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6 September 2017 - Opportunity International Australia invites Aussies to cook up a curry this October or November, share it with family and friends and raise funds so families in developing countries can receive small loans to build businesses and break the crippling cycle of poverty.

Launching the Great Australian Curry fundraising campaign, Opportunity Chief Executive Officer, Robert Dunn, says: “Curry celebrates the vibrant cultures of developing countries and it’s a great meal for bringing families and friends together. It’s also easy to make.

“Last year by cooking curries, Aussie families raised $108,000, which is enough to provide over 1,500 families with small loans to start or grow businesses. We hope to help even more families this year through the generosity of Australians.

“The Great Australian Curry has its own webpage, which includes lots of tips and tricks for hosting a curry fundraiser. It has invitations, posters, recipes, place cards, flyers, social media posts and lots more.

“I hope Aussies will get on board with the Great Australian Curry and help families free themselves from poverty with hope, dignity and purpose,” he added.

My Kitchen Rules finalists Valerie and Courtney Ferdinands are supporting the Great Australian Curry this year. “Curry is becoming a staple in Aussie homes,” says Valerie. “It’s one of my family’s favourite cuisines and I love cooking for my family and friends at home. It’s really a great way of bringing everyone together.

“The Great Australian Curry is a powerful way of getting the message out about Opportunity and the way it helps families break the cycle of poverty. Too many people in India live in poverty and struggle to feed their kids – we want to help! We loved sharing recipes on MKR and we’re so excited to support the Great Australian Curry!

Courtney Ferdinands is looking forward to cooking up a curry and invited Aussies to “round up your tribe” and join her to help families in poverty. Courtney believes the Great Australian Curry has great resonance for her family.

“From a very early age, my parents instilled in me the importance of giving back to the community and less fortunate, so sharing a delicious spicy curry with friends and family, while at the same time giving back to families and women living in poverty, is a wonderful thing to do, and all for a great cause.”

Triple Olympic gold medallist, Stephanie Rice, is planning her own Great Australian Curry dinner at home this year. “I love curry. It’s absolutely one of my all-time favourite meals – especially because I’m regularly in India, and it has by far the best tasting curries. I can’t wait to get behind this amazing cause – giving families a hand up through Opportunity.

“It’s an honour to support Opportunity and the work it does in giving families a hand up and better opportunity in life,” she says.

After his many visits to India for both sport and business, former Australian Test Cricketer Michael Kasprowicz, has developed a taste for Southern Indian-style prawn curries and any vegetarian dish containing eggplant.

Speaking of his excitement about the Great Australian Curry, Michael says: “The Great Australian Curry will lead to greater awareness of India’s poverty and the way Opportunity is working with families in India to work their way out of poverty.”

For more information on hosting a Great Australian Curry event go to: www.greataustraliancurry.org.au

About Opportunity International Australia

Opportunity International Australia enables you to invest in a mother living in poverty so that she can use a small loan to buy an item like a sewing machine and build a small business. For a family in a developing country who can’t afford the basics, a gift as small as $70 can be life changing. With this hand up, a mother can put food on the table, send her children to school and transform her family’s future for generations. Mothers want what is best for their children, and as businesses become successful (98% of Opportunity’s loans are repaid), your help means they can make their dreams for their children come true. For more information, visit www.opportunity.org.au