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PO Box 2826
Carol Stream, Illinois 60132

Toll Free: 1-800-793-9455

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

News Blog

Getting to Know the Community

by Christa Countryman

Microfinance is more than just loans and savings and business—it’s a way forward for many families with few resources and little hope. Opportunity strives to understand the local communities and to get to know the families who are improving their lives through our tools. This is my second post in a multi-part blog series about a new branch in Kyenjojo, Uganda, to give you a firsthand look at how and why we serve the local community there. In February of this year, I traveled to Uganda with an…

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Our Cover Star: Meet the Annual Report’s Annie Nyangomba of the DRC

by Emily Riemer

Annie Nyangomba is a 38-year-old mother of two who lives in Kinshasa, DR Congo. The smiling face of this client graces the cover of our 2011 Annual Report as she holds out her finger to be read biometrically at the Kinshasa branch of Opportunity's newest microfinance operations, Opportunity DRC. With support from the UNCDF, it’s one of the few places in the developing world offering this powerful technology, which requires only a fingerprint-embedded ID card to access an account. Even clients who…

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What We’re Reading: Dr. Paul Farmer in Mountains Beyond Mountains

by Allison Bearden

Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” I have this quote on my desk, handwritten on a blue Post-it note. Sometimes when I read it, I feel an inexplicable urge to straighten my posture and focus my attention more intently on my computer monitor. I suddenly want to be fully aware of my surroundings so I don’t miss any opportunities that may present themselves. But… what exactly is an opportunity and why does missing…

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“Hitting the Road” to Reach Rural Clients

by Opportunity International

Today, we are reaching the most marginalized families with a fleet of 23 mobile banking vans! Opportunity invests in mobile banks to deliver high-impact financial services to the most marginalized Africans living in rural areas. For many, this is their first experience with banking. With nearly all the capabilities of a bank branch, the armored vehicles enable clients to deposit their savings and access their accounts within walking distance of their homes or businesses. They don’t have to travel…

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What We’re Pinning: Our Favorite Global Recipes this Week on Pinterest

by Emily Terrell

Pinterest is all about recipes. Finding them, sharing them, and then enjoying them are all part of the fun. Here are some of our favorite recipes from – or inspired by – a few of the countries where we work. Try some out and let us know what you think!  “Mexican” Lasagna.  Pancit Cabagan from the Philippines.  Indian Panna Cotta.  Colombian Chicken Soup Recipe.  Piri Piri Shrimp from Mozambique.  Malva Pudding from South Africa.

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It’s an Honor Just to Be Nominated

by Ian Haisley

We’re excited to share that our Global Opportunity Quilt in honor of Mother’s Day was selected as the regional winner for the Most Creative Fundraiser in the Classy Awards! This means that Opportunity’s quilt is one of the four fundraisers in the running to be named the national winner in this category. You can find the other regional finalists in all categories listed here. Thank you so much to everyone who created a tribute patch for a woman in their life on the Global Opportunity Quilt,…

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Equipping a Community for Future Success in Kyenjojo, Uganda

by Christa Countryman

Microfinance is more than just loans and savings and business—it’s a way forward for many families with few resources and little hope. Wherever Opportunity works, we strive to understand the local communities and to get to know the families who use our resources. This is the first in a multi-part blog series about a new branch in Kyenjojo, Uganda, which I visited in February one month prior to its opening. This first blog will start by introducing the foundational concepts that inform our work.…

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How to Make a Real Impact? Opportunity’s Partnership Model

by Lydia Baldridge Meier

Something that attracted me to Opportunity International, and that has kept me here for eight years, is that we work in partnership with our clients to build sustainable financial infrastructure in the community. Our services are nothing without the hard work, ingenuity, community and integrity of the individuals with whom we partner. For more than 40 years, our clients have turned to us for the tools they need to develop their capacity to the fullest—an array of financial products reinforced by…

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What We’re Reading: Our Incoming CEO Vicki Escarra in The Non-Profit Times's Power & Influence Top 50

by Emily Riemer

What are we reading? This exciting list, of course! Our incoming CEO, Vicki Escarra, as president and CEO of Feeding America, built that nonprofit into a $1.2 billion organization during a time when more Americans than ever were suffering from hunger and food insecurity. In honor of her outstanding work, she’s been named one of The Non-Profit Times‘s Power & Influence Top 50 of 2012, alongside the likes of Bill Gates; the CEOs of United Way, Do Something, Girl Scouts of America, American Cancer…

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What We’re Pinning: Our Top Picks This Week on Pinterest

by Opportunity International

Everybody on Pinterest has their favorite pins—ones that make you stop and think, move you to take action, or just make you smile. So each week we’re going to share our top picks with you. If they’re some of your favorites too, repin them and share with your friends!  A good reminder.  Beautiful Colombia! A rainshower over El Aguacate mountains.  From World Vision–an all-girls karate class in Cairo with Hope Village Society, an NGO partner of UNICEF that aids Egyptian street children.  Gandhi’s…

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