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.
Education loan helps Meena’s family get back on track
Meena and her husband Devendra live with his extended family on their farm in rural India. They have two children, a daughter Manisha, aged 19 and a son, Mukesh, aged 13. Devendra drives a tractor for other farmers in the local area. A few years ago, Meena and Devendra took out a small loan through one of Opportunity’s microfinance partners for maintenance and repairs on the vehicle. Meena works on their farm running a dairy business. She sells cow’s milk to the local community, and grows fruit…
Read MoreSweet success key to educating the next generation
Mother-of-six Bathsheba stands over her outdoor stove in the morning sun, surrounded by palm trees that have yielded their sap for the sugar syrup she is producing. Her youngest daughter plays nearby as she patiently stirs the sap and reduces it down into a thick syrup. Once it has cooled, she bottles and sells the honey-coloured sugar syrup to families in her neighbourhood. Bathsheba didn’t go to school, but thanks to the palm sugar syrup business they set up with the help of a small loan, Bathsheba…
Read MoreTri - A tower of strength for her family
Opportunity International Australia supports families in Indonesia to access the tools they need to work their way out of poverty. One of the families accessing a small loan through Opportunity is Tri’s. Tri is a working mother in Jakarta where one in five people live in poverty. She is a tower of strength for her family – resourceful and resilient. She is hopeful for the future, but her family faces enormous challenges. Tri and her husband Sumardi have four children, Rizky aged 20, Nadine 14,…
Read MoreSupporting persons with disabilities through inclusion
December 3 is International Day of People with Disability, a United Nations observed day which aims to recognise and celebrate people with disability, increase awareness of disability and overall promote understanding and acceptance – both locally and around the world. Through working with our local partners, raising awareness and understanding of disability and committing to reaching those who are underserved, Opportunity International Australia aims to improve outcomes for those living with disabilities.…
Read MoreFrom poverty to plenty with banana chips
Aranchie serves customers at the small snack shop attached to her house with a quiet confidence and smiling demeanour. However, tears come quickly as she recalls her childhood. “I had a very difficult childhood, because my dad left when I was just three months old, so my grandparents took me in and raised me. They couldn’t afford to pay for my school, so I didn’t even finish junior high.” Hard work and determination, combined with small loans have enabled her to build a business and provide…
Read MoreChristmas Gifts that make the world a better place
While the festive season is usually a time when many of us like to splurge on gifts for loved ones, it can also be a time of enormous struggle for those experiencing poverty globally. While data for 2021 and 2022 is not yet widely available, according to World Bank estimates, COVID-19 had a profound impact on health and wellbeing around the world, and drove an additional 90 million into extreme poverty in 2020. Opportunity International Australia is ending poverty in developing countries – one…
Read MoreLocalisation – the key to Opportunity’s success
One of the biggest advantages Opportunity International Australia has with microfinance and overseas aid is localisation. At the heart of all the work we do, Opportunity’s partners on the ground in Asia are the reason why we are so successful in helping alleviate poverty for millions of families. Opportunity’s community-based projects are 100 per cent delivered through local partners. Local partners identify, design and implement projects, with financial support from Opportunity. Opportunity…
Read MoreBuilding nests for a brighter future
Prabha and her husband Paresh own a small business building bird nests in western India. They have a three-year-old daughter Nakshita who attends the local pre-school in the village. They live in a simple pakka house, with two rooms and a kitchen. “I was fond of birds and to pursue my interest and make a living at the same time, I started making bird nests for a bird nest manufacturer,” said Prabha. “I honed my skills while working but soon realised that the amount of Rs.200-300 (A$3.78-5.67)…
Read MoreRatna’s sweet business supporting her family
Life is tough for 40-year-old Ratna, who lives with her husband and three daughters in a village on the remote island of Rote, in eastern Indonesia. Her eldest son is at university in Kupang. Indonesia is one of our nearest neighbours, but sadly up to 62 million people live in poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation. Indonesia’s poverty rates (US$3.65 per person per day) have steadily declined from 47 per cent in 2011 to 22 per cent in 2021. However, rural poverty rates remain…
Read MoreWhat gets measured, gets managed
Earlier this year, we reported on the results of a new study on client outcomes, which showed how Opportunity’s microfinance clients benefit from increased income, improved household welfare and greater resilience. This time, we’ll look at the future of this study, and how we hope this innovation in data collection and analysis will lead to improvements in our services, better outcomes across the microfinance sector and potentially a boost to the International Development agenda too. In microfinance,…
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