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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.

Educate To Alleviate Poverty

by Filiz Casey

One of the most rewarding opportunities for a mother is to send her child to school. The first day is filled with apprehension, sometimes tears, but mostly pride and joy. Mothers also enjoy celebrating when their child finishes school. These are special milestones I have shared with my mother. Things are a little different for families living in poverty. Mothers can find it difficult to provide an education for their children for a number of reasons. The most obvious is affordability, but distance…

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We See Differently

by Stephanie Hristovska

The journey of transformation out of poverty begins with the opportunity to receive a small loan. But for so many of the mothers we meet, they receive a lot more than money in their first loan cycle. Here are four things that shouldn’t be overlooked: 1. Vision Poverty can be defined as a lack of choice about the food you eat, the clothes you wear, whether you can afford an education for your children and much more. I also think it goes even deeper than that. Poverty attacks your ability to realise,…

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International Women's Day

by Stephanie Hristovska

Sunday 8 March is International Women’s Day. It’s a day to recognise and celebrate women’s achievements, promote gender equality and create meaningful change, captured in this year’s theme, Make It Happen. But before I go into what 'it’ is, let me fill you in on some of the things that have been happening in the lives of women, especially those living in poverty… Women make up 70% of people living in poverty More than 875 million women and girls are illiterate One billion women globally…

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The World Day Of Social Justice

by Stephanie Hristovska

Today is the United Nation’s (UN) World Day of Social Justice, where poverty eradication, full employment, decent work, gender equality and access to social wellbeing and justice for all are promoted globally. Placing poverty eradication under the umbrella of social justice changes the way we think about and deal with poverty. It makes poverty eradication not just about altruistic gestures of charity but a matter of human rights. In human rights theory, there are two types of rights: the first…

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Gates Place Big Bet For The Future

by Stephanie Hristovska

Late last month, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation released their 2015 Annual Letter, and with it, a ‘big bet’ for the future. In the letter, Bill and Melinda forecast that: The lives of people in poor countries will improve faster in the next 15 years than in any other time in history. And their lives will improve more than anyone else’s. The key to achieving this rapid progress? Innovative technology. Through innovation in technology, the Gates’ project that people living in poverty…

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Australian Government Visits Opportunity's Work In The Philippines

by Meredith Downey

Opportunity is grateful for the support the Australian Government provides to help mothers break the poverty cycle in the Philippines and last month we were delighted when Michael Bergmann, a/g Assistant Secretary in the NGO and Volunteers Branch of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), visited some of the mothers we serve in Manila, Philippines to see firsthand the impact small loans can make. Mr Bergmann, accompanied by Mark Daniels, Opportunity’s Philippines Country Director, visited a…

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Leave A Lasting Legacy

by Ant Clark

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,…

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The Economics Of Enough: Learning From David Bussau

by Filiz Casey

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…

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A Week In The Philippines

by Annie Crawford

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…

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The MDGs: Where Are They Now?

by Stephanie Hristovska

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…

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