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PO Box A524
Sydney South NSW 1235, Level 11, 227 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone: 1800 812 164

© 2025 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.

Endang cleans up with local laundry business

by Opportunity International Australia

Endang lives in Perbaungan, South Sumatra in Indonesia. The residents in her local community have busy lives, which gave Endang an idea for a business. In September 2020, Endang opened a simple laundry business. She started from scratch by collecting clothes from residents in her neighbourhood, going door-to- door and asking if they required a laundry service. Her neighbours obliged and handed over their clothes for Endang to wash by hand and iron. It was hard work, but she managed to maintain a…

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Kusnidah turns things around for the next generation

by Opportunity International Australia

Growing up in a rural village in central Java, Indonesia, 62-year-old Kusnidah never finished primary school. Despite her parents’ hard work – her father in the rice paddies and her mother a housekeeper – poverty meant they couldn’t afford the fees. Kusnidah married and lived with her husband in a crowded slum in Jakarta. He worked as a driver, while Kusnidah stayed home with their young children. One by one the children hit school age, and the couple found themselves having to make a heartbreaking…

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Is microfinance an effective way to alleviate poverty?

by Opportunity International Australia

Tackling global poverty can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task. Decades of progress on poverty stalled in 2020 – when poverty rose due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis combined with the effects of conflict, cost of living pressures, and climate change. The World Bank estimates that globally 75 million to 95 million people were pushed into extreme poverty in 2022. Our efforts to end poverty have faced the greatest challenge in a generation, so how can we best support those…

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Ambassador Nomusa preparing for the trip of a lifetime

by Opportunity International Australia

Opportunity International Australia Ambassador Nomusa Ngwenya is one of the adventurers who will be trekking the Eastern Himalayas in India in October to raise money for Opportunity.  Nomusa has been passionate about the work of Opportunity for a long time and is excited to visit the microfinance clients she helps support in Varanasi at the end of the trek.  “I was interested in the physical challenge of the trek and also the opportunity to meet some of the loan recipients and see firsthand the…

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Top tips for fundraising to help end poverty

by Opportunity International Australia

The fight against poverty knows no boundaries, but everyday Australians can play a big role in creating positive change. Whether you’re looking to start a charity fundraiser from scratch, or have an existing event you’d like to partner with Opportunity International Australia on, you're already on the path to making a significant impact for women and girls globally. To help create lasting change globally, the best (and easiest!) fundraisers use your existing skills, resources and ideas to make…

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Coffee cart creating change

by Opportunity International Australia

Lis is a 42-year-old widow, and a mother to two boys, aged 20 and 16, living in the slums of Jakarta, Indonesia. Five years ago, she quit her job and started her own mobile coffee business, on the back of a motorbike. Lis sells coffee, other beverages and fried food to her local community. She begins her day at 6.30am, selling drinks and food until 4.00pm. In 2019, Lis received a small loan through Opportunity’s local partner in Indonesia to expand her business. She was able to purchase more products…

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Supporting business-owners this World Entrepreneurs' Day

by Opportunity International Australia

This World Entrepreneurs' Day, Opportunity International Australia is celebrating the ingenuity of those around the globe disrupting traditional markets, developing a product or service, and turning their ideas into a business. While there’s so much to celebrate in Australia, and there are an estimated 582 million entrepreneurs around the world, there are millions of entrepreneurs living in poverty in developing countries. Opportunity International Australia works with female entrepreneurs in Asia,…

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Creating a brighter future with bangles

by Opportunity International Australia

Bihar, where mother of four Darmshila and her family live, is one of the poorer states in India. Fifty-two per cent of people in the state are ‘multidimensionally poor’ – the highest rate in India. Four out of every 10 people suffer from malnutrition, even more in rural areas. The village where Darmshila lives still doesn’t have adequate sanitation. “There were lots of challenges before we got the loan,” Darmshila said. “We had a lot of expenses, but now life is better.” These days,…

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Hiking the Himalayas for Opportunity

by Opportunity International Australia

Leanne Seymour is one of the participants heading to Northern India in October 2023 to Trek for Opportunity. Leanne will be joined a group of passionate supporters who will be trekking the Eastern Himalayas as part of a 10-day trip to raise money for Opportunity International Australia. When asked why she signed up for the adventure, Leanne had this to say: “There were so many reasons to take advantage of this incredible opportunity that was being offered. However, the three that stand out to me…

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Women entrepreneurs inspire ambassador Ginger

by Opportunity International Australia

Ginger Mahoney is a 20-year-old university student and part-time paralegal at a criminal law firm. She is studying a double degree in Commerce and Law at Macquarie University and is passionate about women supporting women in business globally, which led to her becoming an Opportunity International Australia Ambassador. “I was first introduced to Opportunity when I was 15 years old through my aunt who worked for a major corporate sponsor of Opportunity at the time,” said Ginger.  “I felt inspired…

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