by Opportunity International
2020 was difficult, but it also gave us a lot to celebrate. In a year of many challenges we were still able to continue supporting our resilient clients thanks to our wonderful supporters. Our programmes have helped farmers in Uganda create sustainable livelihoods, provided jobs for young people across Africa and introduced thousands of refugees to digital financial services. Read about the impact of Opportunity International in 2020 in our update and annual summary publications here. Benefiting…
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by Sam Bickersteth, CEO
Challenging gender stereotypes at a global, national and individual level For 50 years Opportunity International has been championing the role of women in poverty alleviation and we continue to challenge bias and stereotypes, as highlighted by International Women’s Day 2021’s call to challenge. The majority of the 1.7 billion unbanked* adults in the world are women. Our work empowers women with financial education, training and digital financial services. We know that when we invest in a woman's…
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by Emily Wilson, Communications Officer
We don’t need any excuse to lift up women. Opportunity International empowers and respects women in every programme we design, donation we receive and plan we make. This years' theme for International Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge inequality aligns with everything we stand for. It’s the perfect time to celebrate the women who are already forging an inclusive world. Introducing Agnes, Janet and Irene, nominated by our staff, for challenging gender bias and everyday stereotypes... Noah, our…
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by Nicole Baldev, Philanthropy Assistant
This month (and to our delight!), Opportunity International UK was selected as the partner charity for Oxford Forum for International Development's annual conference - one of the largest student-led development conferences in Europe. Since 2008, OxFID has facilitated conversation and collaboration between students, researchers and professionals in the international development sector. The conference inspires engagement across a number of disciplines and fosters important dialogue to address major…
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by Mandy Burrows, Senior Programme Manager
In March 2020 I had the opportunity to visit Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda for some participatory video fieldwork with Insight share (an expert in using media tools to give people a voice in participating with community projects). This put refugees behind the camera to film stories as told by refugees themselves. In total, eight groups were filmed over a four-day period – each group providing powerful insights into life in Nakivale.One of the groups which participated was the Wenzetu Group.…
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by Mandy Burrows, Senior Programme Manager
In March 2020, as part of our Refugee project, we conducted our first participatory video fieldwork. In partnership with InsightShare – an expert in using media tools to give people a voice in participating with community projects - we worked closely with refugees and our partners to train them in using participatory videos as a powerful way for them to share their stories and insights that will help us to best meet the real needs of those we serve. Refugees went behind the camera to capture…
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by Nicole Baldev, Philanthropy Assistant
Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It is a day to support equality of opportunity, a day to embrace difference and a day to promote the inherent dignity of people living with disabilities. In a global population of 7 billion individuals, over 1 billion live with a disability. That is 15% of the world’s population – the “world’s largest minority”. Many of these individuals live in some of the world’s poorest countries where physical barriers, coupled with deeply entrenched…
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by Jenny Dunn, Communications Manager
In 2019 we embarked on an exciting new project working with Refugees in Uganda. To get a deeper understanding of the people we were serving, their needs and experiences, we visited the Nakivale Refugee settlement with photgrapher Kate Holt - a collection of the beautiful personal stories of Refugees can be seen here. We met strong, resiliant and ambitious individuals determined to regain their independence and start a new life for themselves. Our provision of financials services and training…
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by Sam Bickersteth, Chief Executive
Many of us are relying on digital connections to sustain our work, finances and social lives during COVID-19 and it’s restrictions yet over four billion people around the world remain digitally excluded. They are predominantly women, living in rural areas in low-income countries. Many live in areas that have mobile network coverage and a majority (estimated 80%) have access to a mobile phone but they lack the knowledge and resources to access digital channels effectively. Through local partnerships,…
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by Opportunity International
The impact of COVID-19 on our jobs, lives and communities is evolving daily. It is the same for our clients in Africa. They too wonder if they will have a job next month, be able to feed their family and if schools will reopen for their children this year. The world is living in uncertainty but we are living it together, as a global community. Challenging times often cause us to reflect on what we will leave behind. This was the case for Elisabeth, a lifelong supporter whose family have kindly given…
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