Opportunity International ramps up education financing to tackle poverty

By Evelyn Arthur

Opportunity International has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling poverty through education financing in Ghana and globally, with a focus on expanding access to quality schooling for low-income communities.

Chief Executive Officer-Opportunity International Atul Tandon said the organisation has disbursed more than US$2billion to 27,000 schools worldwide, supporting over 20 million schoolchildren.

“Our focus is on addressing poverty with the current generation and extending to the next generation the means to exit poverty,” he said. “Education is the best and surest way to escape poverty and remain out of it.”

Mr. Tandon spoke in an interview with B&FT during a field visit by the Opportunity International US Board, Global Board and senior leadership team to Evergreen Royal Academy at Bankuman in the Tema Metropolitan area. The school is a beneficiary of the organisation’s education finance and training support.

The visit showcased Opportunity International’s work in education financing and digital innovation in Ghana, including training programmes, organisational strategy and its evolving vision for impact.

Mr. Tandon noted that Africa’s rapidly growing youth population requires greater investment in education. He observed that government funding alone is insufficient and stressed the need for private sector participation.

“This is effectively a public-private partnership, working with about eleven local banks. We train school proprietors and bankers to improve lending to schools. As a result, more children are accessing quality education,” he said.

The Global Head of Education Finance at Opportunity International, Andrew McCusker, highlighted teacher professional development as a key challenge. He said many teachers enter classrooms without lesson plans, with only about 20 percent reportedly prepared.

“If we can move that figure to 100 percent, children in Ghana will learn more effectively,” he said.

He added that the organisation plans to introduce a teacher training app to standardise lesson planning, improve accountability and reduce absenteeism, thereby enhancing teaching and learning outcomes.

Director of Evergreen Royal Academy, Rev. Vincent Ntiamoah Yeboah, said he established the school at Tema New Town in 2015 after the birth of his first daughter, with the aim of providing quality but affordable education.

He admitted that lack of experience initially made management difficult, particularly in a low-income community. However, support from Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans, a subsidiary of Opportunity International, provided him with a three-year training programme for school leaders and mentorship for teachers.

“Through Opportunity International, we now operate in line with GES and other regulatory requirements. We have gained knowledge in budgeting, branding, vision and management while keeping the school affordable for both low- and high-income families,” he said.

He added that access to credit facilities from Opportunity International enabled the school to expand its infrastructure and increase enrolment from 200 to 630 pupils. He expressed appreciation to the organisation’s boards and leadership for visiting the school in recognition of its progress.

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