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.
‘A spruiker for philanthropy!'
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.…
Read MoreA matter of family
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?…
Read MorePlanning for a changed future
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…
Read MoreA legacy of opportunity
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…
Read MoreSupporting families in crisis as COVID-19 surges amongst Indonesia’s children
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,…
Read MoreOpportunity pushes forward with early recovery efforts to protect millions of vulnerable Indians from COVID-19
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,…
Read MoreIndonesia’s most vulnerable hit hardest by deadly COVID-19 Delta surge
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.…
Read MoreWATCH: Amina's Story
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:
Read MoreThe quiet satisfaction of giving
When retired medical specialist and founding Opportunity Ambassador, Dr Ian Airey OAM, was reflecting on philanthropy and considering which causes to support, he developed a philosophy that has guided 20 years of giving. Veronika Peters: How did philanthropy start for you? Ian Airey: My mother had a view on the importance of having a charitable outlook. I think that was the foundation, and there is a gospel imperative. Philanthropy is part of what makes us human and it’s part of living a rich life.…
Read MoreGetting girls back to school
Of the children whose schooling was interrupted by COVID-19, it’s emerging that girls are among the hardest hit. Of those who haven’t returned in Pakistan, 60 per cent are girls. Last year Opportunity assessed the impact of COVID-19 on education in Pakistan. We surveyed 1,188 parents, 362 owners of non-state affordable schools and 252 teachers. “The most concerning finding was the disparity between parents’ attitude to sending girls back to school (31 per cent) compared to boys (94 per cent)…
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