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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by Opportunity International
An immediate concern, as we bring the lockdown to an end, is the fate of an estimated 30 million children who according to UNESCO may never return to school. For these, the world’s least advantaged children, education is often the only escape from poverty – a route that is in danger of closing.\" (Letter by 275 global leaders directed to the G20, IMF, World Bank, Regional Development Banks, and national governments) Currently, there are more than 1.5 million non-state schools in low and medium-income…
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by Jenny Dunn, Communications Manager
Elizabeth is a fabric trader in Ghana. With a loan and financial training support from our partner organisation Sinapi Aba, she had grown her business and increased her income which allowed her to build a house and provide for her family. But like all of us, COVID-19 has affected every aspect of her life, particularly her business. With four children to feed, it has been a challenging time. Thankfully Elizabeth had savings put aside for a rainy day. Today is that rainy day. “As…
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by Jenny Dunn, Communications Manager
Every community in the world has been effected by COVID-19. For all of us life has changed dramatically. We are working tirelessly with our partners on the ground to best support our clients at this time. The challenges of lockdowns and social distancing mean we have to do things differently and adapt our projects. Your support is helping us do this, ensuring that our clients can still provide for their family and build a secure future. One such project is ‘Roots of Change’ in Ghana and…
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by Kate Brockie - Reflections from an Opportunity International UK volunteer two-years on.
In 2018, the Opportunity International UK (OIUK) office in Oxford temporarily adopted me into their team over the summer. I was two years into an undergraduate degree, grappling with the global challenges I was learning about and struggling to imagine how such overwhelming poverty around the world could be alleviated sustainably. I started researching microcredit, financial inclusion, and models of poverty alleviation that didn’t offer pity but empowerment and hope. A hand up, not a handout. Opportunity…
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