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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

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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‘Our classes have moved from being a group to being a team’ – Professional Development for school leaders in Zambia, Rwanda and Ghana.

by Catherine O’Shea and Elisabeth Altschuler

Affordable non-state schools are established by entrepreneurs with a variety of education backgrounds, ranging from business management to former classroom teachers. Similar to many business owners, local school owners often self-identify as lacking certain skills that are beneficial for operating a school. As part of the EduQuality program of Opportunity EduFinance, senior school leaders are offered professional development training with a focus on instructional leadership and management best…

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School Leadership Academy, Ghana

by Catherine O’Shea and Wiktoria Gucia

  In May 2022, the EduFinance team facilitated its first School Leadership Academy (SLA) workshop in Ghana. The aim of the workshop was to bring together school owners with financial institutions to share knowledge about the benefits and opportunities to access school improvement loans, with guidance on how schools can improve their bankability and grow sustainable quality schools. Schools offering low-cost student fees often have limited resources and their school leaders may have limited business…

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Is our EduFinance Theory of Change true?

by Opportunity EduFinance

The Role of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)“How do you know if EduFinance activities drive impact?\"\"How do you validate your theory of change?”“What evidence do you have that the program is achieving intended results?”Basically, how do we know if more children are accessing quality education as a result of EduFinance’s work?These are some of the most frequently asked questions Opportunity EduFinance hears when speaking with stakeholders, and they are great questions. We realize…

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