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.
Leave A Lasting Legacy
I am privileged to meet with or speak to Opportunity supporters on a daily basis. Unsurprisingly, each person has a different motivation for investing in mothers and their families through Opportunity, yet they share one thing in common: a desire to help shape the wellbeing of generations to come. That’s why I love the potential of a gift left in a will to Opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. A decision made today to allocate a percentage of one’s estate powerfully changes the futures of mothers,…
Read MoreThe Economics Of Enough: Learning From David Bussau
As Australia Day nears, I’m reminded of an important Australian who inspires me to live generously and has shown me the value of economic empowerment, David Bussau AM. David co-founded the Opportunity International Network in the 1970s. After decades of helping people in poverty realise their dreams, David was awarded Senior Australian of the Year in 2008. Starting life in an orphanage, David began his journey as an entrepreneur with a rented hotdog stand at just 15 years of age. He soon realised…
Read MoreA Week In The Philippines
When Annie Crawford, Opportunity Ambassador and founder of Can Too Foundation, visited the Philippines with Opportunity International Australia in 2014, she saw the value of little things. In a country like the Philippines where nearly half of the 97 million residents live in poverty, microfinance provides a more sustainable means to helping break the poverty cycle by giving people a ‘hand up, not a hand-out’. It all starts with a loan as little as $200, which allows people to start their own…
Read MoreThe MDGs: Where Are They Now?
Eight goals, 15 years and a world of difference. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have sat on the mantle of humanitarian discourse for the world’s key leaders and development organisations since 2000. But with less than one year to go before their expiry date, what are the successes so far and the challenges still to be faced post-2015? Each MDG includes a series of targets which cannot be done justice in this blog. For a more detailed snapshot, you can read the United Nations (UN) MDG Report…
Read MoreWhat's The Best Gift You've Received?
I’m often humbled by how small gifts can mean so much. One year I bought my friend a handbag for her birthday. I knew she was after a particular style, so when she opened it, she told me it was the best present she received that year. In that moment, nothing quite compared to the satisfaction that came from getting it right and putting a smile on her face. In the words of Jesus Christ in Acts 20:35: It is more blessed to give than to receive. From my experience, giving is not easier than receiving,…
Read MoreGreen Tea And Honey With Muhammad Yunus
If you’re passionate about ending poverty, then you might have heard of Professor Muhammad Yunus. He is the founder of the Grameen Bank, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and the 1998 Sydney Peace Prize. But more importantly, he is a pioneer of microfinance who is now helping over seven million Bangladeshi women leave poverty behind with small loans. When I was given the chance to meet him over a coffee (or, green tea with honey, to be precise), it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.…
Read MoreSpotlight On A Volunteer
Don’t we all want to feel that we are making a difference in the world? As a soon-to-be business graduate, I had been looking for an opportunity to further develop my skills and give myself that extra edge before entering the ‘real’ world, but I was struggling to find the place that felt right for me. During a study tour to Cambodia – a trip designed to give university students insight into sustainable tourism – I had my first encounter with the work of microfinance. A local hotel in Siem…
Read MoreSomething Bigger
A piglet, a handloom and a cooking stall might not look like they have much in common, but thanks to the hard work and determination of families in need, they’re all items that can pave a pathway out of poverty… A piglet… Living in the slums of Delhi, India, Sunita struggled to provide for her children. Desperate for a chance to give her children a better start in life she engaged in a business deal that went horribly wrong, leaving her with nothing. Determined to be brave and not give up,…
Read MoreHow Many New Businesses Could You Start This Week?
As we celebrate and encourage women entrepreneurs in honour of Women's Entrepreneurship Day, I have to stop and remind myself what it was like to have very little. In 1988 I left home aged 17 with about $35. I quickly learned if I didn’t manage my money I couldn’t eat, get transport or buy the textbooks I needed that would ultimately help me work my way out of my week-to-week existence. Fast forward 25 years and I can reflect on how fortunate I was to have access to loans. Access to a small amount…
Read MoreHow A Small Loan Changed Seema's Life
Seema lives in a slum just outside Delhi in India. Every day she struggled to feed her five children. But in spite of her hardship, Seema faced every day with a smile so wide it made everyone who saw it smile too. What makes her smile now is that someone just like you gave her an unimaginable gift. A loan of just $200 – a passport out of poverty. With her loan, Seema started a shop, selling snacks to workers nearby. With what to you or I might seem like a tiny amount of money to start a successful…
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