by Opportunity International
In the village of Ndodo in Malawi, farmers gather in the shade of an acacia tree as a smartphone tells them how to get rid of a weevil that’s destroying their sweet potato crops. These tips are offered by our app, Ulangizi — which translates as “Advice”. The app is part of a pilot we are running that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide quick and effective advice to farmers living in some of the most remote and poorest communities. The app is in the local Chichewa language…
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by Mussa Uwitonze, Rwandan photographer
Mussa: The Storyteller Rwandan photographer Mussa embarked on an important assignment for Opportunity International’s \"Inclusive Finance for Agricultural Value Chains in Rwanda\" project. Tasked with documenting the resilience and innovation of smallholder farmers, Mussa focused on how financial support is transforming the lives of women, youth, and people with disabilities. Growing up in an orphanage himself, Mussa’s journey from a beneficiary to a visual storyteller adds a personal layer…
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by Opportunity International
Known as the ‘land of a thousand hills’, Rwanda is a rich and beautiful landscape. Yet despite the land’s potential, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Half of the population live on less than $2.15 a day, struggling to feed their family regular meals and send their children to school. Over 70% of the population in Rwanda rely on agriculture for their livelihood, and they face significant challenges. Land availability is scarce, with most smallholder farmers cultivating…
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by Opportunity International
Deborah Foy has been a committed Opportunity International staff member for over 22 years. She has worked across numerous countries, continents and teams. After two decades of service, Deborah is moving on to start a new chapter, so we caught up with her to discuss her time with Opportunity, from starting as an intern in 2002 with the UK Office, to her current role as Executive Director to the Global Board. What first attracted you to Opportunity International and kept you here for so long?…
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by Opportunity International
There is a common misconception about refugee settlements – they are often pictured as emergency temporary camps, with rows upon rows of tents. However, that isn’t always the case and in the Ugandan refugee settlements that we work in, they are very different. Uganda is known for its progressive and generous policy to refugees, supporting free movement, access to land, owning property and integration into society. Uganda is the fifth largest hosting nation of refugees in the world, with over…
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by Pete Parisetti, Programme Manager at Opportunity International UK.
During the last seven years, we implemented a £1.5 million International Development assistance project in the southern and western provinces of Rwanda. The project, implemented in partnership with Urwego bank, was financed by the Scottish Government’s International Development initiative. The title of the project was “Improving Livelihoods in Rural Rwanda” and, gladly, this is precisely what the activities achieved. The direct beneficiaries were 15,000 smallholder farmers working in agricultural…
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by Opportunity International
Our recent Christmas appeal raised over £130,000! We’re bowled over by the generosity of our supporters. This staggering amount will now be put to good use, training over 26,000 women in finances, budgeting and business development. It will have a life-changing impact. Thank you! The generosity of supporter like you enables us to continue our life-changing work across Uganda, Malawi, Ghana and Rwanda. It will help thousands of women like our client Mary, who featured in our appeal, transform their…
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by Opportunity International
We have officially launched our latest three-year project ‘Inclusive Finance for Agricultural Value Chains in Rwanda’, in partnership with Jersey Overseas Aid. The project was launched in Kigali last week, with local partners, cooperatives and clients, government representatives and district mayors, industry bodies and NGOs. Rwanda remains one of the poorest countries in the world with just under half the population living on less than $2.15 per day. Extreme poverty in the Southern region,…
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by Opportunity International
What do you do when you want to save your hard-earned money somewhere secure, or pay an invoice for a service, or withdraw money to buy food? You go to the bank or open up your mobile banking app on your smart phone. But we are in the minority. For many people, particularly in Africa, it’s not that simple. They often have little or no access to any formal banking services. Some of the main reasons for this are a lack of equipment and training, legal barriers, the role of gender norms in their community,…
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by Nana Francois, CEO
In November last year, I had the pleasure of meeting one of our remarkable clients Mary and her husband Myros in Southern Malawi. They shared with me their five-year vision – a better home, more livestock and educational opportunities for their children. Below is a picture of them with their vision board that illustrate this vision and the steps to achieve it. It was wonderful to hear how, with the support of Opportunity International, they are working together to fulfil their vision. With financial…
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