Opportunity International

We find ourselves at another reflection point in our work: the release of Opportunity International’s 2023 Annual Report. This year, as we collected stories from the people we serve and gathered financial reporting that illustrates responsible stewardship of your investment, we were filled with gratitude—for your support and our clients’ resilience—and filled with the hope that grace brings. Learn more about last year’s achievements and why we do this work in our annual report today!

Opportunity International: Annual Report 2023 Annual Report 2023

“Human-centered design is crucial for our program development – we need to understand our clients’ needs, their motivations, their challenges. The goal is to transfer what we know into a structured way of thinking which helps us design new ways of serving them.”

After raising tens of thousands and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, Opportunity CTO Greg Nelson has spent the last two weeks in the field, getting to know the people we serve at a fundamental level. Engagements like these are what spur inspiration for innovations like our Ulangizi chatbot, powered by generative AI.

Christina Matsenga had a problem: her goat had stopped eating. Instead of traveling 25 miles to the capital to get help, she used Opportunity's AI chatbot - which gave her answers in her local language within minutes.

The future is already here, it's just not equally distributed. But we're on a mission to tear down the barriers to technological progress and bring everyone closer to innovations that can transform lives, economies, and the global food chain.
Devex spoke with Opportunity's own Greg Nelson, Timothy Strong, as well as Opportunity clients about this transformational tool - read more below.

The AI apps helping the world's low-income farmers work smarter Smartphone apps and chatbots are diagnosing pests and farm animal diseases and dispensing crop-specific advice based on the weather — even for farmers with limited literacy or internet connectivity.

Earlier this summer, our team in Malawi celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of The Rise – which helped 103 women escape ultra poverty and build sustainable livelihoods for their families. Together, these women represent more than just a pathway out of poverty, they represent a map to prosperity for entire communities that have never been given a chance.

So join us in celebrating the incredible achievements of these determined women – and learn more about the significance of this graduation in the blog below!
https://opportunity.org/news/blog/2024/june/growing-beyond-the-field

"We are ordinary people doing something extraordinary." On this very day, Renee and Jacquelyn Lane are taking the first steps up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It’s an adventure the mother and daughter duo have talked about for years, and now they are embarking on the 5-day trek up the tallest peak in Africa – all in an effort to raise awareness and support for hardworking mothers striving to rise out of poverty. Learn about ’s trip up the mountain here:

Kili Quest: Eradicating Poverty One Step at a Time Guided by grace, gratitude, humility, service, and stewardship, Renee and Jacquelyn are preparing to scale a literal mountain to raise awareness, funds, and hope for families living in the deepest poverty in Malawi.

On this , we stand with and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN) in celebration of the crucial role of agricultural SMEs in rural areas. They are the backbone of local economies, creating market linkages and job opportunities - and play a key role in achieving our collective goals.

In regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, smallholder farming is the most prevalent profession among families living in poverty, and account for 1/3 of the global food supply – and up to 80% of all food in emerging markets. And yet, The Climate Policy Initiative estimates only 0.8% of climate financing went to small-scale farmers and in 2023.

As the sector evolves, we continue to urge investors to share in the risk and help enhance the management and operational capacities of SMEs, enabling them to navigate market, climate, supply chain, and other crises. Your investments will pay off in more than profits, it will pay off in the continued resilience of the global food chain.

Hear more from Opportunity CEO Atul Tandon on the importance of agri-MSMEs, and how we are helping the grow more and earn more, in the link below: https://missing-middle.org/msme-champions/interviews/to-those-on-the-fence-about-investing-in-agricultural-enterprises-i-urge-you-to-take-a-closer-look-agriculture-is-not-merely-another-sector-atul-tandon-ceo-opportunity-internati/

Ama Akuamoah’s expertise in delivering innovative solutions to last-mile communities was built upon a foundation laid by her mother, who raised her family with strength, determination, and heart. Global Washington chose to highlight her in this month's Issue Brief due to her direct involvement in addressing SDG 1 "No Poverty" and SDG 8 "Decent Work and Economic Growth." With a focus on leveraging new technologies, developing digital skills, and closing the gender work gap, Ama is building new ways for mothers and women across three continents to help strengthen their families and communities. Read more in the GlobalWA June Issue Brief today!
https://globalwa.org/2024/06/june-2024-issue-campaign-decent-work/

Together, we can continue to break down barriers, foster self-reliance, and create lasting change for refugees and their host communities. This , join opportunity in a celebration of the determination and strength of forcibly displaced people - and learn how we're standing around the world.

Reaching Refugees In Colombia and Uganda, Opportunity’s proven model of training, financial resources, and group support reaches thousands of refugees who have lost everything, relocated to another country under violent conditions, and desperately seek a path to self-sufficiency for their families.

What turns a Wall Street banker into an international development advocate? One word: passion. Opportunity’s Managing Director of Capital Solutions, Mauricio Rincon, changed careers and moved his family to Chicago to apply his expertise for something bigger than profits.

Today, he fights for smallholder farmers and helps build schools in hard-to-reach parts of the world. Tap into his passion and purpose in our staff spotlight today!
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Mauricio Rincon What turns a Wall Street banker into an international development advocate? One word: passion.

“In the past we could wait for days for agriculture extension workers to come and address whatever problems we had on our farms. That is no longer the case. Just a touch of a button we have all the information we need.”

The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed - but Opportunity's newest digital innovations are closing that digital divide and connecting smallholder farmers to the transformative impacts of generative AI. Our own Greg Nelson and Timothy Strong share more on AI in this new article from Bloomberg News.

The AI Revolution Comes for Farmers Growing a Third of Our Food In its first test in Malawi, AI is helping smallholder farmers treat pigs and kill weevils that are destroying their crops

Lonnie is a visionary. Her foundational belief in a better life for her family has never faltered – she just needing a chance.

It is a tall order for a mother of 6 with no sustainable livelihood – but Lonnie made sure to provide everything she could for her family. Her income mainly small jobs that pay a flat fee, regardless of the time it takes to complete.

She would make ends meet mostly thanks to a small piece of land around her house where she tries planting maize and vegetables. Most of the time, it was not enough to both feed her children and send them to school.

Lonnie was overjoyed when her household was chosen to be in Opportunity International's Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) program. Believing it to be an opportunity to achieve all that she wanted to do for her family, Lonnie accepted all of the offered trainings in business and financial management. She was given the assets to start a business of her choice: pig farming—an enterprise promising quick returns.

Today, Lonnie not only manages a thriving piggery but also runs a small but successful secondary business selling doughnuts. Her efforts have paid off—she has been able to improve her home, adding a proper toilet and better food storage facilities. Most importantly, she can now afford nutritious meals for her children and has even saved enough to send her eldest son back to school.

Our programming in Malawi is helping hundreds of women like Lonnie get that chance to thrive – and you can join the movement. Learn more at: www.opportunity.org/rise

Opportunity piloted a program in rural Malawi to help women living on 50 cents a day, and last week the first group of these remarkable women graduated from the two-year program. Just recently, over 100 of these women graduated – meaning they are now earning more to feed their families and put their children through school.

During the program, women receive a food stipend, business and financial training, and the assets they need to start their very own businesses. It’s a total game-changer, and it’s powered by monthly gifts from people like you. To learn more about this incredible program and make a difference, join The Rise at www.opportunity.org/rise

Meet the Smith family, dedicated supporters of Opportunity International for over 25 years! Their passion for education and sustainable development has transformed countless lives in the Philippines and beyond. Through scholarships and hands-on involvement, they've empowered future generations to thrive. Join us in celebrating their incredible commitment to creating lasting change!

Learn more about their inspiring journey:

Smith Family Bruce and Janey Smith: Family Business, Family Passion

“I began by selling rice and gradually expanded by adding more products over time,” she says as she beams. “Now I have rice, oil, fish, sugar, flour, drinks, beans, and medicine.”

Her grocery sits in a small structure next to her house, with a tarp folded over the roof to signal that she’s open for customers. She tells me these types of grocery stands are popular with other women in the program because the nearest market is too far away to visit regularly.

Proximity to urban services is a major challenge for families like Alinafe’s who are born and raised in rural areas. This geographical isolation results in limited access to medical treatments, food, schools, and jobs. But through the Opportunity Ultra Poverty Graduation program, women are learning how to master their trade while also making sure their family knows where their next meal is coming from.

Alinafe received startup capital from Opportunity to buy her first batch of inventory—a surreal day not only for her, but for her mother and sisters who are just as eager to help with the business.

“Thanks to my business, I am now able to respond to requests for resources in the community.”

As Alinafe’s business grows, so does her impact on the community around her – as her neighbors now have access to fresh produce need right at her doorstep. You can help us transform families and communities today – join us at: www.opportunity.org/rise

Mukyala Janat Wabika Justine is a Ugandan mother of 5 and smallholder farmer. For years, she got by enough to earn a couple of dollars a day – but with the support of Opportunity’s agriculture finance programming, she was able to learn how to grow a variety of new crops and received the resources to expand her farm. Today, she employs four other women on her farm and has dreams to expand even more. Learn more about her story here: https://opportunity.org/news/blog/2024/april/the-heart-of-our-work-opportunity-international-clients

The Heart of Our Work: Opportunity International Clients Mukyala Janat Wabika Justine, Farmer and Businesswoman, Uganda

“There was no choice. We just had to look for anything that was available.”

When Eliza told us about her life before Opportunity came to her village, the lack of options was the headline of her story. As a woman experiencing extreme poverty, she had faced lifelong systemic barriers that kept her from building the life she dreamed of. But when our case workers connected with the single mother of 6, Eliza finally had a choice to make: what type of business would she run?

On decision day, she chose to raise goats - which worked well because she could use their manure for fertilizer in her garden. She built their pen with her own two hands, meticulously cares for them every day, and brings them inside her home to protect them at night. She’s the one now making her dreams come true.

Will you help us bring these same opportunities to other mothers? Together, we can help thousands of women rise out of extreme poverty – learn more at:
https://opportunity.org/therise

Bhahati Zimba’s 14 years with Opportunity can be described in a single word: transformational. Over the last decade and a half, Bhahati has helped thousands of smallholder farmers throughout find exactly what they need to transform their farms, their livelihoods, and their communities. Learn about what makes her tick in Bhahati’s staff spotlight today!

Bhahati Zimba Meet Bhahati, an agricultural finance specialist transforming smallholder farming in Malawi through innovative digital services and financial literacy.

Yovanis takes care of her three young grandchildren in Barranquilla, Colombia. Survivors of violence, Yovanis has long dreamed of owning her own business and taking control of her family’s safety and stability. She considers the day she was invited to join our Pathways to Opportunity poverty graduation program an “answer from God.”

Yovanis joined 1,050 other individuals to receive training, support, and seed funding to start their own businesses—and their hard work has paid off. Hear from both Yovanis and Opportunity’s own Camilo Garcia Pena on how and why we are transforming entire communities across Colombia in this piece from Publimetro Colombia today!

La historia de Yovanis, una madre empoderada que logró abrir un negocio para salir de la pobreza En siete meses, la organización Opportunity International benefició a 1.050 familias en pobreza extrema en Cartagena.

We know that with the right tools and training, women farmers like Mary can reduce hunger, improve livelihoods for children, and lift people out of poverty. With your support, we offer specialized training to help women like Mary build their skills and confidence.

As she shared, “Before, it was difficult to manage my home, and my children would often go to school on an empty stomach. Now, as a result of the trainings [I received from Opportunity], and increased income from my business, I am better able to meet my family’s needs.”

Support a farmer like Mary today here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1168796384536325/

“No one had come here before. When Opportunity came, it was the first time someone visited and asked about my life.”

For decades, Stella spent most days unsure whether her family would eat that night. Every day she searched for a small piece of work like washing clothes or carrying water—all just for a dollar a day, if she was lucky.

She did anything she could to feed her family and put her children through school. On a good day, the family had one basic meal made from maize flour. Sometimes, the children were too hungry make it to school.

After Opportunity International came to her village, Stella got the opportunity of a lifetime. Our team trained Stella in business and financial management, and gave her assets to start the business of her choice. She decided to raise pigs and also set up a grocery stand outside her home.

Today, Stella’s able to feed her grandchildren every day and pay for them to go to school. She’s made enough profits to start improving her home, and she has plans so big, she told us we wouldn’t even recognize her house when we come back!

The power to transform lives all starts with a connection – and today, you can be that connection. Join us and help women in Malawi rise to their full potential: www.opportunity.org/the-rise

Meet Anna, a Farmer Support Agent (FSA) in rural Malawi, who expertly manages her own farm while also balancing the roles of wife and mother. Anna brings a fresh perspective to farming practices, cultivating a diverse array of crops. Since joining Opportunity International, she has been pivotal in shifting local agricultural practices to more sustainable approaches. Anna's expertise has empowered over 150 local farmers to recognize the economic and envrionmental potential of their land.

And Anna’s work is even more successful with our new "Ulangizi" AI chatbot, which empowers farmers to boost productivity and transition into more sustainable farming methods. Not long ago, Anna would walk 12 miles seeking advice from agriculture experts. Today, with Ulangizi, she receives informed answers instantly.

Hear more from Anna in our 2024 Agriculture Finance webinar, where she and other experts dive into the design process behind Ulangizi and our other digital solutions:

https://opportunity.org/message-videos/2024-agfinance-webinar

If you're interested in reducing hunger, improving children’s livelihoods, and breaking the cycle of poverty in communities, please consider making a donation this May. The best part? Your contribution will be matched by generous donors, doubling its impact up to $50,000! For every $25 raised, FSAs like Anna can provide innovative solutions to not just one but two farmers. Give hope today at https://www.facebook.com/donate/1168796384536325/819576643545193

The latest edition of "The State of the Affordable Non-State School Sector" reveals a pressing need for 38 million new seats in non-state schools by 2026 across low and middle-income countries. This surge is due to growing demand amid public sector constraints. Despite their crucial role, these schools face significant financial challenges that hinder their potential. Dive deeper into the strategies proposed for financing education and expanding access in the full report!

The State of the Affordable Non-State School Sector - 5th Edition © 2024 Opportunity International Education Finance functions under its US and UK affiliates. Opportunity International United Kingdom is registered as a charity in England and Wales (1107713) and in Scotland (SCO39692). Opportunity International United Statesis a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

The future is already here – it’s just unevenly distributed.

The world has already seen the impact that generative AI has had on our day to day lives – but Opportunity International asks seek to understand it’s transformative potential for individuals living at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

Aimed at helping even the most under-resourced farmers grow more, earn more, and become more adaptive in the face of climate change – our AI-powered chatbot Ulangizi has been placed into the hands of hundreds of agriculture outreach workers across Malawi.

Initial surveys are reporting high accuracy rates for responses to questions that most interest smallholder farmers – and use rates support these findings, with hundreds of inquiries across rural Malawi every day.

Our Opportunity International EduFinance team is committed to creating data-driven interventions that place more children in better schools. Today, we’re proud to share new insights from our research collaboration with the for Risk at UChicago. Our findings show that children can gain the equivalent of up to half a year of additional schooling when their teachers have access to professional development and school improvement loans.

Three-year quasi-experimental study finds children gain as much as half a year equivalent of additional schooling © 2024 Opportunity International Education Finance functions under its US and UK affiliates. Opportunity International United Kingdom is registered as a charity in England and Wales (1107713) and in Scotland (SCO39692). Opportunity International United Statesis a 501(c)3 nonprofit.