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Sydney South NSW 1235, Level 11, 227 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone: 1800 812 164

© 2025 Opportunity International AustraliaABN 83 003 805 043

News & Stories Blog

World news on the fight to alleviate poverty – follow innovations in microfinance, technology and community development that are changing lives in developing countries.

It takes a village to end poverty

by Opportunity International Australia

In rural Indonesia, many communities living in poverty lack the resources, opportunities and support to provide for their families. Opportunity International Australia’s model of small loans to help women start a business is even out of reach for these communities. However, Opportunity’s local partner, TLM Foundation, has found a solution to help those communities - the Resilient Villages program. The Resilient Villages program identifies villages in remote Indonesia and sees the potential in…

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Social Impact Award for Opportunity’s partner Cashpor

by Opportunity International Australia

The 2025 Microfinance Index results were recently published, and once again, show that Opportunity International Australia’s work with local partners is changing the lives of people living in poverty. The study, conducted by independent organisation 60 Decibels, surveyed over 24,000 microfinance clients from 85 microfinance institutions (MFIs) in 39 countries. Of those surveyed, 1,300 people were clients of five of Opportunity’s MFI partners in India and Indonesia. Opportunity’s partners performed…

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Global poverty lines revised

by Opportunity International Australia

In June 2025, the World Bank updated the global poverty lines and revised its estimates for the amount of people living in poverty at country, regional and global levels. The update takes account of the latest household data across lower- and middle-income countries and reflects the increasing costs of basic goods and services for people in those countries. The poverty line is the minimum amount of money a person needs each day to meet their basic needs, and is the global benchmark to measure poverty.…

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Hena champions adolescent girls’ health

by Opportunity International Australia

In a small village in Rangpur District, Bangladesh, Health Leader Hena is making a profound impact on the lives of adolescent girls through health education. Hena trained as a Health Leader as part of BURO Bangladesh’s Health Leader program, with the support of Opportunity International Australia. Hena leads health education for 203 families in her area, and she quickly discovered that adolescent girls in her community had very low levels of knowledge about vaccines and menstrual health. Hena found…

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Sarini turning waste into profit

by Opportunity International Australia

In a quiet neighbourhood in South Sumatra, Indonesia, Sarini is transforming discarded materials into delicate handcrafted creations. What began as a hobby in 2021, sparked by YouTube videos, has grown into a small but meaningful business, with the help of a small loan, earning her up to Rp.800,000 (A$80) per week. Using wire, glue, fishing line, and even old water hoses, Sarini designs intricate flower bouquets and woven decorations from recycled waste. Her creativity is not only artistic but also…

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Opportunity’s new Board members bring wisdom and experience

by Opportunity International Australia

Opportunity International Australia recently welcomed two new Directors to the Board, Jitto Arulampalam and Chris Bradley. Jitto Arulampalam Jitto Arulampalam brings over three decades of leadership working in banking, entrepreneurship and venture capital, along with a deep commitment to innovation and impact. As Founder and CEO of RedOwl, he’s pioneering AI-driven financial intelligence for Chief Financial Officers. He also chairs the Boards of SeedX, a fund investing in microfinance, solar, and…

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Financial Inclusion Week: Spotlight on inclusive finance and health

by Opportunity International Australia

Financial Inclusion Week 2025 featured four days of discussion including 350+ expert speakers, and Opportunity International Australia was proud to contribute to the global conversation. Two insightful sessions, focused on gender lens investing and redefining health through women’s voices, featured members of the Opportunity team. The 2025 conference theme was ‘Building Resilience & Well-being During Rising Uncertainties’ and has been a powerful reminder of the important role that inclusive…

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Opportunity rolls out Inclusive Finance and Accessibility Tools

by Opportunity International Australia

Opportunity International Australia has been recognised as a leader in inclusive finance for nearly 50 years, pioneering innovative approaches that empower people living in poverty — especially marginalised women, people with disability, and other excluded minorities— to transform their lives. We believe that inclusion is not just a principle, but it’s a practice. To support our commitment to inclusive finance and disability inclusion, we have compiled a suite of practical tools designed…

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Bringing health and hope to Dhaka’s urban ultra-poor

by Opportunity International Australia

In the heart of Bangladesh’s sprawling urban slums, overcrowding, poverty, and limited access to healthcare, clean water and sanitation are daily realities for ultra-poor women. Dhaka’s urban population is growing rapidly – nearly four out of 10 people in the city live in low-income settlements that make up just five per cent of the city’s land. Public health infrastructure is limited, and women in particular are missing out on even basic care. Less than one-in-five women living in urban…

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I’ve seen the cost of women sacrificing their health; now I fight for their right to it.

by Eros Gautam

Eros Gautam, Program Coordinator for Opportunity International Australia, shares a personal reflection on what it means to him to see our Health program expand to Nepal. Above: Eros joins a community health education session led by a female Health Leader Growing up in Nepal, I saw up close how fragile life could be when healthcare was out of reach. A mother’s fever could delay the harvest. A complicated childbirth could leave a family in debt for years. And too often, it was women who bore the…

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