Across Africa, thousands of hardworking families living in poverty lack access to basic financial services, making the challenge of lifting themselves out of poverty even harder. With no safe place to save and no way to borrow, families are one crisis away from being pushed further into poverty.
Opportunity International’s mission is to address these gaps and support families to build strong and sustainable businesses that will provide for their family.
We empower people living in poverty to transform their lives.
Why we work to create opportunity for those living in poverty.
How it works.
1
Building skills.
We recruit and equip local community members with bikes, phones and training packs to reach rural communities. Drawing on Opportunity’s 50 years of experience, they deliver practical training to help our clients better manage their finances, earn more from their farms and businesses, and learn to work together with their spouse and family.
2
Saving together.
With these foundations in place, our network supports communities to form and strengthen savings groups. By pooling funds, members create a safety net against unexpected costs and begin to build a culture of saving. Together, the group members can manage money confidently while gradually increasing their income.
3
Banking within reach.
Savings groups prepare members for the next step: access to formal financial services. Once people are saving regularly and keeping reliable records, we connect them to local banks. Secure savings accounts protect their money, and access to larger loans allows them to expand farms or businesses, increasing their income and enabling them to invest in their future.
4
Leading lasting change.
Finally, we work directly with financial institutions to help them see rural communities as valuable clients. Together, we design products that meet local needs and connect banks to new markets. This creates a resilient cycle: communities ready for finance, and banks ready to serve them. Our ultimate aim is to step back, leaving behind an inclusive and sustainable financial system that endures without us.