Meet Olopa

Olopa is a recent graduate of our Granola Production Training Program. When she arrived, she was reserved. By the time her cohort graduated, Olopa was ready to celebrate, singing and dancing with staff and her co-trainees. We had a wonderful time.

Born in the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania, Olopa is the oldest of 11 children. She attended primary school for 6 years and was the goalie on Team Salesian, a women’s soccer team at the camp, for 13 years. She laughs when she tells us that her team was often the winner. While there was little opportunity to build a life in Tanzania, Olopa says she remembers the sense of freedom she had when playing soccer. 

Olopa came to the U.S. in 2023 with her young son. After resettling, she started working as a housekeeper but struggled to get to work without a car. Olopa is working on her English to help her find a better job, and has a unique approach: she watches Nigerian soap operas (all filmed in English!) with her son, and says this is a great way to practice while also watching her favorite shows. Olopa is interested in working at a local bakery or in customer service, as long as she can get there by bike.

Olopa asked us if she could share her photo with her brother, who is standing with her in front of our beautiful view of the Rhode Island State House.