People living in poverty often have limited access to improved water sources and adequate sanitation. Micah Challenge’s Give Poverty the Flush campaign aims to draw attention to the difference that water, sanitation and hygiene improvement projects can make. The World Heath Organisation estimates that these improvements have the capacity to save two million lives annually and prevent 28% of all child deaths.

Millennium Development Goal 7C aims to halve the number of people living worldwide without access to clean drinking water – approximately 775 million people – by 2015. While great strides towards this goal have been made – with two billion people gaining access to clean water since 1990, there is still a lot more work to be done.

A renewed focus on water, sanitation and hygiene projects will also help us reach a number of other Millennium Development Goals by:
•    Reducing child mortality by decreasing the occurrence of septicaemia, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition
•    Improving maternal health through increased nutrition
•    Ensuring environmental sustainability
•    Achieving universal primary education – especially as more girls stay in school when there is access to private toilets
•    Stimulating economies through avoided health costs, improved productivity and better school attendance
•    Combating HIV/AIDS fatalities through improved treatment.

What do we want? And when do we want it?
Micah Challenge is asking for the following assistance from the Australian government:
1.    A timetabled commitment to increase the foreign aid budget to 0.7% GNI by 2020
2.    An increased budget to $500 million annually by 2015 for water, sanitation and hygiene projects
3.    At least half of this $500 million should be allocated to sanitation, with AusAID reporting separately on allocations made to sanitation and water.

Want to get involved?
Micah Challenge is encouraging the Australian public to get involved with a series of events, petitions and media promotions to help stop basic sanitation and clean water from being considered a luxury anywhere in the world. To find out how you can get involved, visit http://www.micahchallenge.org.au/give-poverty-the-flush-event

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This week is National Volunteers Week and we are so thankful for the incredible support we receive from our team of volunteers and interns here at Opportunity. In honour of them, today we held a high tea in our Sydney office to say ‘thank you’!

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Seven years ago, Zenaida and her family were living in extreme poverty. Their home was made up of a pig pen, old boxes and used sacks. Food consisted of no more than a single meal of rice per day. Living in a dire state, Zenaida decided to take out a small loan with Opportunity International Australia’s partner in the Philippines, ASKI, to start a pig raising business. The business has enabled her to earn an income that provides enough money for her family to improve their quality of life.

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Despite pleas from people all over the country, prominent Australians and the aid & development sector, the federal government has been unable to stay on track with its promise to increase foreign aid for 2012- 2013. Last night the 2012-2013 budget was released, producing a budget surplus at the expense of an increase in overseas aid and sending the government’s previous aid target of $8 billion or 0.5% of GNI (Gross National Income) by 2015 into jeopardy.

So what does this mean for people living in poverty?
Figures calculated by Australian based aid organisations are stating that up to 250,000 lives could be lost due to the reduction in foreign aid. That’s a staggering number. It highlights the significant impact that Australia can have in the fight against poverty.

What can you do? And will it make a difference?
Your support is needed more now than ever. As the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott prepares his budget reply speech, it’s important that we ask him to keep his promise should the Coalition form government.

You can have your voice heard by sending Tony Abbott a message by email, fax or post. Click here to get on board with the Micah Challenge campaign to ask Tony Abbott to keep his promise.

What else can you do?
While many organisations rely on government funding for their important programs, the majority of support comes from individual donations. In times when the government can’t commit, the Australian public can still make a difference. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to reach out to families living in poverty today.

Sources: http://www.micahchallenge.org.au/blog/n/aid-promise-sacrificed-to-budget-surplus-120509

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/charities-warn-gillard-not-to-cut-foreign-aid/story-e6freonf-1226319755985 

http://www.smh.com.au/business/federal-budget/foreign-aid-vow-broken-20120508-1ybdk.html#ixzz1uKEgjcdo

http://www.smh.com.au/business/federal-budget/foreign-aid-funding-boost-delayed-till-2016-20120508-1yb3w.html#ixzz1uK57lvIS

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Sometimes in our work we’re asked if what we do can really change anything when there is so much need out there. There’s so much poverty in the world – why bother? Can anything we do really make a difference?

Perhaps the only answer to that question is this: it makes a difference to the one. It made a difference to Melba from the Philippines, who is pictured on this year’s cover with her five-year-old daughter Renalyn. A small loan has enabled Melba to start a cooking business, and the income she is earning means that Renalyn is now in school.

To read Opportunity International Australia’s 2011 Annual Review, please click here.

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The remote islands of eastern Indonesia are some of the poorest in the country. Opportunity International Australia’s microfinance partner, TLM, recently opened up a new microfinance branch on one of these islands, Flores. Due to the remote location and the island’s dependence on small-scale farming for people’s livelihoods (often reliant on seasonal and unreliable rain), levels of poverty in this area have worsened in recent times and there has been an increase in the costs of basic items, especially food.

Malnutrition is a chronic problem, particularly for children – the area has one of the highest death rates in Indonesia for children under the age of five. About 96% of households have a daily expenditure which equates to less than Rp.17,000 (A$2).

A huge 95% of the labour force is engaged in agriculture. Many people are subsistence farmers who use traditional farming methods without the benefit of modern equipment. Farmers also lack the capital to invest in their livelihood and have no access to financial services to help manage their cash flow during lean periods.

Flores is less then 3,000 miles from Australia, but with statistics like this, it is a whole world away in some respects. Through its new branch on the island, TLM will be providing access to basic banking services that many people living in rural or isolated regions don’t usually have access to.

The branch will also soon provide financial literacy training, allowing clients to learn about the importance of saving and financial planning. This will enable them to become financially stable and less susceptible to external shocks, providing them with the best chance of moving permanently out of poverty.

Local Flores resident, Adrianus, is already benefiting from the new branch. Adrianus runs a motorcycle repair shop and saw a microloan as a brilliant opportunity to improve his business. The capital injection allowed him to expand and develop the shop, and through the additional income, his business is now generating enough income for him to send his children to school. Adrianus has even been able to employ two locals, giving them an opportunity to earn a regular income and progress in their journeys out of poverty, too.

Flores island is just one of the remote locations where Opportunity is making a difference. We are committed to go where others haven’t – or won’t. With your support, we can provide even more opportunities for people living in rural poverty. If you would like to make a difference to families in need, please click here to donate today.

Sources: Nusa Tenggara Timur In Figures, Swisscontact and UNICEF Newsline

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Photo of the week: Jaya

Jaya lives with her family in a small house in rural Kerala, India. For many years she struggled to afford food and other basic items for her family. It wasn’t until she took out a small loan from EMFIL, one of Opportunity International Australia’s partners in India, that she was able to improve her farming business and purchase additional poultry and cattle, enabling her to sell eggs and milk to the local community and supply milk to a large farmer’s co-operative.

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Last night, Opportunity International Australia was named the winner of the 2011 PwC Transparency Awards for the $5 million to $30 million revenue category.

This latest award follows from the runner-up position we were awarded last year, and we hope that, ultimately, it will translate into more families being given a hand up out of poverty through microfinance.

The prestigious award is given to organisations for honest reporting in the not-for-profit sector.

Opportunity’s CEO, Robert Dunn said, “We put great emphasis on being honest and transparent in our communications.  We want to be an effective bridge between donors here in Australia and families living in poverty in developing countries.”

Opportunity strives to clearly communicate to our clients and donors all aspects of our work and ensures that at every stage, the information we provide is both accurate and informative. This award recognises and commends this clarity and increases the confidence our donors and clients have in our work.

Opportunity extends its congratulations to the runner-up of our category, Youth Off The Streets and also to the winner and runner-up of the over $30million revenue category, Cancer Council NSW and Oxfam Australia.

Opportunity is committed to our mission to provide opportunities for people living in poverty to transform their lives, and we are equally committed to our program governance and public accountability.

Our thanks go to PwC, Centre for Social Impact and the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia for their commitment to the not-for-profit sector, and also to all the donors who place their trust in us – we are grateful to be the bridge between you and the families you empower to leave poverty behind. 

If you would like to see how Opportunity’s programs impact families living in poverty, click here to watch Conchita’s story.

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On 13 April, Opportunity International Australia will be celebrating World Entrepreneurship Day.

While you might not hear about them in the glossy pages of the ‘rich lists’, there are entrepreneurs living in developing countries doing incredible things for their communities.

Opportunity sees this entrepreneurial potential everyday in its clients throughout Indonesia, India and the Philippines. People like Ambotuo (pictured below) who use their small businesses to not only improve the lives of their  family members, but also make a significant impact on reducing poverty in their communities.

After taking out a small loan from Opportunity’s microfinance partner in Indonesia, TLM, Ambotuo’s dried-fish selling business grew. He even had to employ three people from his village to support the demand for the fish– enabling another three families to benefit from a new income and work their way out of poverty, too.

A small loan can enable someone living in poverty to turn their business idea in to a reality and give them the tools they need to provide for their family. With an average small loan size of $200, it doesn’t take much to give someone a start.

If you would like to provide an opportunity to an entrepreneur living in a developing country, please donate today.

With an average small loan size of $200, entrepreneurs living in poverty like Ambotuo can rewrite their family’s future, all they need is an opportunity.

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For many of Opportunity International Australia’s clients, this is a reality.

Often families are faced with the sudden and unexpected illness of a family member that could easily be treated with basic healthcare. However, for many people living in rural regions with limited money, even minor illnesses that they are forced to leave untreated can be devastating.

In India, Opportunity is partnering with a strategic and technical partner in healthcare to address this issue - The Healing Fields Foundation. Opportunity plans to educate 70 women in basic healthcare procedures and disease prevention methods, empowering them to become Community Healthcare Facilitators (CHFs).

These CHFs will each educate approximately 250 households in their community about personal healthcare and imparting crucial information about the state-provided facilities which many families are unaware they have access to.

Microfinance is effective in giving people a chance to increase their income by growing a small business but in some cases, a small shock such as ill health can push a family back into poverty. The sustainability of income improvements as a result of microfinance is therefore challenged and its long term positive impacts can become unstable.

To combat this, the CHFs will also encourage collectives of families to establish health savings groups which can be accessed should a group member become ill and be faced with healthcare costs.

The program has the potential to reach over 87,500 people (70 CHFs reaching 250 households of five people) and educate them on the importance of healthcare and saving for these incidents. The program aims to reduce mortality rates, lower the incidence of disease, increase income security and bring communities together in collectives.

Programs like this offer Opportunity’s clients a more holistic approach to reducing poverty. If you would like to help support Opportunity’s programs and give families a greater chance at overcoming poverty, please click here to donate today.

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Opportunity Ambassador and former Premier of NSW, Kristina Keneally, and Managing Director of Opportunity’s Indian subsidiary, KC Ranjani, spoke at a series of lunches and dinners across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The women spoke of the empowerment that microfinance and support services provide for women living in poverty and the benefits seen by their families and communities.

Our thanks go to 4impact Group, Deloitte, Macquarie, King & Wood Mallesons, Freehills, PwC, RBS Morgans, First Samuel, AIIA and FINSIA for hosting these events and encouraging even more people to reach out to women in need in developing countries.

Mosman Council also held a ‘Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures’ breakfast in honour of International Women’s Day, with an inspirational talk from Opportunity Ambassador Philippa Tyndale.

A number of ‘Opportunity Swap’ clothes swap’s have also been held around the country this month to help women gain access to microfinance loans. With these small loans, women are able to start a business, earn an income and provide for their families. In Sydney’s Chippendale, 10thousandgirl hosted a clothes swap and high tea – check out photos from the event here.

It’s not too late to get involved!
Even though International Women’s Day has passed, you can still host an ‘Opportunity Swap’ anytime during March. If you don’t have enough time to organise a swap, why not sell unwanted items on eBay or perhaps hold a garage sale and give the proceeds to Opportunity’s work?

To get started, visit www.opportunityswap.org.au today!

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Did you know that 70% of the world’s poor are women and girls? Even more shocking is that women perform 66 per cent of the world’s work and produce 50 per cent of the world’s food, yet earn only 10 per cent of the income and own only 1 per cent of the property. Today on 8 March, United Nations International Women’s Day celebrates the progress that has been made in the recognition of women while also highlighting concerning statistics like these ones.

This year, the theme for International Women’s Day is ‘women’s economic empowerment’. Although women are disempowered all over the world, this is particularly true for women living in developing countries. For women, having access to a quality education, meaningful employment, land and other resources reduces gender inequality and contributes to sustainable development.

What can be done?

For women living in poverty, having access to financial services means being able to improve their economic security. A small microfinance loan can enable a woman to start a business, earn an income and provide for her family through increased financial stability.

With this, women are given new choices and new hope – they are able to take control of their family’s future, investing their income into nutritious food, healthcare, sanitation and an education for their children.

Many even grow their small businesses to the point of employing other people. As a result, microfinance has flow-on effects for local economies – increasing employment and providing incomes for other poor families in the community. In doing so, microfinance provides a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty that is felt throughout a nation.

So what can we do?

Opportunity International Australia provides microfinance and support services to people living in poverty throughout the Philippines, India and Indonesia. 94 per cent of our clients are women.

This March, in honour of International Women’s Day, you can reach out to women in need by donating in support of Opportunity’s work at www.opportunity.org.au

By providing a hand up through microfinance and not a hand out, you can help empower a woman, a family, a community and even a nation.

Sources: UNWomen, www.internationalwomensday.org.au

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Photo of the week: After her husband died nine years ago, Dortia had no income. With a small loan from Opportunity International Australia's partner, TLM, she was able to start a vegetable business and can now afford to comfortably support her family and give her grandchildren the education she never had. She plans to expand and diversify her business in the future – a true entrepreneur!

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