12 September 2011, Sydney, Australia — Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity International Australia Robert Dunn announced today that the Hon. Kristina Keneally, MP, has been appointed to the role of Ambassador for Opportunity International Australia.

Opportunity International Australia is a non-profit organisation that helps provide microfinance and other support services to people living in poverty in developing countries. It supports local microfinance institutions in Indonesia, India and the Philippines, helping them provide small loans (sometimes as small as $100) and other services to families living in poverty, helping them start or grow a small business. With the income they generate, recipients of the loans are able to provide food, water, shelter and an education for their children. 97% of loans are repaid and 94% of the people served by Opportunity International Australia are women.

Ms Keneally will be travelling to India with the organisation in November 2011 to visit microfinance clients and see the impact of small loans firsthand.

“We are delighted that Kristina is joining Opportunity International Australia as an Ambassador,” Mr Dunn said.

“Kristina is an influential role model within Australia, and as an MP and as former Premier of New South Wales, she has demonstrated her commitment to helping people. Her passion, experience and drive for social justice, both at a local and international level, will be valuable to us as we build on our previous achievements reaching out to our neighbours in need in the Asian region.” Ms Keneally said, “Opportunity International Australia does amazing and innovative work with incredibly vulnerable people. By using microfinance it is giving not just charity, but hope, and as such, is transforming lives and transforming communities.”

“In particular, I’m proud to be associated and assist with an organisation that is making such a difference to women, who still make up a disproportionate share of the world’s extremely poor people.”

Opportunity International Australia is currently serving more than 2.8 million people living in poverty – 1.5 million of which are in India. According to the UN Human Development Report 2011, 41.6% of India’s population struggles to survive on less than US$1.25 a day.

For more information about Opportunity International Australia, please visit: www.opportunity.org.au