Economic Mobility Requires More than Capital Pairing Financial Services with Practical Digital Tools Spring 2026 Impact Report For decades, Opportunity International has helped families living in poverty gain access to financial services. But increasingly, another barrier is becoming clear: information poverty. Families are making critical decisions about crops, businesses, schools, and livelihoods without access to timely, practical guidance. And in a rapidly digitizing world, that gap increasingly determines who thrives and who gets left behind. Today, Opportunity International is pairing access to financial services with access to information, helping families not only participate in the economy, but compete and succeed within it. FROM 14 BAGS TO 60 Grace’s Story | Malawi Grace has farmed maize in Malawi for more than 30 years. For most of that time, she harvested around 14 bags per season. This year, after applying guidance received through FarmerAI, her harvest increased 4x to 60 bags from the same field. That increase means more than food. It means: • Higher income • Stronger financial stability • School fees for her children • Greater resilience for her family • A fundamentally different economic trajectory Grace’s story is not an isolated one. Across multiple countries, we are beginning to see what happens when families gain access not only to capital, but to timely, practical information delivered at real decisionmaking moments. When information barriers fall, people move quickly.
Grace increased her yields by 4x in one harvest cycle with advice from FarmerAI
FINANCIAL POVERTY + INFORMATION POVERTY For decades, development efforts focused primarily on expanding financial access. That work remains essential; increasingly, financial poverty and information poverty are equally limiting economic opportunity. A farmer may gain access to financing but still lack timely agricultural guidance. A teacher may have a classroom but lack the tools and time needed to prepare high-quality lessons. A school leader may access capital but still struggle to manage growth, operations, and student performance.
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