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

News Blog

YAO Leaders Join 60,000 Change-makers at Global Citizen Festival

by Keri Cook and Luke Tubergen

On September 27, the YAO-New York leadership team joined 60,000 other change-makers for the Global Citizen Festival – a concert designed to support an array of poverty-fighting efforts around the world. By YAO-New York Leaders Keri Cook and Luke Tubergen This year's Global Citizen Festival was, in a word, impressive. Some 60,000 young change-makers flocked to Central Park on Sept. 27 to support an array of poverty-fighting efforts set forth by Global Citizen, Opportunity International and many…

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Painted Piggy Banks & Smiling Faces

by Greg & Beth Smith

Each day of the Colombia Insight Trip with Opportunity International (OI) has provided a feast of unique experiences and memories to treasure. Thursday was no different. Since Colombia does not observe Daylight Savings Time, the day started very early. By 6:30AM, kids were excitedly playing soccer on the beach while a large group of half-submerged bathers formed a circle about 50 yards out into the glimmering Caribbean. The early morning shower that left puddles on our patio did not dampen anyone’s…

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The Story of the Girl

by Opportunity International

October 11 is the International Day of the Girl. At Opportunity International, we are proud to support women and girls around the world. And today, we are proud to share the story of Amina Mendez, a girl who is transforming her life and her community.  Meet Amina… Amina Mendez, 24, is from Nueva Ecija,a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. She grew up with her mother, Remy, who was a day laborer at a farm making about $2 a day. When Amina was five, her mother received an…

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From Bogotá to Cartagena

by Nida Khoutakoun

The day started with an introduction to Sebastian Perez Villarreal, Foreign Investment Advisor with ProExport Colombia. ProExport Colombia is a government agency that is responsible for boosting tourism, foreign investment, and exports promotion. Sebastian informed us that microfinance is increasing and has risen 17% since 2013, and the portfolio of funds has increased by 13.7%.

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A Stable Society Must be Based on Economic Opportunity for All

by Katy Drake

On Monday morning, the official program portion of our Insight Trip in Colombia began. The highlight of the first morning was visiting the downtown office of the Opportunity Bank. Just over two years ago, Opportunity International was granted a banking license in Colombia and made the transition from a non-regulated finance institution to a full-fledged bank.

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Opportunity Global CEO Vicki Escarra wins Skills to Succeed award from Accenture

by Opportunity International

Vicki Escarra, Global CEO of Opportunity International, has received a Committee of 200 Annual Luminary Award for Exceptional Women. Vicki was chosen as this year’s Skills to Succeed Champion for Opportunity International’s work training women to be better entrepreneurs and leaders in 22 countries where were the organization is active.

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Lead With Your Heart: An Example From Colombia - Part 2

by Walker Morrow

The following is the second post in a two part series written by Walker Morrow. It was originally published on Walker's blog here. During my recent trip to Bogota, Colombia, I got to see the impact that Opportunity International is having on the lives of its clients. My visit to an Opportunity branch office showed me the passion and dedication that the staff has to its mission, and I was inspired by the philosophy that Carlos, the branch manager, uses to motivate his work: “lead with your heart.” I…

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Lead With Your Heart: An Example From Colombia

by Walker Morrow

The following is the first post in a two part series written by Walker Morrow. It was originally published on Walker's blog here. Opportunity International Bank Brand, Restrepo, Bogota I recently had the privilege to travel to Bogota, Colombia, to see Opportunity International’s operations in action. In this two-part blog series, I would like to reflect on how I saw Opportunity’s staff and clients working hand-in-hand to end global poverty. Located in the heart of Colombia, Bogota is a city…

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Opportunity Bank Malawi Helps Clients Rebuild After Devastating Market Fire

by Tom McPheron

Less than 10 days after a massive fire ripped through Lilongwe’s Tsoka Market, Opportunity Bank Malawi (OBM) presented client vendors with about $10,300 to help them rebuild their businesses and lives. While there were no reported injuries from the blaze, many of the stalls in the Tsoka Market and much of the merchandise were reduced to ashes. Each of the 160 affected OBM customers received a $63 deposit into their OBM accounts to help rebuild following the accident. “We hope to mitigate the…

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Multi-Dimensional Impact: Innovative Tools that Empower

by Diane Ferguson

Every person deserves access to clean water and good health. Opportunity International seeks more than growth in number of families reached with financial services. Our deep desire is to equip our clients to achieve holistic transformation.

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