Give today and your donation will be doubled*
We work closely with our clients, local partners, community leaders, funders and supporters like YOU to provide access to life-changing loans, savings and training.
We are enabling people to work their way out of poverty with confidence.
People like Mary…
Mary is a farmer and a business women. She lives with her husband and children in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world.
Opportunity International provided Mary with access to financial management training, savings and a mentor, enabling her to improve her baking business and save securely.
I have learnt about customer care, and how to advertise my bakery business. On average, I am now saving 500 Kwacha (38p) every week!
With her savings Mary has bought goats and chickens which she is using to feed her family. She has also bought a bicycle which helps reduce her travel time to the market and group meetings.
Other people look up to me now as they see the progress I have made since joining. I am gaining respect and am seen as somebody who can hold a position of authority in the village.
Mary also received training in good agricultural practices to improve the efficiency of her farm and increase her income. Unfortunately, in February this year, Cyclone Freddy destroyed Mary’s crops.
Cyclone Freddy caused a major setback and dent in my income. Our crops were destroyed. Others lost their livestock in the floods. I feel frustrated as the cyclone did a lot of damage.
To be better prepared for future cyclones, I have started to invest in agricultural inputs in advance, so that I can plant my crops earlier. That way they may withstand the effects of the floods better. Opportunity International advised me to diversify so I am also planning to intercrop, to hedge against risks.
Despite the setbacks of Cyclone Freddy, Mary is still providing for her family and has ambitious plans for the future.
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 and increased income from my business, I am better able to meet my family’s needs.
I want to eventually hire workers to assist me, and to cement my house floor so that I can mop it easily – it is currently made of mud.
We can support more people like Mary to grow secure businesses that provide for their family and wider community.
Will you give the gift of opportunity today?
Donate today and it will be matched*, doubling your impact.
One of the things I admire about Opportunity International is how it constantly adapts to meet the needs of those we serve. We do this in partnership with our clients, local partners, community leaders, funders and supporters like you. Together, we are providing a life-changing opportunity for people to lift themselves, their families and their communities out of poverty.
With access to secure savings, loans, agricultural training and local mentors, our clients are building resilient and sustainable livelihoods. Mary is like so many of the clients I have met who, despite the challenges she has faced, is now able to work towards a better life for her and her family.
I have seen and visited Opportunity International programmes at first hand in Africa, and witnessed how it provides a hand up to those who need it most.