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Carol Stream, Illinois 60132

Toll Free: 1-800-793-9455

© 2026 Opportunity Internationala 501(c)3 nonprofit. EIN: 540907624.

News Blog

What YAO Taught Me About Community

by Allison Kooser

Community matters. For Opportunity International clients, the community provided by Trust Groups allows our clients to feel accountable, challenged and encouraged as they build their businesses and work their way out of poverty. For Opportunity supporters, community is equally important. Our personal networks – our friends, families, workplaces and churches – provide us with a much-needed sense of belonging and support. Understanding this power of community, five years ago we launched a network…

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Alleviating Poverty through Trust Groups

by Brad Skeba

Recently I had a chance to visit our clients in Uganda. As a writer for Opportunity International, I’ve become quite familiar with our Trust Group model, but never had the chance to see it in action. It was everything I’d written about for years, but so much more. The friendship between the group members was clearly evident, and though I didn’t understand the language, it was obvious that important business was happening and friendships were being strengthened. I wanted to share with you one…

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Questions about Trust Groups, Community and Success

by Allison Kooser

As part of my job, I have the privilege of speaking to groups of students and young professionals about Opportunity International. I’m always struck by the consistency of questions that these groups present. Of course, there are unique inquiries related to personal interests and experiences, but largely I’m faced with the same questions no matter who is in the audience.  The questions I get most often go something like this: Does Opportunity work? My answer is yes. How do you know? My…

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Sacrifice and Other Marks of Love

by Brad Skeba

Growing up - and still to this day - I’m struck by the work ethic of my dad and mom. Growing up, my brother and I were never in want. We ate well. We never had to sit out a season of hockey because of the cost, despite it being an expensive sport (especially considering how fast children grow). When the time came for me to go to high school, my parents enrolled me in the private school across town because, despite the tuition, my parents desired to plant me in an environment where I could grow.…

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Danny & Duver: Sacrifice

by Allison Kooser

Duver Sua grew up in a neighborhood riddled with rampant drug activity. Violence  and poverty were common, and like many children in his community, his future was  uncertain. But Duver had a dream to do more with his life – and he became the first  in his family to finish high school. After graduation, Duver took his hard-earned  savings and enrolled in the local university, preparing himself with the tools he  needed to build a career. But instead of escaping the community that…

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Iron Sharpens Iron

by Brad Skeba

Day in and day out in their custom tailor shop, the husband and wife team of Faith and Frank  Rubanda of Mubende, Uganda, demonstrate the powerful transformation that is made capable  when a marriage is rooted in both love and an uncompromising dedication to partnership. Faith and Frank are parents to seven children and are both gifted with a true entrepreneurial spirit.  For years the husband and wife team dreamed of starting a tailoring business. The couple worked  hard and used…

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Client Love Stories

by Allison Kooser

Federico Rodriguez Bastos and his wife Ruth are working together to support and empower their children, Luis Miguel and Adriana. Encouraged by the love they have for each other and their family, Federico and Ruth have built a business and a life – together. Life has been challenging for Federico and Ruth - a guerrilla war in rural Colombia drove them out of their hometown, forcing them to leave behind their only asset - their land. Faced with the likelihood of poverty as he moved his family to…

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Protecting a Child's Future

by Brad Skeba

Parents, no matter where in the world they are from, have the same desires for their children. They want them to succeed. They want them to live a life better than their own. They want them to learn and be educated and have the skills and confidence to achieve a meaningful life. This love, this deeply entrenched desire to see their children flourish, is one of the critical intangibles that powers the success of so many of Opportunity International’s clients.  It’s why they work so hard day after…

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Working for our Families

by Allison Kooser

Evans Ssenabulya and his wife, Roy, have three daughters under the age of 10. As he watched his beautiful girls grow up, Evans noticed how many children in the community, mostly girls, were removed from school when their families could not cover the associated expenses. He longed for a brighter future for his own daughters and knew that education was a critical step toward them achieving their dreams.  Motivated by his deep love for his family, Evans set out to create opportunities for his daughters…

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Gates Annual Letter Cites Ways to Break the Cycle of Poverty

by Vicki Escarra

I was particularly pleased yesterday morning to see the 2015 Gates Annual Letter, published by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighting breakthroughs in farming and mobile banking as two things poised to change the world over the next several years.  Two of Opportunity International’s major initiatives in recent years have focused on agriculture, including helping African farmers increase their crop yields to feed more people, and technology, including launching and expanding our mobile…

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