2011 Opus Prize Recipients

Past Winners

Opus Prize recipients may not be household names, but don't be fooled by their relative anonymity. The Opus Prize winner and finalists are beating daunting odds to bring about lasting social change in their communities and countries.

In these recipients, an unshakeable faith and a belief in entrepreneurship mingle and the results are stunning. Their efforts to help the poor and underserved transform their lives makes the case that real, upward change is possible and inspires others to get involved.

$1 Million Opus Prize Winner

Lyn Lusi
HEAL Africa
Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo

One of the real fundaments of Lyn Lusi’s ministry and service – every aspect of which is grounded in a deep and abiding faith – is based on a learned perspective that the plague of sexual violence and war, which has touched nearly every family in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is an affliction that requires healing not only for the woman who has been brutally ravaged, but also for her family, neighbors, community and for Congolese society as a whole. Like someone’s shadow, the aftermath of brutality in the DRC follows its citizens everywhere, and the shame of what women and children have experienced makes it almost unspeakable.

The war has claimed six million lives since 1996, and mass rape continues to be used as a weapon of war, one that is often spreading HIV/AIDS to the survivors. The horrific pattern of rape in the Congo is staggering and historic in its scope, and Lyn and her husband started the HEAL Africa Hospital in Goma as a pioneer in holistic care for the Congolese people, addressing the physical, social and spiritual needs of its patients. Since 2003, HEAL Africa has performed more than 1,500 fistula repair surgeries, provided primary care and post-rape counseling to over 30,000 women, established 31 Safe Houses, trained 90,000 community activists in HIV/AIDS prevention and care and funded over 1,500 micro grants for families.

HEAL Africa’s medical, social and economic initiatives cultivate peace and development and are grounded in both Lyn and the community’s spirituality, and the belief that lasting change cannot be imposed but comes from within communities themselves.

$100,000 Opus Prize Finalists

Father Gregory Boyle, S.J.
Homeboy Industries
Los Angeles, United States

As the founder and director of Homeboy Industries, Fr. Greg Boyle has paved the way for formerly gang-involved youth and the recently incarcerated to become contributing members of their community with job-training, comprehensive services and a community of kinship. Free programs at Homeboy Industries -- counseling, legal services, education, tattoo removal, job training and placement, and case management – are part of a comprehensive effort to enable young men and women to redirect their lives, and for maybe the first time, have a sense of hope in their future.

Fr. Greg spends his weekends touring youth detention centers and handing out his business card and cell phone number to each young person he meets, and nearly everyone who has “made it,” credits this Jesuit priest with transforming their lives. The history of Homeboy Industries is littered with stories of neglect and abandonment, wasted years spent in jail and detention, tales of violence and drugs and children born to teen mothers and fathers. The agency’s programs offer a great deal of structure, but it is the boundless compassion and infectious belief in rehabilitation by Fr. Greg and his staff that provides the motivation for young people to succeed.

Fr. Greg recognizes that effective service to young people who have been abandoned must be based on acceptance, second chances and forgiveness, a deep respect and love for people who have experienced little of either and a commitment to providing gainful employment. His life’s work as a social entrepreneur is focused on influencing the way our society views former gang members while at the same time treasuring each individual.

Read more about Father Boyle’s work.

Sister Rita Pessoa, R.S.H.M.
Association of Small Rural Producers of Jacare
Filadelfia, Brazil

Determined to help rural farmers maintain their traditions and culture, while at the same time offering a cooperative approach to producing and marketing local fruits and produce, the Association of Small Rural Producers of Jacare is slowly transforming the lives of poor farmers in northeast Brazil. The coop was founded in 1997 with the help of Sr. Rita Pessoa, a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary who has spent all of her 54 years as a nun ministering to Brazil’s poor. She encouraged local farmers to cultivate fruits that were native to the region and adaptive to drought conditions.

In 2001, the Association built a small factory to process fruit into pulp. They sold the fresh pulp to schools, hospitals and government agencies who today serve more than 15,000 people. In 2009, a second factory was built to process cassava (manioc) flour, and local production of cassava plants has increased more than tenfold. Plans are in the works to build a culinary school and to continue to improve the nutrition of local residents.

Members of the coop elect their leaders and participate in all important decisions. It’s a great example of empowering a rural community that elects its leaders and involves its members in all important decisions. The Association is very businesslike, prides itself on integrity and financial transparency and is rooted in faith and the dignity of all people.