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PO Box A524
Sydney South NSW 1235, Level 11, 227 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone: 1800 812 164

© 2024 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.

One million vaccine milestone reached in India

by Opportunity International Australia

Opportunity International Australia has worked with Indian partner, Equitas Small Finance Bank, and the Indian Government to swiftly establish a mass vaccination campaign for vulnerable people affected by COVID-19 in India. The vaccination camps reached 1.2 million beneficiaries in 10 states by the end of August.  “Equitas and Opportunity are working to support an equitable roll-out of this lifesaving vaccine in India, where only 15% of the population have been fully vaccinated [as of 24 Sept],”…

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Opportunity’s health response in India

by Opportunity International Australia

Thanks to the generous support of the Opportunity community, we were able to move swiftly to provide relief to those hardest hit by the virus’s second wave in India. Microfinance institutions provided existing footprints and trusted networks into communities, enabling last-mile delivery of healthcare, support and relief packages. We supported Indian health services and systems to deliver mass vaccination camps, mobile medical vans, a ‘doctor on the doorstep’ program, education, training and…

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‘A spruiker for philanthropy!'

by Opportunity International Australia

I support Opportunity because I am keen to support women. Women don’t just help themselves but always help the next generation as well. When Laurie Cowled lost her husband, Ron, unexpectedly 17 years ago, she found herself at a crossroads.  “I didn’t know how many days I had left,” she says. “But I had a plan to carry out.” Laurie and Ron had agreed that whoever survived the other would need to be a good steward of their money. Laurie and Ron met in their fifties and didn’t have children.…

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A matter of family

by Opportunity International Australia

Ben O’Connor’s performance at the Tour de France this July was the best debut by an Australian rider ever in the 118-year-old race. The family celebrated the victory together in what Ben’s father, Opportunity Board member, John O’Connor, calls ‘a beautiful set of circumstances’. Ben O’Connor secures the win on the summit of Tignes in Stage 9 of the 2021 Tour de France. Credit: Tim de Waele, Getty Images. Opportunity: Congratulations on your performance, Ben! You must be so proud, John?…

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Planning for a changed future

by Opportunity International Australia

Opportunity’s clients are amongst the most vulnerable to a changing environment. Here’s how we are building resilience and planning for future generations. Climate change is a chronic challenge for the poorest people that will long outlast the pandemic. It ‘threatens to undo the last 50 years of development, global health and poverty reduction,’ according to a United Nations report. It could push more than 120 million more people into poverty by 2030 and will have the most severe impact in…

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A legacy of opportunity

by Opportunity International Australia

As we approach 45 years since Opportunity International founder, David Bussau, first arrived in Indonesia, it’s an opportune time to reflect on what has grown from those early beginnings. Early into his success, entrepreneur David Bussau, a millionaire at 35, realised the ‘economics of enough’. “I reached a turning point. I started thinking how much is enough. I had 15 different businesses and I was just going through the process of building and selling potential. But where was that taking…

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Supporting families in crisis as COVID-19 surges amongst Indonesia’s children

by Opportunity International Australia

Child death rates in Indonesia continue to grow due to COVID-19 - with one in eight youth affected by the country’s worst outbreak so far, according to the Indonesian Pediatric Society. COVID-19 death rates in Indonesian children are among the highest in the world. In late July, the Indonesian Pediatric Society reported more than 360,000 confirmed cases in children, with more than a 100 dying each week. Many of them are younger than five. Children with disabilities are most at risk from COVID-19,…

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Opportunity pushes forward with early recovery efforts to protect millions of vulnerable Indians from COVID-19

by Opportunity International Australia

India COVID-19 relief efforts: Impact update As India records more than 400,000 COVID-19 deaths, Opportunity International Australia has scaled up early recovery efforts in vulnerable hotspots. Opportunity has been supporting the poorest in India for the past 13 years, helping more than five million families work their way out of poverty through small businesses supported by small loans. We’re providing help and education about COVID-19 safety and preparedness to the most vulnerable. Tackling rampant,…

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Indonesia’s most vulnerable hit hardest by deadly COVID-19 Delta surge

by Opportunity International Australia

The livelihoods of millions of vulnerable Indonesians are being decimated by a catastrophic COVID-19 Delta outbreak. Indonesia is dealing with more than 20,000 COVID-19 Delta cases a day. Hospitals are overwhelmed, causing mass oxygen shortages and price hikes. The influx of new cases contributes to Southeast Asia’s worst outbreak on record, which continues to devastate India and neighbouring countries. The Indonesian Government has introduced emergency measures, with lockdowns in Bali and Java.…

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WATCH: Amina's Story

by Opportunity International Australia

A small loan helped Amina's mother break the cycle of poverty in her family. It enabled her to think about life beyond their next meal, to secure her daughters' educations, and to see a path into the future. The dreams Amina had as a child have now become reality. Watch her family's touching story below:

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