Hope for 2021

Happy New Year!

Is it just me, or does this annual greeting sound just a little more hopeful than usual this year?

The year 2020 will no doubt prove to be of deep and lasting historical significance, and I’m sure most of us are glad to see it in the rearview mirror.

On New Year’s Day, as a society, we like to reflect on the prior year, often with various lists — the most streamed songs, the most frequent Google searches, or the top news stories. 

And as we reflect back, there is also much that was dark and painful about 2020. Global deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic likely exceeded two million. The evil underbelly of racial injustice exploded into greater consciousness, with the tragic death of George Floyd and others.  Not to mention wars, floods, wild-fires and hurricanes.  So much suffering experienced by so many.

In Canada we saw seniors dying alone in residential care homes, increased mental health and addiction challenges, the stress of family separation, and heartbreaking stories of small businesses facing bankruptcy.

But these global crises always have a disproportionate impact on the global poor. According to a recent Oxfam International report, the expected rise in extreme poverty due to COVID-19 is equivalent to a billion additional person-years over the next decade.

The stress and grief of 2020 was felt directly by the Opportunity International Canada family. Juan Ulloa, our dear colleague and local partner in Nicaragua, was taken by COVID-19.  Two hurricanes battered Honduras, destroying the livelihood of more than 500 clients.  And the shutdown of local economies impacted client incomes, with many unable to feed their families.

And yet, even in the face of such suffering, as I look back on 2020, I can also find many reasons for gratefulness and hope.

I was inspired by the heroism of front-line medical workers and the evening ritual of pot clanging to show appreciation. I was encouraged by the beginning of honest conversations around systemic racism.  And, I was even entertained by funny, witty and heartwarming humour on social media as people found creative ways to pass the time under lockdown. 

I was astounded at the generosity of our donors who sacrificed to stand with us this year, so we could support our Partners in the field when they needed it the most.

And I was awed by those Partners, who creatively supported their clients with compassion, and by clients who demonstrated resiliency and generosity as they pivoted their businesses to provide for their families and shared what little they had with neighbours in need.

Finally, I am so very proud of each member of the small but mighty Opportunity International Canada staff team as they rose to the occasion in the face of much uncertainty and difficulty to carry on our mission to fight poverty through financial inclusion.

Light is always much brighter in darkness, and as dark as 2020 was, it is the evidence of such light that gives me hope for 2021 and beyond.

In 2021 we mark the 50^th Anniversary of Opportunity International, founded in 1971 as a microfinance charity, with a mission inspired by the Good Samaritan, to help free people trapped in generational cycles of dehumanizing poverty, through the dignity and sustainability of a simple loan plus training.

Holistic microfinance is one of the most transformative, sustainable and dignified pathways out of poverty, and it will remain just as vital in 2021 and beyond as our clients emerge from the pandemic to rebuild their lives and their livelihoods.  

Thank you for helping to make it all possible!

With a heart filled with gratitude, I wish you a hope-filled Happy New Year!

Dan Murray, CEO