The Opportunity Podcast

The needle on Damaris’ sewing machine never slows down. Up down up down — all day long, all week long, all year long. But like the needle on her machine, life itself moves up and down. And Damaris, like everyone around the globe, soon suffered the devastating blow of COVID-19. Damaris only had one option: Pivot. Come up with something creative that could salvage the beautiful thing she had built. If there ever was a year to spread hope, joy, peace and strength, this is that year. We have collected a little bit of hope from all over the world, and want to share stories and a message of meaning. We trust it will inspire you. At Opportunity International, our clients are our heroes – they do the heavy lifting day in and day out. In this unprecedented global crisis that is setting poverty gains back significantly, they continue to find new ways to work and provide for their families. We hope you were encouraged by Damaris’ story. But more help is still needed. You can invest in a strategic, sustainable response to the pandemic and support the work that these clients are continuing to do. There are 3 ways you can help today: Donate by going online to opportunityinternational.ca/needle Subscribe to this podcast so you get a new inspirational story each week. And share this podcast with friends and family. You can be part of the solution to ensure that others like Damaris will be able to rebuild their lives and provide for their children with dignity and purpose. Learn more about the work of Opportunity International Canada at opportunityinternational.ca

At 8 years old, Maria Christina dropped out of school to maintain the family home. At 13, she married and was pregnant with her first child. After struggling for many years and with the encouragement of her friends, Maria opened a restaurant. It was not an instant success, but Maria had spent her whole life persevering, and she wasn’t about to give up now. If there ever was a year to spread hope, joy, peace and strength, this is that year. We have collected a little bit of hope from all over the world, and want to share stories and a message of meaning. We trust it will inspire you. At Opportunity International, our clients are our heroes – they do the heavy lifting day in and day out. In this unprecedented global crisis that is setting poverty gains back significantly, they continue to find new ways to work and provide for their families. We hope you were encouraged by Maria’s story. But more help is still needed. You can invest in a strategic, sustainable response to the pandemic and support the work that these clients are continuing to do. There are 3 ways you can help today: Donate by going online to opportunityinternational.ca/persevere Subscribe to this podcast so you get a new inspirational story each week. And share this podcast with friends and family. You can be part of the solution to ensure that others like Maria will be able to rebuild their lives and provide for their children with dignity and purpose. Learn more about the work of Opportunity International Canada at opportunityinternational.ca

A dream. A vision. The Filadelfia School in Bogata, Colombia, was founded with the unwavering belief that deaf students deserved the same rights as hearing children. An understanding that, when given the opportunity, a deaf student could learn, develop leadership skills, and become powerful agents of change. In an effort to bring more learning opportunities for their students, they reached out to local Opportunity International Partners to expand their programs and deepen the quality of education they were providing. Participation in these programs means that students like Jessina are no longer isolated, but able to communicate and now dreams of going to university. If there ever was a year to spread hope, joy, peace and strength, this is that year. We have collected a little bit of hope from all over the world, and want to share stories and a message of meaning. We trust it will inspire you. At Opportunity International, our clients are our heroes – they do the heavy lifting day in and day out. In this unprecedented global crisis that is setting poverty gains back significantly, they continue to find new ways to work and provide for their families. We hope you were encouraged by Jessina’s story. But more help is still needed. You can invest in a strategic, sustainable response to the pandemic and support the work that these clients are continuing to do. There are 3 ways you can help today: Donate by going online to opportunityinternational.ca/jessina Subscribe to this podcast so you get a new inspirational story each week. And share this podcast with friends and family. You can be part of the solution to ensure that others like Jessina will be able to rebuild their lives and provide for their children with dignity and purpose. Learn more about the work of Opportunity International Canada at opportunityinternational.ca

Nahid worked long hours hunched over her fabric weaving garments for a neighbour — earning only a dollar a day. It was impossible to plan for the future. Impossible to save for her children. And impossible to see a way out. That was until there was a glimmer of hope — an opportunity. Gem by gem, garment by garment, Nahid began building her own business, her own success, and her own future. If there ever was a year to spread hope, joy, peace and strength, this is that year. We have collected a little bit of hope from all over the world and we want to share stories and a message of meaning. We trust it will inspire you. At Opportunity International, our clients are our heroes – they do the heavy lifting day in and day out. In this unprecedented global crisis that is setting poverty gains back significantly, they continue to find new ways to work and provide for their families. We hope you were encouraged by their story. But they still need your help. You can invest in a strategic, sustainable response to the pandemic and support the work that these clients are continuing to do. There are 3 ways you can help today: Donate by going online to opportunityinternational.ca/glimmer Subscribe to this podcast so you get a new inspirational story each week. And share this podcast with friends and family. You can be part of the solution to ensure that others like Nahid will be able to rebuild their lives and provide for their children with dignity and purpose. Learn more about the work of Opportunity International Canada at opportunityinternational.ca

Luis loves to drive. He turned that love into a career as a bus driver, until a turn into a dangerous neighbourhood left him paralyzed. With the help of Opportunity International, Luis was able to get back in the driver seat. That was until COVID-19 and a hurricane altered his plans yet again.  On November 5, 2020, Hurricane Eta made landfall on the Caribbean Coast of Honduras.  Days before it arrived, heavy rains had already battered the landscape causing landslides, mudslides, overflowing rivers and streams, and washing away roads.  As the clouds cleared in mid-day, the destruction left behind was becoming clear.  Entire cities were under water and people sought refuge on roofs of houses waiting for passing boats to rescue them. Francisco Banegas Arias, CEO of IDH, indicated that most of the impact was on the on the homes of clients.  He said, “We have been restructuring loans due to COVID, but now it will be difficult to restructure loans when the client homes and other assets, have been destroyed. Please pray for them.” When you look at photos and videos from devastated neighbourhoods, with everything gone and so much work to do, you might ask, “Where does rebuilding start?” It can start with you. Please give today by going to opportunityinternational.ca/hurricane You can also help by subscribing to this podcast and sharing this episode with friends and family.  Thank you for your support as we help our clients and staff rebuild with Opportunity and hope!  Learn more about the work of Opportunity International Canada at opportunityinternational.ca 

Journey with us down a dusty road to remote Haiti as you meet Mimose. As a woman living in ultra-poverty in Haiti, she is familiar with having every obstacle in front of her. That was until Mimose met Opportunity and a new pathway began to form, with some goats for company. If there ever was a year to spread hope, joy, peace and strength, this is that year. We have collected a little bit of hope from all over the world and we want to share stories and a message of meaning. We trust it will inspire you. At Opportunity International, our clients are our heroes – they do the heavy lifting day in and day out. In this unprecedented global crisis that is setting poverty gains back significantly, they continue to find new ways to work and provide for their families. We hope you were encouraged by their story. But they still need your help. You can invest in a strategic, sustainable response to the pandemic and support the work that these clients are continuing to do. There are 3 ways you can help today: Donate by going online to opportunityinternational.ca/path Subscribe to this podcast so you get a new inspirational story each week. And share this podcast with friends and family. You can be part of the solution to ensure that that others like Mimose will be will be able to rebuild their lives and provide for their children with dignity and purpose. Learn more about the work of Opportunity International Canada at opportunityinternational.ca

As we launch Season 2 we wanted to provide something a little different. If there ever was a year to spread hope, joy, peace and strength, this is that year. We have collected a little bit of hope from all over the world and we want to share stories and a message of meaning. We trust it will inspire you. In this episode you will meet Linda, a bread maker with a dream. At Opportunity International, our clients are our heroes – they do the heavy lifting day in and day out. In the midst of an unprecedented global crisis that is setting poverty gains back significantly, they continue to find new ways to work and provide for their families. We hope you were encouraged by their story. But they still need your help. You can invest in a strategic, sustainable response to the pandemic and support the work that these clients are continuing to do. There are 3 ways you can help today: Donate by going online to opportunityinternational.ca/dreamer Subscribe to this podcast so you get a new inspirational story each week. And share this podcast with friends and family. You can be part of the solution to ensure that they will be able to rebuild their lives and provide for their children with dignity and purpose. Learn more about the work of Opportunity International Canada at opportunityinternational.ca

Peggie Pelosi, CEO of ORENDA and author of Corporate Karma, facilitated a conversation about how corporate philanthropy has evolved into ‘social purpose’, and how weaving social purpose into the fabric of your culture can positively impact your business.  Listen in as we discuss the why, how and importance of social purpose. This panel discussion included leaders from businesses with a social purpose:  - Tara Cochrane and Shawna Pereira from Wonderkind  - Ryan Kononoff from Clearbridge Business Solutions  - Stan Pauls from Decor Cabinets  Together, they shared ideas, practical tips and recommendations on how to engage employees, inspire customers and key partners.  Learn More at https://www.opportunityinternational.ca/ways-to-engage/corporate-partnerships/

CEO, Dan Murray, and our CFO, Grace Loney, discuss our 2019 impact as well as the year ahead.

Andrew McCusker, Opportunity's Head of Education Finance, joined us to talk about how our EduFinance initiative is helping accelerate an end to the global education crisis.  For Opportunity, solving the global education crisis is not theoretical. We’ve seen parents and educators around the world already doing it—and doing it faster and better than we could have ever imagined.  During our call Andrew will discuss how Opportunity offers the only systemic approach that helps more kids go to school and stay in school, while improving the quality of education schools provide.  This work, we believe, is accomplished much faster and more effectively with a bottom-up approach: investing in the potential of local parents and educators who, impatient with waiting for their local public schools to improve, build their own affordable private schools to provide the quality education they envision for their children. Everywhere, parents want to give their children a good education, and educators are stepping up to fill the gaps left by public school systems. Access to capital, blended with trainings and localized support, provides the catalyst for affordable private schools to rapidly expand and improve—and continue expanding and improving, long after Opportunity’s first intervention. Learn more at opportunityinternational.ca/education