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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

Success Story: Banking on Africa Campaign

by Diane Ferguson

In 2008, Opportunity embarked on its most ambitious effort to date, a $123.6 million Banking on Africa campaign to expand financial services for impoverished families throughout sub-Saharan Africa. With the partnership of our committed supporters, we’re celebrating the successful completion of this campaign and we’re confident we’ll reach our Banking on Africa goal: to reach five million African clients by 2015, impacting families, communities, and an estimated 30 million people in total. Banking…

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What We’re Reading: Rio +20 and the Role of Women in Economic Development

by Emily Terrell

Last week, June 20-22, over 45,000 people–including world leaders, NGOs, and other policymakers–came together in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as “Rio +20.” (So named because it has been 20 years since the seminal 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), known as “The Earth Summit,” was held in Rio.) Participants at Rio +20 came to discuss solutions for reducing poverty, increasing social equality, and…

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Meet Our Staff: 10 Questions with Lauren Hawley, New Board of Governors Manager

by Opportunity International

Lauren Hawley arrived at Opportunity three weeks ago, taking the role of the manager of the Board of Governors program. She’ll be working to grow the community and coordinate Governor activities, support Governor events, and strengthen this group of highly committed Opportunity supporters and champions. Get to know our newest team member, Lauren… 1. What did you do before you came here? I worked for a fundraising consulting agency named Douglas Shaw & Associates, formulating fundraising strategies…

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Opportunity Colombia Receives Operational Banking License, Bringing Microfinance to More Impoverished Colombians

by Opportunity International

On Friday, June 22, the Superintendency of Finance in Bogotá, Colombia, granted Opportunity International Colombia the final operational banking license it needs to be a deposit-taking and full service bank. Opportunity Colombia‘s CEO Enrique Ordonez and his staff began the process of applying for this license 18 months ago in January 2011, and through perseverance, financial support, and a lot of prayer, they have finally achieved this goal. Now the bank can take savings deposits and conduct…

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Win a Chance to See the World

by Opportunity International

Stand up to global poverty, expand your community and see the world. We’re launching a contest for members of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) to travel with us. YAO members who recruit three friends with their member referral link (check your email inboxes!), will be entered in a drawing to win a spot on the February 2013 YAO Insight Trip to India. The See the World contest runs until Sunday, September 30, 2012, and if we don’t reach the goal of 400 YAO members by then, the drawing will…

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Meet Our Staff: Our New Head of Education Finance, Nathan Byrd

by Opportunity International

This May, we welcomed Nathan Byrd as our new head of education finance. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, and reporting to Colin McCormack, managing director, Africa, Nathan will provide strategic direction and leadership for our education finance program, developing specialized financial tools for schools and families and forming strategic partnerships in the education sector. Nathan is currently in the process of reviewing Opportunity‘s entire education finance program to redefine and tailor our future…

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A Drumbeat and a Trust Group: My Trip to Tanzania

by Malin Akerman

The following post is by actress Malin Akerman, who recently joined Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, from her March Insight Trip with her husband Roberto to see Opportunity’s work in Tanzania. In my last post I told you about how and why Roberto and I decided to take a trip with Opportunity International to Tanzania. Here’s a really brief recap of our trip, with highlights, insights and surprises. First, we travelled to Opportunity International’s Arusha branch to meet with the local staff…

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The First Day of Summer & Transforming Communities through Solar Power

by Opportunity International

Today is the first day of summer, the summer solstice, here in the U.S. and our longest day of the year. Hopefully, you’re celebrating tonight with a picnic dinner, a barbeque, maybe an evening run or a walk to take full advantage of the extra minutes of daylight. But today also reminds us of the awesome potential power of the sun that can be harnessed by the people who need it most. Imagine your day ending when the sun goes down, whether that’s mid-afternoon in winter or late evening in summer.…

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What Makes a Good Father? Opportunity Colombia’s Chief Transformation Officer on Fatherhood and the Male Trust Group Project

by Opportunity International

Happy Father’s Day! As we celebrate with the fathers in our lives today, we’re examining what qualities make a good dad. For a group of our clients in a pilot project in Colombia, they’re examining that question in depth, and developing their leadership skills as men and fathers. In the post below, Jim Frantz, Opportunity Colombia‘s chief transformation officer, explains Opportunity’s Male Trust Group Project and the challenges of being a good father in any culture. Male Trust Group Project Opportunity…

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A Better Future for the Congo: Developing the Next Generation of Congolese Fathers

by Kadita Tshibaka

The following post by Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, member of Opportunity’s Board of Directors, was originally published in The Huffington Post on Friday, June 15. The original post is here. My greatest challenge as a father has been the moments of terror when my children were gravely ill, and we thought we were going to lose them. It happened with my daughter and it happened with my son when they were young. Fortunately, they both survived. Growing up in the DR Congo, I’ve seen the toll that poverty,…

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