Donate

Menu

Donate

Follow Us

Search

Donations: PO Box 2826, Carol Stream, IL 60132

Toll Free: 1-800-793-9455

© 2026 Opportunity Internationala 501(c)3 nonprofit. EIN: 540907624.
Headquarters: 101 N Wacker Drive, Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60606

News Blog

Meet Rohit Dhake, Young Professional and Young Ambassador

by Allison Kooser

This fall, we are celebrating education by highlighting incredible students and teachers around the world - including our friends right here at home. This week, I chatted with Rohit Dhake, a Young Ambassador in Chicago and a current MBA candidate at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Rohit served as our YAO-Chicago co-chair and is a great guy to know!  Rohit, please introduce yourself! Tell us a bit more about who you are, what you do and what you like to do in your free time.  My…

Read More

Three Cheers for Coffee and Chocolate

by Allie Zappia

While we appreciate sweet treats and caffeine here at home, coffee and chocolate are changing lives around the world! Coffee and cocoa are critical food crops that are empowering Africa to feed itself. In fact, in the first half of 2015, Opportunity disbursed 7,030 loans to coffee and cocoa farmers in Uganda and Ghana alone - and this number continues to grow as Opportunity helps more small-scale farmers harness their full potential. But what does this look like for farmers and their families? 1.…

Read More

Vicki Escarra Featured Guest at cabi Bi-Annual Meeting

by Steve Nelson

Opportunity International Global CEO Vicki Escarra was a featured guest at the cabi bi-annual meeting recently in Orlando, Fla.  Cabi is America’s largest social-selling apparel company with approximately 3,400 Stylists nationwide. The Heart of cabi Foundation has partnered with Opportunity International to help thousands of women around the world rise up and create bigger, brighter lives through its W.E. are cabi program, which stands for Women Entrepreneurs Helping Women Entrepreneurs. During…

Read More

Meet Sara Freer

by Allison Kooser

This month, we sat down with Opportunity Governor and Young Ambassador Sara Freer to learn a bit more about her and why she supports Opportunity International. Allison: Hi Sara! Why don't you tell us a little bit more about yourself? Sara: My name is Sara Freer. I work for New England Research & Management - an investment management firm headquartered here in Chicago. We manage all aspects of our clients' finances - from financial planning and asset allocation to the nuts and bolts of buying and…

Read More

#TBT to MCON 2015 with CEO Vicki Escarra

by Allison Kooser

Last month, Opportunity International Global CEO Vicki Escarra took the stage as a keynote speaker at The Millennial Impact Conference (MCON). This year, MCON focused on influence - and featured leaders who are "activating people for good." Alongside other speakers like Daniel Lubetzky of KIND, Mark Roberge of O.A.R., Jonathan Neman of sweetgreen and Gary Knell of National Geographic, Vicki shared how her career has been one of influence - and how Opportunity International is changing lives around…

Read More

Mobile Insurance: Comparing Low-Touch and High-Touch Distribution Models

by Richard Leftly

This article, written by Richard Leftly of MicroEnsure, originally appeared on gsma.com as part of their series on mobile insurance.  Mobile insurance has established itself as one of the fastest-growing business models in mobile financial services in emerging markets.  Although MicroEnsure did not invent mobile insurance, many of the fastest-growing models are now based on the “freemium” product we built for Tigo Ghana in 2010, which has since launched in 13 other markets across Africa and…

Read More

Farming For Africa's Future

by Lydia Baldridge Meier

“Three quarters of the world’s poor and chronically hungry people live in rural areas and are also mainly dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs could contribute much more to producing food, job creation, national economic growth, and the preservation of natural resources. Yet they often lack the tools to do so. And many of those who are producers of food go hungry themselves. Investment in rural development is key to delivering a host of development…

Read More

#TBT to Global Money Week

by Natalie Zannelli

In March, Opportunity Malawi participated in Global Money Week. This week, for Throwback Thursday (#TBT), we are remembering this year's event.  When thinking about the importance of financial awareness, it can be quite overwhelming at first. Managing money can definitely be difficult; I often feel a pang of panic whenever I take a quick peak at my bank account. Despite this, it is incredibly important for children and adults alike to start becoming mindful of the importance of financial stability…

Read More

Meet Arnest, A Community Leader

by Ellen Grochocinski

This summer, we are exploring the path from Farm to Table - exploring the many issues smallholder farmers face around the world.  After working in the telecom sector for one year, Arnest Sebbumba realized that there was something missing from his life. He looked around his community in the Kayunga District of Uganda and noticed that changes needed to be made - a lot of changes. So he took action. Arnest left his family home to attend The Uganda Institute of Information and Technology in Kampala,…

Read More

Africa Feeding Itself

by Allison Kooser

This summer, we are exploring the path from Farm to Table - exploring the many issues smallholder farmers face around the world.  In this year’s Gates Annual Letter, Bill and Melinda Gates described five big breakthroughs that they think will happen in the next 15 years. The second of these five? That Africa will be able to feed itself. Currently, American farmers get five times as much maize from their land as African farmers do. But with the introduction of higher-quality inputs and innovative…

Read More

Filters

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Subscribe to receive Opportunity International microfinance news and updates via email or RSS.

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe to our Newsletter