Opening Possibilities Asia (OPA) is an apolitical organization committed to creating educational and employment opportunities for marginalized youth and women in Asia. We work with local communities and schools to expand the life opportunities of children and community members and empower them to become agents of social change through educational support, student funding, and teacher training. Founded in 2006 by Fulbright Korea Teaching Fellows (ETAs) to organize and facilitate a Teacher Training workshop at a charitable school in Mandalay, Burma, OPA is led and managed by a group of dedicated volunteers who envision bottom-up change in Asia’s undeveloped and resource-poor communities through education and empowerment.

We currently have one project site in Mandalay, Burma; however we are looking to expand our operations in other communities that are in-need of inspiration, hope, and organization. Please visit our work to learn more about our past, current, and future projects. Visit get involved to learn about opportunities to work with our communities.

We are fiscally sponsored by the Foundation for the People of Burma. Please support our work by donating to OPA Projects at the Foundation for People of Burma. Your donations will be tax-deductible.

• Foundation for the People of Burma
• Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program, funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, administered by the International Institute of Education (IIE)
• Gwangju International Center (GIC)
• Fulbright Korea, 2006-07
• IDEA

As the world’s most ethnically and religiously heterogeneous area, numerous parts of Asia have experienced ethnic conflict, political corruption, and limitations on individual and communal creativity since the onset of independence and revolutions of the mid 20th century. Such a climate has created a post-conflict conflict (one created by prevalence of disease, lack of proper nutrition, limitations on educational and employment opportunities, discrimination against women, labor exploitation created by power hierarchies and the like) that disturbs the social and cultural balance of various communities. Today Asia is the world’s fastest growing region. At the same time, 4 out of 5 of the world’s poor reside in Asia. This means that increasing investment in Asia and its economy’s rapid development has yet to deliver the promises that guarantee equal rights to education, employment opportunities, and to basic public services such as health counseling, without regard to gender, ethnic, religious, or caste based differences.

With that said, despite of lack of resources, we believe that people in the communities we want to serve use innovation and creativity to create systems that furnish immediate needs given their limited capacities. OPA’s desire is to seek these systems and empower them “on their conditions” to become more effective and efficient in accomplishing their objectives through financial and organizational support.

Compared with neighboring Thailand and much of Southeast Asia, the people of Burma confront greater challenges in almost every aspect of their society. A struggling health care,economic and political system all compound the difficulties that children face at schools. In Burma, three out of every ten children never start school, while 60% of those who do never go on to complete their primary education. OPA recognizes the importance of investing in Burma's children, educators and other great forms of human capital to help boost Burma from its current position. While OPA is fully aware of both the domestic and international political complications that arise with any involvement in Burma, OPA volunteers maintain that engagement and interaction with the Burmese people are the best ways to assist the country. Because of the sensitive nature of our project, OPA chooses to remain detached from any political statement or direct affiliation with a political stance.