Sunday 30 November 2014 11:07 pm

Christmas charity: Empowering people in poverty thanks to Opportunity UK

This Christmas CityAM is presenting five of our favourite charities to provide our readers with some inspiration for festive charitable giving 2014.

We're starting off our Christmas charity drive this year with an old friend. CityAM has worked with Opportunity International UK for a number of years, with our readers helping over 635,000 people in Africa since we first partnered up.

Opportunity International provides thousands of microfinance loans to enterprising people in the developing world. It also provides training, helps them to start saving and gets access to insurance to more than five million people – helping them to work their way out of poverty.

Isabelle is a farmer from a remote rural village in Northern Mozambique – one of the many people helped by Opportunity International

“We really value the help of CityAM readers not least because they understand the importance of finance and business in all contexts,” Edward Fox, chief executive of Opportunity International UK, told us. “Smart giving enables poor people to help themselves with dignity and pride. In turn, small businesses, farms, and schools often helping entire communities pull themselves out of poverty.”

Opportunity International has partnered with City Index and Prudential this year for its Seeds of Opportunity appeal. This appeal hopes to raise enough money to support and create employment for many people living in Africa.

It doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference. Just £30 can provide 10 farmers in Ghana with financial training and £150 can help someone develop a small business and provide for their family. Donations received before 26 February 2015 will be doubled by the UK government – so donate now.