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News Blog

Why I am Living Below the Line

by Ashley Luse

Last week Young Ambassador for Opportunity member Ashley Luse participated in the Live Below the Line Challenge. She shares her motivation below: Consider this encouraging statistic: The share of people living in extreme poverty in the developing world has been halved in the last 2 decades (from 43 percent in 1990 to 21 percent in 2010). Truly exciting. But 1.4 billion people across the world still live in extreme poverty. To put that into perspective, 1.4 billion is nearly 5 times the population…

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Living Below the Line with My Family

by Opportunity International

“I’m going to send my grandchildren a food parcel.” – my mother “Can I give you a loan so you can buy more food? Very low interest rate, you can pay me back over the next month.” – my boss“Would you like to come over for dinner – is that allowed?” – my friend My well meaning friends have found it strange to think that we – Harry, me and our three kids aged 13, 11 and 6 – are about to embark on a week without food. I, too, thought it would be extremely difficult to live on…

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Why I’m Giving Up Choices for a Week

by Lauren Hawley

In a few weeks, I’m going to take the Live Below the Line challenge. For five days, I’ll spend just $1.50 each day on food to raise funds and awareness for the 1.4 billion people worldwide who have to live below the extreme poverty line every day. Living in suburban Chicago, it can be difficult to really grasp the effects of extreme poverty. I’ve traveled to parts of the world where hunger is a fact of life; however, in my everyday life here at home, I don’t always feel compelled by a sense…

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Clinton Global Initiative University 2010

by Opportunity International

Opportunity International and leaders from our Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO)group will be at CGI-U this week participating in the conference. You can watch the live webcast here  

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Does the Shoe Fit?

by Lisa Leslie Henderson

Day 2: Opportunity International Philippines Insight Trip As I reflect on the experiences of the day, in the hopes of choosing one to highlight in this blog, my thoughts drift to Imelda Marcos – the wife of Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. I’m thinking of her shoe fetish—she had over 3,000 pairs of shoes at one time, 765 of which today are on exhibit in the local Marikina Shoe Museum—and I think: how on earth did she choose which shoes to wear every morning? Renewed by the idea…

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Step Into Someone Else’s Shoes

by Mandy Graessle

Mandy is a Young Ambassador for Opportunity in Houston, Texas and is Living Below the Line for Opportunity from April 29-May 3. Join her in the challenge, support her fundraiser, and learn more at https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/favouritethings. I was raised with a sense of responsibly for my community; I learned that if I don’t do something to help to change my immediate community and world, no one will. I volunteer at soup kitchens, donate clothes and household items to those less fortunate,…

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Every moment show up stupid

by Lisa Leslie Henderson

Day 1: Opportunity International Philippines Insight Trip I showed up very stupid this morning in a country that I hadn’t intended to visit last night. Flight delays and missed connections due to electrical difficulties—our plane wouldn’t start—took us to Tokyo, rather than Manila, last night. When we arrived in our hotel room, sometime in the middle of the night and eager for a hot shower, I couldn’t figure out how to coordinate the three knobs to turn the water on; after figuring it out,…

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Why I’m Living Below the Line

by Allison Kooser

Allison manages Young Ambassadors for Opportunity at Opportunity International and is Living Below the Line for Opportunity from April 29-May 3. At my desk at the Opportunity International office, I have surrounded myself with words and images that inspire me. There are photos of my friends and family—people who have provided for me, supported me, and challenged me to become the person I am today. There is a very large calendar full of all of the activities of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity…

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What We’re Reading: Banking in Africa: Continent of Dreams

by Allison Bearden

Africa is the next frontier for banks from all corners of the globe. Last week, The Economist aptly portrayed both the high hope and sheer uncertainty felt by financial institutions serving the African continent in Banking in Africa: Continent of Dreams. A number of the article’s key points are central to both why and how we operate our African banks: Africa’s Immense Potential. According to The Economist, approximately one quarter of African adults use formal banking and just 3% have credit…

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Redefining Food Choices – Living Below the Line

by Allison Altdoerffer

Last year, Young Ambassador for Opportunity Allison Altdoerffer Lived Below the Line for Opportunity International. The following is a guest post by Allison about her experience. Join her take the challenge April 29-May 3, 2013. I consider myself to be a very thrifty shopper. I buy in bulk, keep an eye out for special markdowns and cut costs by threading similar ingredients across my weekly menu. So when our local YAO chapter decided to take the Live Below the Line challenge last year, committing…

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