This Easter weekend, I find myself reflecting on the power of resurrection and renewal—rooted in God’s enduring love for His people—not only as a moment in history, but as a living, daily promise.
At Opportunity International, we witness renewal every day—in the lives of our clients who rise, rebuild, and reclaim their future. With every loan disbursed, every child educated, and every business launched, we see hope reborn. These are not just stories of survival; they are stories of renewal. Renewal of dreams. Renewal of dignity. Renewal of entire communities.
This work is more than practical, it is profoundly spiritual. It is grounded in a deeper truth: that every person is created in the image of God and deeply loved. And in response to that love, we are called to love in return—to walk alongside one another, to serve, to listen, to lift up.
It is grounded in a deeper call—a 50-year mission rooted in our faith. We serve because we are called to love and walk alongside those the world too often overlooks. We follow in the footsteps of the Good Samaritan, whose compassion reached across boundaries of ethnicity, belief, and background.
At Opportunity, we serve all people regardless of race, religion, gender, or creed, because love does not discriminate. But love does demand courage. The road to Jericho reminds us that true service requires us to see the unseen, stop for the forgotten, and act when others walk by.
And still, it has guided Opportunity International’s work for over half a century.
Opportunity’s story begins with founder Al Whittaker, who met Carlos Moreno, a spice merchant, in Cali, Colombia. Most ignored Carlos—but Al saw an entrepreneur in need of a hand up on the path to prosperity. One small microloan to Carlos for a spice grinder sparked a journey to grow his business and go on to create hundreds of jobs across Colombia.
Since then, we have gone to corners of the world where communities are most ignored, providing locals with financial services, training, and support to help them build businesses, improve farms, and start schools. In 2024 alone, we partnered with over 146 financial institutions and countless humanitarians, reaching more than 21 million people with the tools to break free from extreme poverty.
Last summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Maria, one of our clients who runs a soup kitchen under a tarp in one of the biggest slums in Cartagena. The warm, savory scents of her kitchen wafted through the air as neighbors lined up for a hot meal.
Before partnering with Opportunity, Maria had no regular income—she carried goods for merchants, cleaned homes when work was available. Her home was makeshift. Her children were out of school. Her future was uncertain.
With just 14 months of training, support, and financial tools from Opportunity, Maria went from no income to running this soup kitchen. She has earned enough to purchase a house next to her business and ensure her children go to school every day. Her community benefits from the unique skills and passions of a woman—once alone and unserved—who now provides nourishment and warmth to all who pass by.
Sitting with her that day, alongside her customers, I witnessed something remarkable. I witnessed a woman who was once in great need, now serving as the Good Samaritan for hundreds as they head down their own paths to wellbeing. That is the renewal we seek for all of our clients and for the communities in which they live and work.
As we celebrate the Resurrection, may we be reminded: every act of compassion, every risk taken for another’s good, every life lifted—this is the work of Easter lived out. And it is our privilege to carry it forward. I am proud to work beside each of you in this mission—one client, one farm, one kitchen, one spice shop, one school at a time.
