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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.

Opportunity’s supporters are true partners in helping families make the journey out of poverty

by Robert Dunn

Opportunity International Australia has an exciting future and it’s made possible by the generosity of you, our supporters. You are helping families make the journey out of poverty through small loans to grow businesses, health education programs, school fee loans, digital financial services and loans to access clean water and build toilets. As an Opportunity supporter, you’re partnering with families who are working their way out of poverty and we are immensely thankful to you. We see major…

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Seeing first-hand how Opportunity is using microfinance to invest in hope-filled futures

by David Adams

For me the highlight of my trip to the Philippines with Opportunity International Australia was meeting the loan recipients. They have dramatically changed their lives by using small loans from Opportunity to build businesses and break the cycle of poverty. It was inspiring to sit in group meetings with women who had accessed loans, to hear them share their experiences and to see the joy this is bringing them. The sense of empowerment in their own lives. They couldn’t see a future and now they…

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A business guy who wants to see a better world

by Robert Dunn

As I move into a new role at Opportunity International as Global Executive Director, I’m reflecting on the past nine years of leading Opportunity International Australia. What stands out to me is the hope, dignity and purpose I’ve seen in the families Opportunity helps to break the cycle of poverty.   Robert Dunn The hand up Opportunity gives to families in developing countries through small loans to grow businesses gives them hope of a better future. They gain dignity as they use the hand…

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Entrepreneurs are the engine room of the global economy

by Allan English

Entrepreneurs play a critical role in the engine room of the global economy. They drive innovation and create new ways of solving problems. They generate jobs and new sources of income. And they are increasingly playing a crucial role in tackling global poverty. Allan English There’s a movement across the business sector – in Australia and overseas - for entrepreneurs to drive measurable social outcomes as well as profitability.  To maximise social impact through their creativity and business…

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Will Stephanie Rice win a gold medal at the Great Australian Curry Cook-off?

by Opportunity International Australia

Stephanie Rice, the world record breaking Olympic gold medallist, entrepreneur and businesswoman, is determined to help families in India rise to success. For the second consecutive year, Stephanie is competing in Opportunity International Australia’s curry cook-off to launch the charity’s annual fundraising campaign, the Great Australian Curry. The Great Australian Curry will help raise funds so families in India can receive small loans to build businesses, earn regular incomes, put food on…

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Cooking up an exotic curry to help families break the cycle of poverty

by Annie Crawford

“Indian food is incredibly exotic,” says Annie Crawford, an Opportunity International Australia Council Member and Can Too charity founder. With butter chicken curry being a favourite, Annie believes Opportunity’s Great Australian Curry fundraising campaign will raise awareness about poverty in India and the way Australian families can help families on their doorstep. Annie says: “Hosting a Great Australian Curry dinner is very simple and a great way to build awareness of Opportunity. Having…

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Aussie Test Cricketer determined to retain his crown in Great Australian Curry Cook-off!

by Michael Kasprowicz

Former Australian Test Cricketer and Opportunity International Australia Council member, Michael Kasprowicz, has travelled extensively in India for sport and business during the last 19 years. He loves the country and its people and is committed to helping families in India break the cycle of poverty themselves by receiving small loans from Opportunity to build businesses and earn regular incomes. Michael reflects on the circumstances facing many children in India who live in poverty. “Children…

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What the women of Buxar wanted and why

by Chris Murdoch

The women of Buxar, in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, told us loud and clear when we visited them they wanted to be trained as health leaders so they could educate their families and neighbours about hygiene and prevention of common illnesses. Families in this part of India live in extreme poverty and the mortality rate of their children is very high because of preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition. Cashpor, one of Opportunity International Australia’s…

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Building your business as if your life depends on it

by John Hagerty

When I met some women in India who’d received loans from Opportunity International Australia to build businesses, what struck me most, was that these women were building their businesses as if their lives depended on it. And of course, their lives and the lives of their families did depend on the income they earned from the businesses for life’s basic necessities – food, clean water, safe shelter and medicine. And it’s why they’re so successful. One thing the women I met in India did extremely…

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World Entrepreneurs’ Day: Celebrating Entrepreneurs’ in Developing Countries

by Matt Hope

On World Entrepreneurs’ Day on 21 August, we celebrate entrepreneurs everywhere for their courage, resilience and creativity. Entrepreneurship is celebrated in Western culture more than it was twenty years ago, especially in areas such as Silicon Valley. In many places, business failure is seen as a rite of passage. Something you learn from so you don’t make the same mistakes in your next start-up. But in developing countries, entrepreneurs can’t afford to fail. Failure is not an option for…

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