Lack of clean water and poor sanitation has a huge impact on the health and economic productivity of the entrepreneurs and communities with whom we work. We are working to change this.

— Fast Facts —

Water & Sanitation

Clock Icon
Every minute
a child dies from a water-related disease
Girls Icon
95% of girls
in Ghana do not attend school during their menstruation, or drop out at puberty because of a lack of clean and private facilities in schools
Toilet Icon
1 in 5
Ghanaians go to the toilet in open spaces as they have no access to toilets
Water Icon
80% of diseases
are caused by unsafe water
UK
More than 10x
the UK population live without access to safe water

Erica's Story

 Adansi, Ghana

Erica is like any other 12 year old girl; she enjoys spending time with her friends and dreams about her future — when she leaves school she wants to become a doctor.

But Erica lives in Adansi, in the Ashanti region of Southern Ghana. Here, the majority of girls her age don’t have the opportunity to become doctors and fulfill their ambitions. Poor health (diarrhoea and cholera are prevalent due to unclean water) and lack of adequate sanitary facilities at school often mean that girls miss school and eventually drop out. They become trapped in a cycle of poverty.

Thankfully for Erica her school principal, Madame Beatrice, is giving her hope. Madame Beatrice started a local community school to provide a low-cost quality education to children in her community who were unable to access state education. With a loan, training and support from Opportunity International Beatrice built toilets and a well to provide clean water so that her students' health would improve. Since installing these facilities, students are staying in school longer and working hard to gain the qualifications they need to get successful jobs and life themselves out of poverty.

Erica doing schoolwork

We used to have to go outside to fetch water but now we have a well in the school so I feel safer. We also only had one toilet, but after Madame Beatrice went to Opportunity International we now have better toilets and more of them."

Erica

Madame Beatrice has not just provided a clean and healthy environment for Erica to learn and excel but she has inspired her. She has taught her that women can be independent, run successful businesses and have the ability to reach their dreams.

One simple opportunity to invest is having a life-changing impact.

Opportunity International serves 12 million people in 28 countries

By reinventing our financial services to meet the targeted needs of communities in Africa and Asia, we are enabling poverty’s hold to be broken.

Opportunity International’s innovative water and sanitation programme in Africa provides tailored loans and training that will enable men and women to sustainably invest in and improve their basic living conditions, enhance their income and provide a better future for their family.

A message of support from our Patron HRH The Princess Royal

I have been involved with Opportunity International UK for many years and what impresses me most is how they continually adapt to put the needs of the poor first. Opportunity International reinvents basic financial services to meet the health, educational and economic needs of people who live in some of the world’s poorest countries. As a result millions of people worldwide are lifting themselves, their families and their communities out of poverty.

I have seen first-hand the many challenges lack of infrastructure and distance inflicts on families and communities. But I have also seen the extraordinary impact Opportunity International’s programmes have in overcoming these. A small loan of just £250 could provide a family with clean drinking water into their home, improving their long term health and economic productivity.

Please consider supporting this Christmas appeal and being part of this innovative work to make a big difference to those who need it most.

Our Patron HRH Princess Royal, (photo shows HRH Princess Royal speaking with Opportunity International clients in the Philippines, early 2015)

Will you turn on the tap of Opportunity and help more communities like Erica's prosper?

Just £160 could provide 75 school children with access to a toilet for a year.

£50

£50 could teach 25 children about basic hygiene practices.

£90

£90 could train 90 clients in budgeting, maintenance and hygiene.

£160

£160 could provide 75 school children with access to a toilet for a year.

 

£250

£250 could provide a family
with clean drinking water into their home.

£350

£350 could provide a family
with a toilet in their home.

 

Donate