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

Telephone: 1800 812 164

© 2024 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.

Investing in education for the future

by Opportunity International Australia

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a health and economic crisis, but it has also been an education crisis – particularly for the world’s poorest children. At its peak, an estimated 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries were locked out of school. In a small village in West Java, Indonesia, 19-year-old Acu suffered through 68 weeks of school closures when he was trying to finish his final years of vocational high school. Acu lives in a makeshift home with his parents and seven-year-old sister…

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Helping businesses find their purpose

by Opportunity International Australia

Alana and Joshua have been building and growing their own business in Australia for 20 years, with an arm of their business dedicated to helping those in need around the world. In August 2021, Alana and Joshua Nicholls founded an organisation called One Co. Foundation, which helps businesses find their purpose and have an impact on positive change in the world. Ten years ago they began franchising their electrical business. They had the idea that for each van they had on the road, they would sponsor…

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Empowering women to break the bias

by Opportunity International Australia

International Women’s Day is celebrated each year on 8 March. The theme for 2022 is Break the Bias, where we dream of a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. Opportunity International Australia encourages all people to Break the Bias by empowering female entrepreneurs. In developing countries, women business owners hold the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Women’s spending is usually invested back into their household…

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How a small loan helped Marni start again

by Opportunity International Australia

Over 10 years ago, Marni’s husband left, leaving her to support their three sons on her own. To try and find work, Marni packed up Nikson, Oscar and Rio from their rural village in Indonesia and moved to Kupang. With no education, Marni did whatever jobs she could, like laundry for the police base, but the income was tiny and not enough to provide for her sons. “I only got Rp.20,000-30,000 (A$1.92-2.88) a day.” Still a child, her eldest son Nikson stepped up to help shoulder the heavy load,…

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A day in the life of Nikson

by Opportunity International Australia

Sixteen-year-old Nikson’s day is a lot different to the average 16-year-old in Australia.  Nikson is the eldest of three sons in a single-parent family living in a small rural village in Kupang, Indonesia. He was only five when his father left, but, as the eldest child, he felt he had to step up and help his family survive. His mother Marni relies on him to help with household chores and look after his brothers, all while keeping up with his studies.  “I am the eldest, so I need to take care…

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Merry Christmas from Opportunity

by Opportunity International Australia

On behalf of Opportunity International Australia, we wish you and your family a happy and safe Christmas. Thank you for your support in 2021.  Warm regards, Opportunity International Australia team

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How a rice co-op serves a community in Indonesia

by Opportunity International Australia

Green shoots of hope Entrepreneurs are an extraordinary breed: a combination of hope – vision for the future – and the willingness to take action can make great things happen. In the countries in which Opportunity works, COVID-19 has curtailed people’s ability to earn a living. For remote-area farmers, lockdowns have meant few customers can come to them, and they can no longer travel to markets further afield. During the pandemic’s first wave, Opportunity partner TLM contacted every one of…

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Meet the entrepreneurs of India

by Opportunity International Australia

Being willing to risk what little you have for a better life is a hallmark of Opportunity’s microentrepreneurial clients. What they borrow awakens drive, leadership, independence and leads to a sustainable future. Our clients demonstrate the power of hope and determination every single day. Buffeted by forces outside their control, from services that exclude them, climate change and the pandemic, these extraordinary women rise, and rise, and rise. We are proud to share their stories. Thanks to…

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Everyone’s story counts: Measuring what really matter

by Opportunity International Australia

As we evolve, Opportunity is moving towards more meaningful metrics to assess the impact of our programs in addressing stigma and equity. The objectives and key results of our programs are often a balance between doing the greatest good for the greatest number - and serving communities with the highest unmet needs. Our health and women’s safety programs also tackle changing perceptions, norms and behaviours in topic areas that are often stigmatised. We recently conducted two studies which help…

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Paying the opportunity forward

by Opportunity International Australia

Kim-Ngan Harwood was born in Vietnam and arrived in Australia aged nine as a refugee with her widowed mother. Since then, she has built her own successful business and supports other women entrepreneurs through Opportunity. Hope, to me, is wanting an outcome that makes life better in some way. When I was two, my dad passed away. The way my mother led her life and wanted a life for me was hope. “My grandparents had a similar attitude. They were pushed down from the north to the south of the country…

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