The Redemptive Nature of Our Work at OPL Academy

Our final Ignite and Inspire session was led by our CEO, Oare Ochui, and it left many of us deeply moved. She helped us pause, reflect, and truly see the redemptive nature of the work we do every day at OPL Academy ..

Oare reminded us that our mission is more than training programs or job placements. It is about people; their wounds, their hopes, their dignity, and their dreams. Many of the Artisans/Students who come through our doors carry stories of shame, disappointment, or feeling “not enough.” Yet they still show up with resilience, ready to build a better future.

What we do is not transactional; it is transformational.

We are invited to meet every learner with compassion: to notice when someone is struggling, to take five extra minutes to ask, “Are you okay?”, to create safety, understanding, and belonging. Redemptive education calls us to restore confidence, uncover purpose, and help learners see the inherent worth in the work they do, work that keeps society functioning, even though it’s often overlooked.

And the impact is real.

From the thousands we’ve trained, to the apprentices placed in meaningful roles, to success stories like Divine studying in Canada, or Temitope, who once barely made it into the program, now leading teams, earning exponentially more, travelling internationally, and building a life he once never imagined.

These stories remind us that even one changed life creates generational ripples. The children of these students whose lives we have impacted, will start from a higher place. Their families will dream bigger. Their futures will look different.

This is the heart of redemptive work.

It’s slow. It’s quiet. It’s often unseen. But it is powerful.

Oare reminded us that this work requires imagination, courage, and sacrifice. We may never receive applause or public recognition for the systems we are rebuilding. And that’s okay. Because the seeds we plant today will outlive all of us.

Redemptive work isn’t a new initiative.

It’s a posture; how we show up, how we treat people, how we lead, and how we partner.

It is the daily choice to restore what is broken, uplift what is undervalued, and hold space for people to become who they were always meant to be.

And that is the work we remain committed to at OPL Academy ..