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Sydney South NSW 1235, Level 11, 227 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone: 1800 812 164

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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.

Taking Data To The Next Level

by Kate Saunders

It was more than 35 degrees and I was sheltered only by a tin roof participating in a weekly meeting of loan group clients in a back alley off a main road in Kampala, Uganda. They were talking about how they were using their Opportunity loan. Present were several market stall holders, a small restaurant owner, a motorbike taxi operator, a second hand clothes retailer and several others. While discussions of loan applications were taking place, various forms were being shuffled around and filled in…

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Facing Up To Typhoon Koppu

by Benjamin Freeman

In my time working with Opportunity International Australia, I’ve written about a number of natural disasters and their effects on people with loans. After just one week back in the Philippines, I experienced one firsthand. On Saturday I left with two friends and travelled from Manila to Baler, a small coastal town on the east of Luzon Island. We had warning that a storm was coming, but it was expected that the storm would hit Saturday afternoon and be relatively clear from Sunday afternoon onwards.…

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Focusing On The Bigger Picture

by Benjamin Freeman

Over the past eight weeks I’ve been pushed by a lot of different things. One of which has been learning to make the best of the situation that I’m in. Because of what I’m doing and where I’m travelling, I’ve stayed in places I typically wouldn’t stay in and eaten at places I typically wouldn’t eat at. Personally, these times are difficult. One reason for this is that I’m out of my comfort zone. The other is that I feel a very real sense of guilt about my discomfort. I’ve been spending…

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Coming Together To End Poverty

by Ariadne Sofianidis

Between now and 2015, we must make sure that promises made become promises kept. The consequences of doing otherwise are profound: death, illness and despair, needless suffering, lost opportunities for millions upon millions of people. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations In 2010, Ban Ki-moon stood up and spoke about the importance of the year 2015 in the fight to end global poverty. And now the year is almost over. Tomorrow, 17 October, marks the International Day for the Eradication…

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Respect To Protect Women In India

by Jessica Carter

Do you know what one of the leading causes of death among women all around the globe is? It’s not car crashes, or diabetes or even breast cancer. It’s violence. In fact, around the world, women aged 15-44 are more at risk of rape and domestic violence than cancer, car crashes, war and malaria. Violence against women is one of the most widespread and persistent violations of human rights. At least one in three women will experience physical and/or sexual violence during her lifetime, usually at…

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Opportunity Supporter Survey 2015

by Opportunity International Australia

The results are in! Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts and opinions with us in Opportunity International Australia’s 2015 Supporter Survey. By giving us more insight into why helping people out of poverty is important to you, we are better equipped to work alongside you and engage other Australians in order to achieve our goal of reaching 20 million families by 2020. With a total of 689 survey responses, a generous supporter has donated a total of $6,890 – so your…

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Weapons And Enchantment In India

by Benjamin Freeman

Enchanting isn’t a word I reach for too often, but I feel it is fair to say that the last few weeks in India were an enchanting experience. The energy of the country (in particular Delhi) and its vibrancy is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Everything seems heightened and this was definitely true of the stories I heard. When there’s a particularly dramatic story of transformation, I always find myself somewhat stuck emotionally. There’s horror at what’s happened but there’s also a…

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UN Global Goals Leave No One Behind

by Robert Dunn

17 goals. 169 targets. Last Friday, the 193 United Nations (UN) member states adopted the much-anticipated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It looks like a lot, but these goals are not like their predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – 8 goals that applied solely to developing countries with the support of wealthier nations. Also known as the Global Goals, the SDGs are the responsibility of every nation – whether developing or developed – to “end poverty, protect the planet…

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Host a toddler tea party, they said. It will be fun, they said...

by Daniel Belzer

The stage was set for an outdoor tea party for toddlers last Saturday morning to raise funds for families in poverty through Food for Thought. Instead we woke up to pouring rain and tantrum number one for the day. They say you can’t rely on the weather but I was in denial so we pressed on preparing the food – the scent of fresh coffee and cupcakes filling the air as the sun came out. Guests were due to arrive in an hour and all was right with the world. Then it poured, again. So naturally we…

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Waiting On Water

by Benjamin Freeman

One of the biggest struggles for me on this trip so far has been adjusting to life without easily accessible, clean water. This means that I have to prepare myself with at least three water bottles before we start each day. That might sound a little excessive. But after experiencing a few interviews where there were five or six of us in a tiny, unventilated room at about 40 degrees, I realised how important it is to have water on hand. Yet despite this realisation, I still forget the water from time…

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