Photo: Eden Sparke
It's all about opportunity.
34,013
clients accessed savings
89,612
clients received training
Our impact in 2024.
57,300
61,301
more children in school
jobs created and/or sustained
77%
75%
of clients were female
of clients were youth
One opportunity can change everything. It can turn an idea into a business. A harvest into a livelihood. A parent into a provider. With the right tools and your support, people build more than income. They build futures. Because poverty isn’t just about a lack of money. It’s a lack of opportunity. One loan can launch a business. One training session can double a harvest. And one opportunity often leads to another, building through families, communities and generations. For over 50 years we've walked alongside people in busy markets and rural farms as they unlock change, one opportunity at a time, through microfinance.
But it's more than microfinance. It’s savings groups and digital banking, health support, and financial training. It’s tailored to each place, built on trust and strengthened by partnership.
Real change, built from the ground up. Not handouts. Not short-term fixes. Just the tools people need to build secure, independent futures. 3
“If I didn’t get to know and work with you, I don’t think I’d have gotten anywhere. I’d still be where I started before working with you.” phrodis, employing others in A his coffee business — Rwanda
Aphrodis has a big space in his heart for his community. Coffee farmer in Rwanda, Aphrodis, transformed his business through training and access to finance from Opportunity. He grew his business and increased his income, enabling him to send his children to school and employ members of his community. His success has become a catalyst for uplifting others around him.
Hear Aphrodis tell his story
Over the last seven years, we've worked in Rwanda, empowering over 19,000 smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs like Aphrodis. The project has helped provide them with access to finance, supporting 16,000 clients to open savings accounts. It's delivered training in business, finance and agriculture to 14,000 households, and created over 35,500 jobs. 4 — Our impact in 2024
“Everyone in the village now has access to finance and this has improved our living conditions.” ertha, expanding her farm B — Malawi
Bertha is stronger and more resilient. Bertha is a farmer in Malawi. Sadly, in 2023, Cyclone Freddy destroyed Bertha’s maize crop, forcing her to start again. With Opportunity’s support, she gained access to finance, training and mentorship, enabling her to build resilience to future climate shocks. She expanded her farm and business ventures, and made improvements to her home.
See how our work is delivered
Bertha is one of 26,000 farmers and rural entrepreneurs in Malawi that we supported, 83% of which were women. We trained them in finance, business and climate-smart agriculture, and through our mentorship programme 1,600 women and youth benefitted from their support. We have enabled our clients to grow more and earn more. As a result, 30,000 family members have benefitted. 5
With a loan, Irene expanded her enterprise by introducing products like yoghurt, ghee, butter, and doughnuts. I rene, creating jobs through her dairy business — Uganda
Irene is securing her own future and the futures of other refugees. Irene is from Burundi but now lives in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda where she had to start a new life, alone. Undeterred, Irene attended financial literacy training from Opportunity. This helped her to open a savings account and take out a loan to expand her dairy business. Her business not only supports her but also creates jobs for her community. We’ve trained over 9,000 refugees like Irene in finance, agriculture and business. This has helped build sustainable livelihoods and reduce dependence on humanitarian aid – and created over 900 jobs. We’re also establishing a second Opportunity Bank of Uganda branch in the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, improving access to finance and providing employment opportunities for local refugees. The new branch is due to be open in summer this year! 6 — Our impact in 2024
“Let us have self-confidence – disability is not inability.” usan, facing life's challenges S with renewed success — Uganda
Susan is a confident and proud single mother. Susan has faced many challenges in life – she developed a visual impairment at a young age, her husband left her to care for her two children alone, and she lost her home and savings. Determined to rebuild, Susan invested in a cow and sold the offspring to buy land and build a house. She joined a savings group where she received support, training and access to finance from Opportunity. This enabled her to expand her business and pay her children’s school fees.
Hear Susan tell her story
Opportunity, in partnership with Opportunity Bank of Uganda, trained over 28,000 members in disability-focused savings groups. It enabled 459 new group savings accounts and 1,385 individual accounts to be opened. Regular disability awareness training of bank staff ensured improvements in service accessibility. 7
Ghana Uganda
Rwanda
Malawi
Building on our impact. Without support from you, none of this would be possible. Every year we are empowering thousands of people living in extreme poverty to change their lives with dignity and purpose. Real change, build from the ground up, with your generous support.
8 — Building on our impact
Rwanda
Building Secure Livelihoods for 24,000 farmers. “Since I’ve joined the programme, I am confident and I feel like the future will be good, my children will study and achieve great things." Alice, buying health insurance and clothing her children — Rwanda
Alice is one of 24,000 smallholder farmers in Rwanda that we are working with to improve their farming and financial literacy, and build resilience. We are providing them with training in finance and climatesmart agriculture, plus access to savings and loans. Alice has been able to invest in her farm and diversify her income. She has made improvements to her home, invested in health insurance, and clothed her children. Approximately 60,000 family members will benefit from access to nutritious meals, education and healthcare in families like Alice's.
Malawi
Enhancing Climate Resilience. In Malawi, our partnership with Illovo Sugar Estate is supporting soil health initiatives and climate resilience. By providing training in finance and regenerative farming techniques, we are equipping more farmers with the tools they need to improve productivity and withstand climate shocks. 9
Ghana
Training Ghana’s youth for longterm success. “Now, I have a roof over my head. I have my own business. I have control." Amama, taking control of her future — Ghana
In Ghana’s cities, kayayei like Amama carry heavy loads in the busy markets. It is unstable and difficult work. Amama is one of 244 vulnerable young women Opportunity has supported through our six-week vocational training for kayayei. Amama gained the skills and knowledge to start her own business making shower gels and soaps. Now financially independent, she has sent her child to school, owns an apartment, and trains other women in the programme. We plan to reach even more young kayayei in 2025. Kayayei [kay-ay-eh] is a Ghanaian term for female head porter. We are also providing vocational and financial literacy training to 300 disadvantaged young people in Kumasi, in collaboration with Sinapi Aba Trust. We will support apprentices through skills development, mentoring and job placements, ensuring they have the tools to build long-term careers. 10 — Building on our impact
Uganda
Strengthening families through finance and education. “My business not only meets my family’s needs but has also boosted my confidence and leadership skill" Ange, teaching others and earning additional income — Uganda
Ange is an instructor for parents at one of 42 Early Childhood Development centres Opportunity supports in refugee settlements and Kampala. Fleeing insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ange had to quickly adapt and earn an income to support her children. She learnt crafting and tailoring skills, which she now uses to teach others. Opportunity provided Ange, parents and caregivers with financial and business training, and provided them with access to finance. Ange was able to develop her tailoring business, earning an additional income that supports her family. To date, we’ve disbursed over 1,400 business loans, helping to strengthen financial independence and ensuring education remains a priority for vulnerable, refugee families. 11
“I have confidence now” Jeanne d’Arc is a farmer from Rwanda. With our support, she took out a lifechanging loan with which she bought a goat and some chickens, made improvements to her home and bought land to grow rice on. She now plans to buy a dairy cow and a motorbike. Jeanne d’Arc’s life has been transformed – as well as earning more, her newfound confidence means she shares the role of provider with her husband and is passing on her newly learnt skills and knowledge to her community. J eanne d’Arc, expanding her farm and increasing incomes — Ghana
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Our clients need you now more than ever. There are even more people in need of our help across the world – increasing climate shocks, conflict and economic instability are causing the poverty gap to widen. But aid and humanitarian resources are reducing. Our CEO, Mary Oakes, witnessed this firsthand in a recent visit to refugee settlements in Uganda. She saw the increasing number of refugees fleeing conflict in the surrounding countries, but the settlements are experiencing reduced funding and resources, as overseas aid is cut.
However, our clients never lose hope. In the face of these challenges, they show enormous resilience. They are eager to establish businesses and improve their farms, all so that they can provide for their children and live securely amid growing uncertainties. We are giving them the tools and training to do just that. Opportunity is supporting refugees to be self-reliant, giving farmers training in climate-resilience, and providing opportunities for young people to start a career. Thank you for all that you do to enable us to carry out this work. Your support is invaluable.
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With your support and the right tools, people build more than income. They build futures. Donate today at opportunity.org.uk/donate
Scan here
Or speak to our friendly team 01865 725304 Please make cheques payable to Opportunity International and post to Angel Court, 81 St Clements, Oxford, OX4 1AW, UK
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“I have learned about money management, budgeting and how to achieve my goals. In terms of agriculture, I learned how to grow vegetables using irrigation on my farm near the river.” A tupele, successfully farming and raising her income — Malawi
Discover more at opportunity.org.uk @opportunityintluk @OpportunityIntlUK @Opportunity International Opportunity International UK, Angel Court, 81 St Clements, Oxford, OX4 1AW, UK Call us on 01865 725304
Patron: HRH The Princess Royal Opportunity International United Kingdom is registered as a charity in England and Wales (1107713) and in Scotland (SC039692). A company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (05322719). Printed on 100% recycled paper Design by unfoldstudio.com | 0625