Digital financial services build resilience and inclusion
Opportunity International creates inclusive digital pathways for women’s economic empowerment
Measurable global impact
By focusing on equitable, digitally driven, efficiently scalable solutions, Cisco’s partnership with Opportunity International has expanded service reach while deepening impact:
36M
lives positively impacted (2017-2020)
5.5M
jobs supported (2017-2020)
92%
92% of people reached are women
Supporting digital inclusion to break the cycle of poverty
Opportunity International empowers people living in poverty to support their families while creating new jobs in their communities that contribute to economic growth. Here's how:
- More than 1.7 billion people globally lack access to financial services like loans, insurance, and savings accounts, making it difficult for them to start their own businesses, protect their crops, save for their children’s education, or invest in their family’s health.
- Opportunity International offers access to a diverse suite of financial products such as loans and savings accounts, along with critical business training for entrepreneurs, farmers, and educators.
- In the past year, more than 11M clients were able to start and expand their businesses, create jobs, educate their children, access training and support services, and change their communities for the better using Opportunity’s digital solutions.
- During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Opportunity encouraged the use of digital channels to continue services despite travel gathering constraints.
- An integrated system of digital services and notifications using SMS, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and expanded call centers assisted clients during the pandemic.
- Focusing in particular on agriculture, education, and health, Opportunity International empowers clients to create remarkable social impact by facilitating change at the grassroots level.
“Opportunity International works to create sustainable livelihoods for people living in poverty. Innovative technology solutions made possible by our partnership with Cisco help us reach more people while improving the efficacy and impact of our programs.”
Atul Tandon, CEO, Opportunity International
Empowering entrepreneurs, one family at a time
Like Opportunity International, Cisco believes that inclusive access to opportunity is an important human right. And, we believe that technology can build fairness and create change on an unprecedented scale when deployed in a responsive, user-driven manner.
- Opportunity International and Cisco are designing, testing, and scaling innovative digital solutions that empower people to work their way out of poverty and create jobs in their communities.
- Cisco supports the deepening digitization of their products and services, wherein sophisticated analysis of user data continuously drives creative design and iteration of their products and services.
- The organization is able to target specific underserved client segments, like women, the elderly, and/or the ultra-poor.
- While women in the developing world have less access to mobile phones, they are more likely to invest in their families if given the chance, increasing impact.
- Gaining digital access to financial products and services helps women build autonomy and independence, yielding both inspiration and opportunity for their children.
5.5 million jobs created since 2017
Together, we have supported the creation of 5.5 million jobs globally, which is helping to empower people to work their way out of poverty.
Help break the cycle of poverty for a family
Change a family’s future by empowering them to grow their business, send their children to school, and support their communities
Meet our community partners
Cisco and the Cisco Foundation partner with innovative nonprofits to deliver transformative, tech-driven solutions for economic empowerment, education, and crisis response, which includes shelter, water, food, and disaster relief.