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Opportunity EduFinance
Level 18, 100 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 1GT

Telephone: +44 (0) 7768599834

© 2024 Opportunity International Education Finance functions under its US and UK affiliates. Opportunity International United Kingdom is registered as a charity in England and Wales (1107713) and in Scotland (SCO39692). Opportunity International United Statesis a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Latest Blog

ETHIOPIA: The Challenges and Opportunities of investing in Education

by Catherine O'Shea

Mr. Abinet Kabtimer is the proud director and owner of Sunrise Academy, a school he opened just three years ago. Sunrise Academy provides education to children in Meki town, in the East Showa Zone of Oromia region of Ethiopia. The school offers pre-primary classes up to 8th grade, with enrolment space for 450 students, charging tuition fees of Birr 1050 (USD 20) per term. Before opening Sunrise Academy, Mr. Abinet was a teacher in a private school in Meki town, East Showa Zone. In 2019, he decided…

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ABACO and COSAMI: Knowledge Exchange between EduFinance partners in Peru and Guatemala

by Antonella Abategiovanni and Catherine O'Shea

In September 2022 two of Opportunity EduFinance’s Financial Institution (FI) partners from Latin America took part in a knowledge exchange: COSAMI is a financial cooperative established in 1966 with headquarters in Totonicapán, Guatemala. Their mission is “To provide quality financial products and services for Guatemalans, through an effective and committed human team, applying cooperative principles, values and practices.” ABACO is among the three biggest Saving and Credit Unions in Peru.…

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The Case for Increasing Access to Finance for the Non-State School Sector

by Catherine O’Shea and Maham Khuhro

 According to UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), the non-state education market share increased from 23.1 percent to 25.8 percent between 2005 and 2020 across low- and middle-income countries. If this continues, the non-state school sector will grow its share of the education market to 27.2 percent by 2025. The increase in demand for affordable non-state schools means that there will be an additional 56 million new seats for children required through 2025 in low- and middle-income countries.Given…

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Bringing EduQuality to Nigeria

by Catherine O’Shea and Maham Khuhro

  In a new set of data released by UNESCO in September 2022, we learned that the education gap in Nigeria was even worse than we previously thought. Recently filled ‘data gaps’ revealed an estimated 20.2 million children and youth are out-of-school across Nigeria. This is nearly double the previous estimates of 10.5 million out-of-school children. There is no way to overstate the education crisis that children are facing in Nigeria. At Opportunity EduFinance, we are committed to supporting solutions…

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INVESTING IN OUR GLOBAL FUTURE: 2022 Global Education Finance Conference

by Opportunity EduFinance

  Around the globe, almost all schools have returned to in-person learning for their students after COVID-19 closures. This includes millions of affordable non-state schools run by local, independent school owners, which represent more than 1 in 4 schools across low- and middle-income countries.  These dedicated school owners showed resilience during school closures despite insurmountable odds and fought tirelessly to keep their doors open so children would have a school to return to. These are…

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Cosami and Crezcamos: Knowledge Exchange between EduFinance Partners in Guatemala and Colombia

by Antonella Abategiovanni and Catherine O'Shea

Opportunity EduFinance continues to expand our Financial Institution partner network around the globe, with 123 cumulative partners to date. This growth is particularly increasing in Latin America and the Caribbean, where we now work with 13 Financial Institution partners from 8 countries. Recently, EduFinance facilitated a virtual knowledge exchange between one of our committed and established partners, Cosami Guatemala, and newer partner Crezcamos based in Colombia. They had an open and frank discussion…

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Andrew McCusker reflects on Opportunity EduFinance winning WISE Award

by Catherine O'Shea

The WISE Awards aim to highlight projects that have demonstrated impact in their communities and have the potential to set international standards and best practices worldwide. Since the creation of the program in 2009, WISE has received over 4,900 applications from more than 150 countries.  On September 15, 2022 Opportunity EduFinance was announced as one of six WISE Award winners this year.  The 2022 WISE Awards winners, hailing from India, Qatar, Mexico, the USA and Kenya, come as models of…

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New Interactive Evidence Gap Map on Non-State Actors in Education

by Natalie Davirro, Research and Knowledge Manager, Opportunity EduFinance for the Education Finance Network

    The Education Finance Network, which is managed by Palladium, Dalberg Advisors and Opportunity International EduFinance, recently launched the Non-State Actors in Education: Interactive Evidence Gap Map (EGM) to highlight available evidence and gaps in the sector and guide program design. The EGM serves practitioners and funders by identifying research priorities, pinpointing the most timely and relevant data, and facilitating evidence exchange to accelerate progress on development goals in…

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50% of schools in EduQuality show improvement in self-assessed education quality

by Opportunity EduFinance

When Ms. Levina Robert and her husband started Rol International School in Tanzania in 2014, the only learners were two twin brothers. Over the next three years the school grew exponentially and now boasts two campuses in Mbweni and Mbezi, with over one hundred enrolled students. Ms. Robert remembers that she was eager to attend the EduQuality program offered by Opportunity EduFinance. Today, Ms. Robert is an active school partner in the program and says she has improved her strategic planning skills…

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“I want everyone to go to school. Every child should not be left behind.” – Interview with Joshua Opoku-Mainoo, Sinapi Aba, Ghana

by Catherine O’Shea

Opportunity International has the privilege of counting Sinapi Aba among its oldest and strongest partners in our mutually aligned missions to transform lives through increased financial inclusion. Building on this long history of working together, Sinapi Aba is also now one of our key partners for Opportunity EduFinance in Ghana. Joshua Opoku-Mainoo is Programmes Manager of EduFinance & Impact at Sinapi Aba Trust. He joined in 2007 as a loan officer and then transitioned to roles as a relationship…

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