Project Report
| May 23, 2013
You changed everything for clients like Conchita
By Ian Haisley | Director of Online Strategy
![Conchita]()
Conchita
Conchita grew up in a small, rural village in the Philippines and experienced many hardships throughout her life. Having left school at 13 because her family could not pay the fees, she worked as a laborer before getting married at age 16. Sadly, when three of her nine children became ill, she couldn’t afford to pay for the medicine they desperately needed, and they passed away. Now, with the help of several small loans, Conchita has been able to work her way out of poverty – she now owns 1,200 ducks and 2½ hectares of land growing rice.
You helped support Filipino Farmers - In the Philippines, more than one-third of the country’s population depends on agriculture and fishing for income. Currently, TSPI is offering agriculture loans to 12,495 farmers, and in the last six months, provided 54 staff with technical training in modern farming practices. Opportunity Philippines tailored agricultural loans, training and technical support to help farmers:
- Smooth out seasonal cash flow, hire laborers and invest in high quality seed and fertilizer to improve yield for crops including rice, corn, coconut, onion and sweet potatoes, plus purchase fertilizer and hire laborers.
- Connect with suppliers and technical assistance providers to help them mitigate risk.
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Jan 17, 2013
Helping Parents in the Philippines
By Emily Terrell | Online Community Specialist
![Client Vivian Zolina and her daughter]()
Client Vivian Zolina and her daughter
With loans to 934,000 entrepreneurs, nearly 100,000 families saving and 1.5 million insurance policies across the Philippines, Opportunity International continues to increase access to services for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. An estimated 43 million of the Philippines’ total population of 103 million live on less than $2 a day.
Your gifts empower parents to improve the lives of their children through the achievement of real economic gains. Parents with increased incomes send kids to school and put more nutritious meals on the table. Your partnership made possible the following:
- Social and personal development training materials and opportunities that improve health, hygiene and disease prevention for the whole family.
- Two new Financial Literacy training DVDs to help clients operate profitable businesses.
- More than 3,000 loan clients who are rebuilding their businesses following Typhoon Helen and the monsoons in her aftermath.
Thank you for your support that helps parents build a better future for their children!
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Aug 21, 2012
Helping Ana
By Emily Engel | Online Community Specialist
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Facilitating Ana’s Economic Empowerment
Opportunity is empowering Filipino families to have greater power and control over their own lives. Before coming to Opportunity, Ana lacked the means to make her own choices. For Ana (pictured left), disempowerment meant scavenging for food and scraps on a garbage dump from the time she was eight years old. She was even forced to scavenge at nine months pregnant. Ana achieved economic empowerment by making the most of the financial services she accessed through Opportunity Philippines institution TSPI and by participating actively in the training and growth opportunities she was provided. These actions led to income generating activities – important steps in raising her household income.
With a small loan from TSPI, Ana was able to stop scavenging and establish a small grocery store. Taking control of her financial situation Ana has increased her income from approximately $1.80 to over $16 a day. Ana has experienced a combination of changes in her life that address the dynamic and relational nature of poverty.
Because she has become economically empowered she has gained the ability to choose how she spends her income. In most cases, economic empowerment leads to the improved social well-being of whole families, as clients like Ana choose to spend their income on better nutrition, health and education. For Ana, her increased income has allowed her two eldest children, Faith and Sharma, to get the education they deserve. Ana will send her other two children, Janmuel and Jekerry, to school when they are of age.
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