"It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done." - Vincent van Gogh

For the past several weeks, we have celebrated love here at Opportunity International. We have acknowledged and honored the many relationships and communities that make our work possible. And this celebration of love matters. But it is also just the beginning. 

Love is not the end game - it is the underlying motivation of all of our work. It is the current that runs through our programs and products and institutions. It is the starting point. 

At the end of the day, we return to our organization's motivation - and our love for our clients. 

This love equips us to innovate, create jobs and invest in education, agriculture and entrepreneurs. This love equips us to fight extreme poverty and change the world. 

So as we look ahead and prepare to dive deeper into job creation and entrepreneurship, education and its impact on the community, sustainable agriculture and more, we remember this foundation of love. We remember that it is love that enables us to take risks, and that these risks are what have made Opportunity International innovative and impactful for over 40 years. 

As CS Lewis wrote, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

At Opportunity International, we have decided to love - to take risks and be vulnerable - so that we can best serve our clients around the world. We realize that there are inherint dangers to living a life of love, but they are risks we are willing to take. And we have seen that these careful risks have proven fruitful - yielding tools, training and teams that are transforming the lives of those living in poverty. 

Join us as we explore the many facets of Opportunity's work over the coming months. Discover how our love and motivation manifest themselves in our daily work - and learn how you can turn your love into action, too!