by Opportunity International
Twenty-three years have passed since Rwanda’s genocide in which an estimated 20% of the population were killed. It is a country that has been defined by its horrific history. But, this is changing. Rwanda is now experiencing fast economic growth and many of the people and communities we work with are moving forward with peaceful ambition and determination. Opportunity International has been in Rwanda since 2007, equipping and empowering men and women to create stable and secure livelihoods.…
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by Opportunity International
Ahead of this week’s G7 summit 2017, which is expected to focus on sustainability and reducing inequality, including on education, Nathan Byrd, Global Head of Opportunity International EduFinance, said: “We welcome the G7’s second pillar: their discussions on economic, environmental and social sustainability, and the reduction of inequalities (G7 Priorities). Complete and equal access to education will be a major contributor to poverty reduction and to socio-economic stability. National governments…
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by Opportunity International
Opportunity EduFinance is rolling out its Education Quality (EdQ) programme from 250 schools in 2016 to reach 675 schools this year in Colombia, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Besides education quality, the EdQ programme improves financial sustainability too, helping schools to manage their finances better. A pilot project in 105 Ghanaian schools reduced loan default rates to save nearly 5 percent of total programme cost. “Our Ghana pilot demonstrates that, with our EdQ work, schools are…
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by Opportunity International
In January 2017 we launched a 'Woman in business' mentoring scheme as part of a three-year Scottish government funded programme to promote the economic empowerment of women. The programme addresses the key constraints faced by many small business owners in Malawi - a lack of access to financial services, entrepreneurship training and businesses growth. The mentoring scheme will focus on encouraging female entrepreneurs as they plan to grow their businesses from small-scale to large - taking on…
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by Cliff Hampton
In February this year I went to Uganda and Rwanda to see some of our projects on the ground. I visited schools supported by our education programmes, Trust Groups providing job creation and farmers who are part of our agriculture programmes. In each case I saw for myself and heard from many people that loans provided by us have not only transformed their lives but were impacting their children through help with their education. It was a humbling experience to see how, despite many challenges…
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by Opportunity International
Opportunity International EduFinance and FINCA Microfinance Bank Nigeria have partnered to expand access to education loans in South East of Nigeria. The partnership, via Opportunity’s EduFinance Technical Assistance Facility (ETAF), will introduce a School Fee Loan product for parents of students in public and private sector education, as well as a School Improvement Loan product for affordable private schools to expand and improve their schools. The partnership aims to reach at least 118,000…
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by Joyce Owusu Dabo
Not many people get to thoroughly enjoy their work whilst positively impacting lives and putting smiles on the faces of entrepreneurs living in poverty. I have worked for almost 16 years at Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans (SASL), one of Opportunity’s microfinance partners. My passion is to see and feel the positive effect my work and company is having on the lives of those living on the fringe of society. I started at SASL as a loan officer, which afforded me the great honor of interacting with many…
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by Opportunity International
Stockholm-based Ceremonies recognize enterprises that demonstrate innovation in financial, social and livelihoods education, inclusion and entrepreneurial support for children and youth worldwide. Opportunity International proudly announces earning the acclaimed Civil Society Achievement Honor at the Children and Youth Finance International (CYFI) Global Inclusion Awards of 2016, held November 28 in Stockholm, Sweden. The CYFI Awards were attended by more than 150 representatives from 45 countries,…
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by Opportunity International
The organisers of the European Microfinance Award have announced that Opportunity Bank of Uganda (OBUL) is among its three finalists for the award, which highlights the work of Microfinance Institutions in enabling access to education for children and/or skill-training for youth and adults to enhance their employment and self-employment opportunities. The Selection Committee for the 7th European Microfinance Award, composed of members of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, European Microfinance…
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by By Nathan Byrd, Head of Education Finance
The following post was originally posted on Edufinance.org and can be found here. In a new third-party analysis of 94 Ugandan schools accessing Opportunity EduFinance loans, the resulting school growth created an average of 18.6 additional jobs within the community. How Schools Expand When a school builds new classrooms, dormitories and other infrastructure, the school requires more staff to manage these facilities including teachers, dorm monitors, security guards, and cooks among others. When a…
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