, women fulfill key roles as hardworking farmers, educators, business owners and mothers, yet face the biggest challenges in securing a better future for themselves and their children. Research demonstrates that women: Make up nearly 50% of farmers in East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, yet account for less than 20% of landowners Along…
Read MoreIt's an Abundant Life
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten lords-a-leaping. According to Jesus in John 10:10, He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly. With a mission to respond to Christ’s call to love and serve the poor, we at Opportunity consider daily how we can love our clients in the most transformative and meaningful ways. One of the myriad ways that we show His love is by providing the necessary tools that allow our clients to build new futures – futures overflowing…
Read MoreLaying the ‘Piping’ for a Healthier and More Sustainable Future
“On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 11 pipers piping...” With support from Opportunity International, communities in developing countries are investing in pipers – though instead of song and dance, these pipers are building aqueducts and piping to bring clean, affordable water to remote villages, significantly improving the health and sanitation for families living in poverty. Why water? Access to clean water is essential to the economic and physical health of families…
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