by Wenzetu - one of the many groups we support with financial training and access to financial products in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. In their own words, they share how working with us has benefited them and their members.
Wenzetu was established in 2019 with the vision of uplifting the lives of children with disabilities and their families. We recognised the need for betterment and support within the community, focusing on economic empowerment and holistic wellbeing. As such, we offer rehabilitation service for children with disabilities, empowering them to lead fulfilling lives and overcome challenges. As a group, we run a variety of livelihood activities. Wenzetu’s artisans create a wide range of beautiful and…
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by Mandy Burrows, Senior Programme Manager
We have always had big plans for our work with refugees. However, when COVID and lockdowns hit, and with the withdrawal of UK Aid funding, the original project was scaled down to work in just one settlement (Nakvale Refugee Settlement) and with one partner (Opportunity Bank Uganda Ltd. (OBUL)). I don’t think even we could have imagined how quickly the project would grow in the 18 months following the Covid lockdowns in Uganda. We have now established a refugee programme which has the potential…
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by Opportunity International
On Sunday 12th March, Southern Malawi was hit by tropical storm Freddy with several districts experiencing severe floods and landslides. Cyclone Freddy is one of the strongest stroms recorded in the southern hemisphere and potentially the longest-lasting tropical cyclone. As of April, it was estimated that over 560,000 people had been displaced, sheltering in over 500 camps, and 511 people have died. Homes, crops and livestock were swept away. Harvests were destroyed and livelihoods devastated.…
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by Jenny Dunn, Head of Marketing and Communications
A year ago, author and journalist, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown presented our BBC Radio 4 appeal, sharing her personal story of coming to England from Uganda, and being given the opportunity to fulfil her ambition. She highlighted the importance of our work providing access to financial training, loans and support. You may remembering hearing it, and can even listen again here The appeal raised an impressive £20,000 which has already been put to good use providing small business loans, financial…
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by Jenny Dunn, Head of Marketing and Communications
Opportunity International embraces equity, independence and opportunity by providing financial solutions for people living in poverty to build sustainable livelihoods. Our goal to reach 100,000 more women in the next two years reflects this, and was highlighted by our Patron on Internatioonal Women's Day 2023 at Windsor castle. HRH, the Princess Royal spoke passionately about our work and shared her own experience of meeting a young client named Sephora in Uganda last year - Sephora received financial…
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by Jenny Dunn, Head of Marketing and Communications
Wednesday 8th March is International Women’s Day – a day to acknowledge and celebrate the resilience and achievements of women across the globe, and those of our clients. The theme for this year is to #EmbraceEquity. Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have. A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society's DNA. So what is equity and how is it different to equality? Equity can be defined as giving everyone what they need to be successful. In other words, it's not…
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by Opportunity International
Patient arrived in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda in 2016 with his younger sister, after fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid growing political instability and violence. He was just 17 years and spoke no English. In 2020, Patient’s sister contracted malaria, an all too common occurrence in the settlement. In spite of wide spread public health campaigns to prevent the disease, refugees have limited access to any mosquito repellent to protect themselves from bites and infection.…
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by Melissa Bell, Programme Manager
In Uganda, it’s estimated that approximately 12.5% of the population live with some form of disability. That’s almost 4.5 million people. Most of whom are considered, by the banks of Uganda, to be dependent on others and unable to earn their own income. Over the last three years we have being working with disabled communities in the Eastern and Northern regions of Uganda. The project set out to reach 3,700 people living with disabilities in rural regions, providing them with the financial tools…
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by Opportunity International
Our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, visited our work in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda yesterday. She began the day by officially opening our Opportunity Bank branch – the first Opportunity bank in a refugee settlement anywhere in Uganda. The new branch enables Opportunity International to scale up its financial inclusion services, providing life-changing financial services to refugees living within the settlement. The Princess Royal then visited two client groups within the settlement. …
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by Opportunity International
17th- 20th October is Financial Inclusion Week, and this year's theme is ‘Inclusive Growth in the Digital Era.' It is a week to share ideas, research and projects that are using digital tools to reach marginalised or traditionally excluded people. Here, we showcase how Opportunity International uses digital technology, particularly mobile phone banking, to reach more women living in poverty. It shows how a simple mobile phone can transform lives. You probably use your mobile phone to access…
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