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.

August 1, 2014

Not a square meal

by Benjamin Freeman

One in eight people around the world suffer from chronic hunger. This means that they’ve struggled for more than one year without enough food to eat. They may only be able to eat one small bowl of grains a day and, sometimes, parents may have to skip meals to feed their children instead. Carmelita is a mother-of-three from the Philippines. She knows what it’s like to go hungry and not be able to feed your children – she has lived through days where she had no idea where their next meal would…

July 16, 2014

Can some pancakes really help build healthy communities?

by Benjamin Freeman

Yes! Food for Thought is back again this September and this year you can raise money to help build healthy communities in India. All you’ve got to do is have some friends over for a meal or complete a personal food-related challenge! In India, preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea can be deadly. For almost one in two people, open defecation is an everyday reality, leading to pollution and the spread of disease. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable – without the availability of sanitary…

July 9, 2014

Community Spotlight: Life in Maulafa

by Opportunity International Australia

Here’s a spotlight on one of the communities where your support can make a real difference. Maulafa is made up of nine villages, just 10 kilometres from the city of Kupang in Indonesia, with a population of just over 70,000 people. For the wealthier families in the region, houses are made of brick walls and zinc roofs. For other families, houses are constructed of palm branch walls while reeds make up the roofs. A typical meal in Maulafa for mothers like Norlina (pictured) is fish with some vegetables…

July 7, 2014

Community Spotlight: Life in Sapang Buho

by Opportunity International Australia

Here’s a spotlight on one of the communities where your support can make a real difference. Sapang Buho is a small community of just over 3,300 people, located on the banks of the Pampanga River in the province of Nueva Ecija, the Philippines. The majority of families in the community rely on agriculture – mostly vegetable and rice production – and trading kiosks to earn an income. Small loans are helping mothers like Yvonne (pictured) build their own small businesses and work towards a secure…

June 27, 2014

Building brick by brick

by Benjamin Freeman

Mary Ann (pictured) is a mother from the Philippines whose home was completely washed away by Typhoon Haiyan in November last year. In the months that followed the devastation, she lived with her family in a makeshift shelter – put together from the debris of their old house. The home was about the size of a garden shed and the roof couldn’t protect them. When it rained, Mary Ann’s family would get soaked, leaving them cold and often sick. Mary Ann was one of the first people to receive a housing…

June 25, 2014

Community Spotlight: Life in Shiv Vihar

by Opportunity International Australia

Here’s a spotlight on one of the communities where your support can make a real difference. Shiv Vihar is a community of about 40,000 people in Delhi in India. An average household is made up of five or six people who live together in small homes. The most common businesses in the area are food stalls, just like Babita (pictured) runs. For mothers like her, a small business means a regular income, helping them put food on the table and send their children to school. If you lived in Shiv Vihar,…

May 13, 2014

Rebuilding After Typhoon Haiyan

by Benjamin Freeman

More than six months on from Typhoon Haiyan, families in the Philippines are still trying to rebuild their lives. Of the 14 million people affected, more than 67,000 were Opportunity clients – families who have had their homes and livelihoods completely washed away. Seven out of 10 do not have a permanent shelter to live in. As monsoon season approaches, thousands of families need to find somewhere to live. Without shelter, they will be in life-threatening danger from the heavy winds and rain.…

May 7, 2014

Invest in a Mother this Mother’s Day

by Opportunity International Australia

Mothers all around the world strive to provide the best for their children. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we want to honour the hard work of mothers like Myrna (pictured) who endeavour to provide nutritious meals and safe shelter for their children. We also want to acknowledge how the generous support of people like you allows mothers living in poverty to fulfil their dreams of giving their children happy and healthy lives. Myrna is a mother living in the Philippines who was born into…

April 30, 2014

Pushing for Progress

by Benjamin Freeman

People share the same basic needs such as food, clean water, housing and education. Unfortunately for families like Digna’s (pictured) in the Philippines, these needs often go unfulfilled. A mother-of-six, Digna used to live in a makeshift house made of wood, bamboo and sacks. She sold vegetables at her local market to provide for her children, but making very little money, she had to borrow from family members to try and pay for an education for her children. Through your support, Opportunity…

April 24, 2014

New Study Shows the Dynamic Effects of Your Support

by Benjamin Freeman

“The biggest challenge I faced was not earning enough money to cover the cost of renting a room and my children’s education fees,” Marini says. Marini’s a mother-of-three from Indonesia. Like many mothers living in poverty, her biggest desire was to see her children get a full education. But because she couldn’t earn enough to cover costs such as food, clean water and rent, this was nearly impossible. A new study by the World Bank has assessed the impact of small loans on families living…

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News & Stories Blog

Not a square meal

Can some pancakes really help build healthy communities?

Community Spotlight: Life in Maulafa

Community Spotlight: Life in Sapang Buho

Building brick by brick

Community Spotlight: Life in Shiv Vihar

Rebuilding After Typhoon Haiyan

Invest in a Mother this Mother’s Day

Pushing for Progress

New Study Shows the Dynamic Effects of Your Support

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