The Pandemic’s Ongoing Impact

As vaccination rates climb and infection rates decline in Canada, and we look forward to a return to normal, the COVID-19 virus continues to wreak havoc in the countries where we serve.

As I have written before, the local Partners we work with and the clients they serve have been disproportionately affected by the economic impact of the pandemic. And the health impact is equally devastating.

In India, where Opportunity International works with dozens of Partners serving millions of clients, the scale of the impact is almost impossible to grasp.  It is hitting very close to home as local Partner staff and clients, or their close family members, have succumbed to the disease.

We are also seeing a new rise in infection rates among Partner staff and clients in the Dominican Republic and Honduras, with a small disturbing second wave popping up in Haiti.

Opportunity International is mobilizing resources to support our Partners and their clients in this challenging time. 

In India, the trusted remote branches of our Partners are being deployed in conjunction with existing sustainable health programs to make a real difference in those communities. And in Latin America, we are providing needed support so our Partners can help struggling clients get back on their feet once the pandemic recedes into history.

Our donors have understood these challenges and the difference than can be made and they have responded generously over the past year or so.  Although there are some incredible stories of resiliency, the after-effects of this pandemic will remain with us for some time once it has wound down. 

I’m confident that Opportunity Canada, supported by our donors, will continue to stand with our Partners and their clients now and as they rebuild into the future.

On a separate note, in my last blog I spoke of legacy, and I wish to celebrate the legacy of two individuals who have generously and tirelessly served Opportunity Canada. John De Bruyn recently retired as Board Chair of the Opportunity International Canada Foundation (OICF) – where he served tirelessly and with quiet competence to help ensure disbursed loan funds had maximum impact in the field.

Bob Lawless also retired from the OICF Board after many years of service to Opportunity Canada, service that also included more than a decade as Board Chair and occasional acting-CEO of the charity, Opportunity International Canada. 

We stand on the shoulders of the past leaders who built this organization – and their legacy is in the tens of thousands of people lifted from poverty though the opportunity of a small loan with training.

On a closing note, the pandemic is a global example of the challenges and uncertainty that our Partners and their clients face every day. I pray that this collective experience will serve to increase our awareness and empathy for those who are marginalized at the bottom of the global economy, and that we will serve them with renewed commitment and generosity.