Poverty. Put simply, it’s the condition where income is too low to meet basic human needs such as food, shelter and clothing, let alone education, health care and security. Poverty strips away human dignity. There are multiple causes of poverty, such as war, natural disasters, corrupt politics and systemic discrimination — to name but a […]
#ChooseToChallenge Read More »
Digital banking is something most of us take for granted. Months can go by without the need to enter a bank branch. Making bill payments, depositing paycheques, transferring funds, and even arranging loans are all carried out online using seamless and secure digital banking apps. Access to digital financial services is also an essential part of normal
Bridging The Digital Divide In The Fight Against Global Poverty Read More »
The first United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is No Poverty. The second SDG is Zero Hunger. There are 17 SDGs in all, but it’s hard to argue against the priority of these two. On October 9 the World Food Program (WFP) was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger. From the WFP website:
How Microfinance Fights Both Ultra-Poverty and Hunger Read More »
For almost 50 years, Opportunity International has applied the principles of microfinance to address global poverty. The essence of microfinance is financial inclusion. Families trapped in ultra-poverty are marginalized at the fringes of society. Often illiterate and without equity, they are excluded from access to basic financial services that most take for granted — savings,
An Emotional Oxygen Tank For Our Team Read More »
THE TIN SHACK is at the end of a row of shacks located under the shadow of a large bridge, next to a large river and beside a seething garbage dump. The river floods a couple times a year, swamping the ground floor under two feet of water. Here, in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic,
Holistic microfinance – financial inclusion with training – is one of the most powerfully sustainable, inclusive and transformative strategies of poverty reduction. Around the world, the Bankers to the Poor – microfinance institutions (MFIs) – and the clients they serve have been hammered by the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Just as we are
Standing With The Bankers To The Poor Read More »
The woman was quite malnourished, and when the team returned, they learned to their shock and sadness that she had passed away in the few short days since they last saw her. The team came across another family that was clearly malnourished, and they were able to provide some food during the assessment period to
Microfinance And Ultra Poverty Read More »
“The poor inspire us to overcome difficulty and not give up.” Mark Lutz, UnPoverty What a week we’ve been through and it’s only the beginning! I have been so inspired by “caremongers” delivering food to seniors, hardware stores donating masks to hospitals, distillers making hand sanitizer, and musicians singing from their balconies. It has reminded me of
Opportunity Perseveres Read More »
I expect that like me, your inbox has been flooded with COVID-19 emails, and I have been very hesitant to add yet one more. However, you support Opportunity International because you believe in our clients, and we wanted to let you know how our Implementing Partners and clients are faring during this crisis. Each country
Update on Opportunity International’s Covid-19 Response Read More »
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I AM DEEPLY INDEBTED TO CALUM SCOTT, GLOBAL IMPACT DIRECTOR, OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL, FOR MUCH OF THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG. The 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics was recently awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer. It was awarded for their contributions in using randomized controlled trials (RCT) to better understand gaps in development. As The
Does Microfinance Work? Read More »
