It’s that time of the year again. With Christmas on the horizon, conversations of how the past year flew by, the holiday season, and the desire to just ‘get out of here’ are in full swing. You might be looking forward to doing nothing on a beach in the tropics, having a winter Christmas somewhere up north, or just road-tripping around the country.

But lately, we’ve been busy planning a different kind of trip.

Throughout the year, Opportunity International Australia hosts groups of supporters on Insight Trips. These trips are made to the countries where Opportunity helps families to lift themselves out of poverty. In the coming year we’ll be travelling to the Philippines, Indonesia and India.

Bringing together supporters who are passionate about alleviating poverty has been the driving force behind Insight Trips. Naomi Day, a Silver Chef Hospitality Equipment Financer, is particularly excited:

“I want to see firsthand how Silver Chef and Opportunity work together to help people out of poverty through microfinance.”

While visiting famous landmarks may not be the main priority on these trips, visiting families and their local businesses, hearing their inspiring stories and seeing the impact small loans have in their lives is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It’s a journey that Naomi and three other representatives from Silver Chef will embark on today as they travel to India to meet with our program partners in Bhopal (central India) and Varanasi (north India). Silver Chef is a prime example of a business using the unique experience of an Insight Trip as a learning and development initiative for their employees.

For Silver Chef team member, Adrian Hurley, giving back is an integral component of his values system:

“We are defined by what we make of our lives, how we help others and what we contribute to the community.”

And Alexandra Darrell is particularly looking forward to the unique opportunity for personal growth:

“I can see how this trip would develop my emotional intelligence and improve my knowledge surrounding Opportunity and its core purpose on the front line.”

As another year goes by, and the holiday season is in sight, it’s quite easy to see why lazing on a tropical beach, or skiing down a mountain may be more appealing in the here and now. But an opportunity to meet the families Silver Chef supports to better understand their circumstances, is far more enduring.

Sharing in their journey out of poverty, other things come into sight: a better new year, and a better future.

Make sure to follow their trip on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @opportunityAUS. And if you’d like to learn more about Insight Trips, don’t hesitate to email Emily Nicola at insighttrips@opportunity.org.au

William Cupido is Opportunity International Australia's Communications Intern, supporting the organisation in a range of communications activities.