Opportunity International

08/26/2026

Diane didn't always believe she could contribute to her family's future.

When she and her husband couldn't afford shoes for their kids or pay school fees on time, they joined a local savings group in Rwanda. Through training, a small loan, and a lot of persistence, Diane built a trading business alongside her farm work and found something else along the way: confidence.

Today, with school fees paid, a cow in the yard, and shoes on her kids' feet, Diane is proof of what happens when women get access to the tools to build their own future.

Determined to provide a better future for their children, Diane and her husband joined an Opportunity International savings group. Through training, savings, and entrepreneurship, Diane increased her income, gained confidence, and helped her family thrive.

07/31/2026

The future of global development will be digital, but it won’t be defined by technology alone. It will be defined by whether that technology strengthens dignity, expands opportunity, and gives communities more say over their futures.

In a new piece by Dr. William Derban, he shares 3 takeaways on what human-centered digital transformation really requires:

🌍 Africa must help shape the technology it uses, not just consume it.

📱 Access isn’t the same as inclusion. Handing someone a tool doesn’t mean they can use it.

🤝 Trust is the foundation of financial inclusion. Data should empower communities, not just take from them.

Read Dr. Derban’s full reflection 👇

Dr. William Derban shares three takeaways from ICT4D on the future of digital development: why Africa must help shape the technology it uses, why access alone does not equal inclusion, and how trusted data can strengthen financial inclusion and expand opportunity.

07/22/2026

One untreated pest. One ruined harvest. For a family of 15 depending on two acres of land, that's the kind of loss that can mean children out of school or going into debt.

That's the reality John, a smallholder farmer and priest in rural Uganda, used to face every season.

Then he started training with his Farmer Support Agent, learning everything from financial literacy to pest management. His groundnut harvest jumped from 3 bags to 12. His family started working together more efficiently. He joined a savings group and expanded into livestock.

But it was FarmerAI, Opportunity International's digital tool that lets farmers photograph their crops and get expert, locally relevant advice, that helped John catch a serious pest infestation on his sorghum before it was too late.

Today, John's farm supports his whole family, with enough left over to sell. And he's paying it forward, training other farmers in his community to do the same.

Training. Technology. Community. Together, they're helping families write a different story.

Read John's full story 👉 https://bit.ly/4wPwOyw

07/06/2026

July is Disability Pride Month and we want to share what inclusion looks like in our work.

One in six people worldwide live with some form of disability. In rural Africa, that rate is even higher. Yet persons with disabilities are among the most excluded from financial services and quality education.

In Ghana, our partner Maroon Capital is changing that — offering loans tailored for persons with disabilities, meeting clients in their own communities, and partnering with local disability organizations to make sure no one gets missed.

In Tanzania, research across five schools showed us something important: good intentions in the classroom can only go so far if the building itself isn't accessible. It's a finding that shapes how we invest in school infrastructure through our programming.

Two different contexts. The same truth: disability inclusion takes deliberate design.

Read the full blog here: https://bit.ly/44eiDHa

One in six people worldwide live with some form of disability—and in rural Africa, that rate is even higher. This Disability Pride Month, we're sharing two examples from our network that show what it looks like to move beyond good intentions.

06/25/2026

The funding stopped. The mission didn't.

That's the story Lordina Omanhene-Gyimah, our Assistant Head Education Specialist - EquQuality in Ghana, tells in her new piece.

When USAID cuts disrupted education programs across six countries, teacher Simon Ottu didn't wait for support to be restored. He took the skills he'd gained through our Teacher Mentor Professional Development Program and started training his colleagues himself.

The result? Re-engaged teachers. Stronger classrooms. A community that trusts its school.

Simon's story is a reminder of what it means to invest in people, not just programs. When you build capacity into a teacher, that knowledge outlasts any grant cycle.

Read Lordina's full blog here: https://bit.ly/4vueQkO

06/20/2026

Nine years ago, Florelis made the hardest decision of her life: leaving Venezuela and her family behind to start over in Colombia. With no documentation and no capital, formal work was out of reach. She sold small items, did housework, and kept pushing forward for her children.

Then she joined our Ultra-Poor Graduation program. Eighteen months of training, coaching, and community later, Florelis graduated with a thriving tailoring business, a brick-and-stone home she helped build, and a conviction she didn't have before.

"In my workshop, it feels as though I'm sewing our way to another place. A brighter future. And that makes me so very happy."

Her story is one of millions worth celebrating today on .

Read it in full here:

After leaving Venezuela for Colombia, Florelis struggled to find stable work and opportunity. Through Opportunity International’s Ultra-Poor Graduation program, she gained business training, financial skills, and seed funding to launch a tailoring business that is helping her family build a strong...

06/15/2026

"I used to worry I needed over $1,000 to start a business. Then I was taught how to start with something small and multiply it."

Meet Ruth. A 28-year-old single mom, farmer, agronomist, and now — chairwoman of a youth savings group and mentor to the next generation of female farmers in Rwamwanja, Uganda.

She started by selling vegetables from her own garden. Restaurants began calling her directly. She built savings, sent money home to her sons, and transformed anxiety into stability.

Now she's dreaming even bigger: her own agri-supply shop and a demonstration garden where farmers can learn climate-resilience firsthand.

"I am not rich," she says. "But I am comfortable."

That's the power of financial education, community, and believing that small beginnings are still beginnings.

Read Ruth’s full story👇

In Uganda, Ruth transformed her future through financial literacy, entrepreneurship training, and disciplined savings. Today, the farmer, business owner, and mentor is building financial stability for her family while helping other young women grow their own livelihoods.

06/11/2026

What does it take to truly end poverty for a family?

In 2025, 650 families in Haiti completed the Graduation program. Here are just a few of the incredible transformations that graduates achieved:

✨ 99% increased their income

✨ Graduates have, on average, $558 in savings

✨ 96% reported increased confidence in themselves and their ability to change their life circumstances

✨ 99% built stable livelihoods

✨ 82.6% of families are sending all their children to school

✨ Families are eating more meals every day

This is what it looks like to move from survival to stability.

The Graduation program is an intensive, multi-intervention journey that equips families with the tools, training, and support they need to build lasting change.

👇 Read the full story and see how it works:

Extreme poverty isn’t solved with a quick fix. Opportunity’s 18-month Graduation program equips Haiti’s most vulnerable families with assets, skills, and confidence to build businesses, grow savings, and break the cycle of poverty—with 99% achieving a stable livelihood by program’s end.

06/02/2026

What do we actually mean when we say "the last mile"?

It's more than a phrase. It's a description of communities where barriers compound, systems exclude, and progress is hard-won.

Our Director of Knowledge Management Genzo Yamamoto just published a piece that gets honest about all of it.

Give it a read → https://bit.ly/4wQFbuJ

“That last mile” isn’t just a place—it’s where barriers to opportunity are greatest. From rural farmers to urban communities, explore how overlapping challenges shape our work and what it takes to create lasting change in the fight against extreme poverty.

05/28/2026

“I urge everyone watching and listening to me to believe in themselves, have courage, and not be limited by being rural women.” 💛

This World Hunger Day, Diane’s words inspire us.

From challenging moments to building a stronger future, Diane and her family took a powerful step forward by joining a savings group—gaining the financial tools, training, and support to grow their farm and provide for their children.

Today, their story is a reminder of what’s possible.

Across rural communities, women are at the heart of food production—and when we invest in them, families thrive and futures grow.

Let’s continue to believe in women, support their potential, and create opportunities for them to lead the way. 💪

📺 Watch Diane’s story:

Diane, a farmer and fruit vendor in rural Rwanda, shares how she bu...