Opportunity International

05/05/2026

6,000+ Teacher Mentors. 23 countries. Lasting impact.

Between 2024 and 2025, teacher mentors helped improve learning in more than 5,800 schools, raising education quality ratings from 65% to 78%.

From Ghana to Nigeria to India, teachers are supporting teachers and building stronger schools together.

Today, we celebrate the mentors who lead with generosity, uplift others, and build brighter futures for the next generation. Thank you to our teacher mentors for leading change around the world.

04/24/2026

In Chicago, March doesn’t always feel like spring.

But near the end of the month, there’s the annual Shamrock Shuffle, welcoming more than 26,000 runners to the streets.

For Maayan and his coworkers at Milliman, it was more than a race. It reflected a partnership that’s been building momentum for years.

Over the last decade, Milliman and Opportunity International have partnered to support nearly 390,000 people in their path out of poverty.

Because real progress doesn’t happen all at once, it builds over time when people come together, invest in one another, and, as Maayan shares, take risks that make growth possible.

🏃‍♂️ Read the full story 👇

After running Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle with fellow Milliman employees, Maayan Essak reflects on why Milliman's partnership with Opportunity International matters--and how a new $1,050,000 commitment will help more families build lasting pathways out o...

04/07/2026

🌍 The 2025 Impact Report is here!

What does it really take to reach the last mile—the communities too often left out of financial systems?

Last year, Opportunity International partnered with 148 financial institutions in 28 countries to serve 16.7 million clients, working alongside families as they build businesses, educate their children, and create more stable futures.

One thing we continue to see: when women have access to financial tools and support, the impact reaches far beyond them, benefiting their families and entire communities.

When you sign up to receive email from Opportunity International, we'll keep you informed with updates, news, and stories from our work around the world.

03/17/2026

Imagine trying to support your family on less than $1 a day.

For millions of families around the world, that’s the reality of extreme poverty.

In Colombia, families in Opportunity’s Graduation program increased their daily income from $0.86 to $2.53—nearly tripling what they earn each day.

Through training, savings groups, and support to build small businesses, families are creating sustainable livelihoods and new possibilities for the future.

📖 Read the fully story: https://bit.ly/3NGrAnO

03/13/2026

Women farmers often face unequal access to resources, training, and capital. Compared to male farmers, women employed in agriculture are paid nearly 20% less. So, what happens when women farmers have the tools they need to thrive?

In our latest blog, Sophia Campello Beckwith explains how Opportunity International’s GROW (Guaranteeing Rural Opportunities for Women) strategy is helping women in farming communities. Opportunity strengthens women’s savings groups, helps farmers get fair and affordable loans, and encourages women to become leaders where they live and work.

Because when women farmers succeed, families eat better, incomes grow, and entire communities move closer to lasting stability.

📖 Read the full story:

Sophia Campello Beckwith unpacks the hidden barriers facing women farmers--and why unequal access to resources and information holds back productivity and livelihoods. She shares how Opportunity's GROW approach responds: women-led Farmer Support Agent n...

02/23/2026

In a village in the Muhanga District of Southern Rwanda, Jeanne D’Arc and her husband, Twagirimana Etienne, have built a diversified farm that supports their family and community. With access to financial tools and training, their land has become a foundation for long-term stability.

Swipe to see how Jeanne is building a resilient future.
https://opportunity.org/news/blog/2026/february/farmer-stability-rwanda-photo-journal

01/29/2026

The United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer—and frankly, it’s about time. In Sub-Saharan Africa, women make up about half of the agricultural workforce, yet they own significantly less land, are more likely to go unpaid, and have far less access to the financial tools they need to succeed. But the upside is enormous: the FAO estimates that closing gender gaps in agrifood systems could boost global GDP by nearly $1 trillion and improve food security for tens of millions.

Learn more about the real impact of women smallholder farmers directly from the women we serve through our Opportunity International Agriculture Finance program in the blog below.

In southern Rwanda, Vestine is building a stronger future for her family through the innovative practices taught by regenerative agriculture. With the right training and financial tools, she's expanded her farm, launched new businesses, and become a le...

01/26/2026

Real transformation happens when you equip the most underserved populations with adequate tools, training, and support - which is what drew BBC's Jacob Evans to our work in Malawi. Jacob spoke with Anna, a Farmer Support Agent who uses our AI chatbot for smallholder farmers to help rural farmers overcome agricultural challenges in real time - increasing their yields and helping them adapt to increasingly volatile weather patterns.

If you missed the piece on yesterday's BBC World Service, hear from Opportunity's Timothy Strong, Bhahati Zimba, and Richard Chongo in the podcast below!

A man who had two heart operations later worked with his surgeon to save others

01/01/2026

2025 had its share of ups and downs, but it also reminded us what’s possible when people invest in long-term solutions. To ring in the new year, join our CEO Atul Tandon in his reflections over the past year with Opportunity International. Here's to a great 2026, reaching more clients and expanding our impact even further.

In 2025, Opportunity International scaled access to capital, business skills, and local support, enabling millions of families living at the bottom of the pyramid in the Global South to build livelihoods and improve their wellbeing.

12/31/2025

We’re here to uplift communities, strengthen economies, and end poverty—but it all starts with serving one person at a time. On her first trip to the field with Opportunity International, COO Michele Broemmelsiek saw firsthand how we bridge the micro to the macro. Get to know Michele and how she sees last-mile change scaling into transformative impact in her blog today!

COO Michele Broemmelsiek shares what she learned on her first trip to Malawi and Uganda--meeting families in our Graduation program, seeing financial innovation for farmers, and witnessing how Opportunity's last-mile model helps millions move from survi...

12/22/2025

As you celebrate with friends and family, know that all of us at Opportunity are celebrating you. The impact we’re seeing around the world is only possible because we do this work together. To our supporters, volunteers, partners, and clients—wishing you warmth, togetherness, and success in the year ahead.

And if you’re still celebrating this week, you can keep the spirit of generosity going by supporting the work ahead: https://opportunity.org/theworkahead