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

Telephone: 1800 812 164

© 2026 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.

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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Mother’s Day Breakfast in Perth

by Opportunity International Australia

When we support mothers globally, it’s truly magic what can happen next — they’re the backbone of their families and communities, and can drive real change. On the Friday before Mother’s Day this year, Opportunity International Australia hosted a special Mother’s Day Breakfast in Perth to raise money for women and families living in poverty. The guest speaker was Bourby Webster, musician and former Western Australian of the Year (Arts and Culture). Bourby founded the Perth Symphony Orchestra…

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Bringing joy and purpose to business

by Opportunity International Australia

Thea Chadban-Smith runs an accounting practice in northwestern Sydney called Joyful Finance, helping businesses and individuals with their accounting needs. As one of Pro Purpose’s partners, Joyful Finance supports Opportunity International Australia, pledging donations through their business. Recently we sat down with Thea and asked her about her purpose and her support of Opportunity. Why is purpose so important to you as a business in Joyful Finance? Purpose means intentionality, and when you’re…

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Hope for Joy

by Opportunity International Australia

Two-year-old Joy was born with a hole in his heart. His mother, Aarti, and father, Vishal, had already depleted most of their savings during the COVID-19 pandemic, as both had lost work. Aarti gave birth in a public hospital, and Joy weighed 3kg at birth, but his weight quickly dropped to just 1kg. A two-month stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), along with the right support, helped Joy gain weight and return home to live with his family, but the medical bills wiped out their remaining…

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David Bussau back in Bali

by Opportunity International Australia

In the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of Opportunity International Australia next year, founder David Bussau made a special trip back to Bali to reunite with Ketut, the first person he ever loaned a small amount of money to in order to start a business. In 1976, David, his wife Carol and two young daughters Natasha and Rachel, moved to Blimbingsari, a small village in the west of Bali, to help rebuild a church knocked down in an earthquake. It was while living in Blimbingsari that David met Ketut,…

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