Melvis Guerror (in the middle, right) entered into a Trust Group with an initial loan of $320,000 pesos ($175 CDN) which she invested in raw material for increasing her production. Using the new captial her business has now grown considerably and she states that her life has changed because of it. Before her loan from Opportunity she sold 8 cakes a day, and now sells 30! She has been investing her profits from the increased sales in machinery for making her cakes, and with her savings she been able to help her children with their schooling.

Melvis says she has benefitted greatly from the training she received. She has learned to live side by side and share with the people in her neighbourhood, when before she didn’t know them. She also says the training sessions have helped her to think and make better decisions about her business and noted that the attention provided by her Loan Officer has been especially excellent. Her dream for the future is to see her business become a company and thus improve the quality of her life, together with that of her family (continue reading Melvis' story...).

Why Training?

A client’s ability to use our financial services is often hampered by a low level of literacy and limited education.
Every week in homes, gathering places and halls throughout the developing world, Trust Group clients
come together to receive business, leadership and life skills training. When combined with our financial products, this transformational training helps marginalized people—especially women—develop their capacity and pursue their dreams.

AIDS education in Ghana, inventory management in the Philippines, family values in Colombia – Opportunity's transformative training and development modules cover the gamut of topics pertinent to clients across the globe. Today, Opportunity has more than 400 modules available for Loan Officers to use with Trust Groups including training to learn basic skills related to earning, spending, budgeting and borrowing money. Opportunity’s training and development modules teach people how to manage money wisely. They also give clients access to information on health, leadership, self-esteem, gender, communication, work-life balance, civic responsibility and more.

In Malawi, a method was needed to reach the 250,000 savings clients who are not currently receiving training. In response, Opportunity has developed a set of videos that are shown in banking halls while customers wait in lines to make their transactions. The first video focuses on savings, budgeting and debt management. Additional videos cover more information on budgeting, basic business skills, insurance products, etc. Opportunity hopes to roll out this video program to additional countries, including Colombia, Ghana, Uganda and Mozambique, in the near future.

Increasing clients’ financial literacy through training modules and videos helps them to:

• Better understand the wide range of financial services available to them
• Increase their use of savings accounts and insurance products
• Better manage their credit
• Diversify their assets

Most of the 1.3 million clients receiving training do so through weekly Trust Group meetings. Downlod "Trust Groups Unlcok Human Potential" to learn more.

From Our Partners at Opportunity International UK