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.
Mama Ovi’s determination to educate her children
In Indonesia, Mama Ovi leads a simple life. She sells yellow rice and cakes in the school canteen, and her husband works as a driver. Her rice and cake business, though modest, has helped provide for her family and is a great supplement to her husband's income. However, school fees were an expense that was just out of reach. Mama Ovi and her young son, Leon, who live in Indonesia Mama Ovi was determined to send her youngest child, Leon, to a good kindergarten. Even though the family had financial…
Read MoreAdventure in the Himalayas on the Trek for Opportunity 2023
In October 2023, a group of passionate Opportunity International Australia supporters travelled to India for the Trek for Opportunity, a ten-day experience to help end global poverty. As well as hiking from Darjeeling to Sandakphu and back again, along mountain peaks and through the majestic Eastern Himalayas, the experience gave participants the opportunity to see the impact of microfinance firsthand. Here's how it all unfolded... If you'd like to learn more or register for this year's adventure,…
Read MoreForging a stronger future for her children
Thirty-three-year-old Dia has big dreams for her four children, and they can aspire to a better future too, thanks to Dia and her husband’s hard work and a boost from a small loan. When Dia heard that Opportunity’s local partner Bina Artha Ventura (BAV) opened a new branch inthe nearby town of Tugumulyo she saw an opportunity to expand their family’s business. Dia lives with her family in a rural area of Sumatra, Indonesia. Her husband Alimin is a blacksmith, making equipment for agricultural…
Read MoreLife for Madina is better thanks to a buffalo loan
Madina is a married mother of three and is now running a successful buffalo milk business thanks to a Buffaloan from Opportunity International Australia’s local partner in India. Her family live on farmland, growing rice and other crops for their own use and selling some, but their income was low. Her husband and eldest two sons work in nearby factories, but the family struggled financially. Madina hopes income earned from her buffalo will help with her children's future. With a small loan, Madina…
Read MoreProud to be helping her community
Pramila, a 46-year-old mother of three, is a self-made woman. As a child, Pramila dreamed of becoming a nurse. “I experienced the shortage of medical services and doctors in my own community in Patna in northeast India, leading to maternal deaths,” Pramila said. She wanted to do something to help. The youngest of five siblings, Pramila’s father encouraged all of his children to study, regardless of gender. Whilst still attending school, Pramila was married at age 16, which was the norm in her…
Read MoreSupanti’s children continue to learn with a loan
For Supanti, a hardworking mother in Central Java, Indonesia, a school fee loan is enabling her three children to go to school. Supanti sells fruits and vegetables for a living, while her husband, Trianto, works as a driver. Their income pays for the family’s daily needs – things like food and household needs. Like many families just making ends meet, the idea of having a large lump sum for school fees to pay at the start of each year seemed near impossible. There simply was not enough money.…
Read MoreGrowing seaweed to support the family
On the remote island of Rote in Indonesia, the options for employment are limited. Aranci, a married mother of five children, and her husband Abraham struggled financially. They couldn’t afford meat, milk or even rice. Heartbreakingly, they also had to pull two of their children out of school before they graduated primary school. Determined to change things for their family, Aranci started growing seaweed in the waters near her home. Seaweed is a sustainable product that Aranci sells locally to…
Read MoreDavid Bussau reflects on his Opportunity journey
At 83 years old, David Bussau AM, founder of Opportunity International Australia, is still as passionate as ever about microfinance being part of the solution to ending poverty. David became one of the pioneers of microfinance when he offered a loan to a farmer in Indonesia named Ketut, who purchased a sewing machine, and with his wife started a tailoring business. This was the beginning of what grew to become Opportunity International Australia today. David recently shared his reflections on the…
Read MoreStrong bond helps couple run successful business
Anjeeta and her husband Vinubhai run a successful snack stall and tailoring business in the Gujarat region in India. The couple, who both have mobility issues, are a wonderful success story, thanks to a loan from one of Opportunity International Australia’s local partners. “With my first loan I bought a sewing machine and slowly I started sewing and making some money to support my family,” said Anjeeta. \"Then we took the second loan to start our corner shop.” Anjeeta feels a real sense of…
Read MoreInvesting in women this International Women’s Day
On 8 March the world marks International Women’s Day, a celebration of the achievements of women globally. In 2024, it’s also a rally behind the call to 'Invest in women: Accelerate progress.' Since Opportunity’s origins in the 1970s, financially including women has been key to breaking the cycle of poverty – and today, 95 per cent of Opportunity’s loan clients are women. To achieve gender equality, an investment in women and girls is vital at all levels – whether it’s providing decent…
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