Opportunity International President and CEO Kadita,” A.T.” Tshibaka (right) talks with entrepreneur Kabuika Valentine about her business and her family. Kadita was born in the DRC and recently returned to the country to advance Opportunity’s plan to bring microfinance services to the Congolese people who are living in poverty.

Having grown up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Opportunity International President and CEO Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka experienced poverty first hand. Thanks to a hard working family and a timely scholarship, Kadita attended Dartmouth College, where he earned his MBA before starting a career at Citibank. His subsequent success in international banking and his passion for the poor have now led him to Opportunity International – and back to the DRC.

With half of the DRC living on less than $1 per day, the Congolese native is leading the organization’s efforts to bring microloans, savings and insurance services to a country of 66.5 million people.
Recently, Kadita led a small delegation of Opportunity supporters and staff to the DRC to witness firsthand both the challenges and possibilities that exist for his home country.

“As I shook hands with start-up business owners, I was struck by the great potential for microfinance to help expand their businesses,” reflects Kadita. “These entrepreneurs work hard to provide for their families in a country where so many are fortunate when they can eat three or four times a week. They are very focused and determined to succeed. Opportunity International will make a significant difference in their lives, supporting them with adaptable microfinance products and services.”

In the DRC, Kadita listened to the working poor and learned about their need for loans, savings and insurance. He appealed to prominent political, economic, church, and social-sector leaders, who were all excited about the prospect of an Opportunity International presence in the DRC. He met with organizations already in the country to hear about their triumphs and their struggles.

“We bank on the spirit of people and on their hopes and dreams,” Kadita continues. “The people that we met saw this and promised their support. We are both humbled and very encouraged by what we experienced.”

Kadita firmly believes in microfinance as a working solution to poverty. More specifically, he is adamant that banking in the DRC is key to the development of Africa. The DRC has the third largest population and the second largest land area in sub-Saharan Africa. With 99% of the population lacking basic banking services, raising funds for an Opportunity International Bank in the DRC has become one of the organization’s top priorities.

To learn more about Opportunity’s commitment to providing microfinance solutions to the working poor in almost 30 countries, visit www.opportunity.org.

- Sonja Egeland Kelly, Opportunity International