Opportunity International
Empowering Farmers in Ghana: Opportunity International & Agricultural Finance from Students of the World on Vimeo.
Students at Romesco International School learn about plants in their Basic Secondary 3 classroom. The school was founded in 2002 by Richard Danso Smith. The school now consists of 400 students and 4 buildings circling a vast field. Romesco International School has classes from Kindergarten to Junior High School Year 3. (Photo: S.J. Wolanksy)
An Opportunity International loan officer (right) interacts with students at the Demercy School, which is supported by Opportunity International. Loan officers establish relationships with clients to guide them through the financial journey. (Photo: S.J. Wolansky)
Kente weaver Kwailu Oduro's feet pull on the weights that move the weave threads apart. This kente workshop is supported by a business loan from Opportunity International. (Photo: S.J. Wolansky)
Traditional Kente Cloth patterns as seen in the shop of Rose Adjei, who preserves this weaving heritage through an Opportunity International business loan. (Photo: S.J. Wolanksy)
Students practice computer skills at Romesco International School. (Photo: S.J. Wolansky)
Farmers in Bonsaaso remove the inner seed from the cocoa pod and seperate it into this basket. Cocoa has a low-risk, secured market because the government is ready to buy it once it is produced, according to Isaac Kojo Gyesi, Risk Projects Manager at Opportunity International. (Photo: S.J. Wolansky)
Joseph Amponsah is a cocoa farmer from the village of Kwabenaso. He has been farming for twelve years. (Photo: S.J. Wolansky)
Teacher Anane Vera assists Basic Secondary 3 students at the Romesco International School with their classwork. (Photo: S.J. Wolanksy)
A child in Evelyn Otabil's classroom at Samrit Academy takes a break between lessons. Students in this classroom learn about computers as part of their Information and Communications Technology curriculum. A common thread of discourse with parents of students at Samrit Academy was the difference between the parents' experiences as students in the past and the children's experience today. Today, computer training and IT theory classes are not just common; they are an essential part of a Ghana's training to become a productive member of the economy. (Photo: S.J. Wolansky)
Beatrice Duku Frimpong Boaten joined Opportunity International in 2010 and has been a farmer for sixteen years. Beatrice is the treasurer of her trust group. (Photo: S.J. Wolansky)
Case Study
Ghana
2011
Development + Recovery
Opportunity International provides small business loans, savings, insurance, and training to more than 2.5 million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world. In 2009, Opportunity International made a commitment to continue its $10 million “Banking on Education” initiative, which enables poor entrepreneurs who start small neighborhood schools to receive the financing and support they need to improve their schools.
SOW partnered with Opportunity International to produce a CGI commitment progress report video, as well as videos that focus on agricultural loans, mobile banking, business loans, and trust groups for loan clients.
The CGI video produced for Opportunity International was featured on-stage at the 7th Annual CGI Conference, preceding the plenary session where President Obama spoke about the global economy.
Produced by Students of the World, Boston Team, 2011.
