Wokai Blog: Underneath the Toronto Stars: “Drinks for a Better World”: Wokai China Microfinance Blog

Wokai’s Toronto Chapter hosts an evening of social networking with a social cause.

Written by: Amanda Yiu from Wokai's Toronto Chapter.

Rooftop Patio at The London Tap House in Downtown Toronto

As the end of the summer season approaches, the best way to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and light breeze is to be outdoors. On August 20th, the Wokai Toronto Chapter organized its very first “Drinks for a Better World” Summer Mixer Event that was hosted on a gorgeous rooftop patio by The London Tap House. While attendees sipped on refreshing beers and cocktails, they also enjoyed delicious burgers and gourmet hot dogs fresh off of the patio’s flaming grill. It was an evening of dynamic mingling and engaging conversation among attendees from diverse industry backgrounds and different schools. The question I loved to ask when I met a new face was how they heard about Wokai, and in most cases the answer was through word-of-mouth. It’s really extraordinary to see the power of personal networks put into action when it comes to spreading the message of Wokai across to others. Almost one year ago, when I initially signed-up to be a contributor in the Wokai community, there were only eight others from the Toronto region. Today, that number has grown to over 50 contributors in Toronto.

The conversations continued into the night, long past sunset, under a canopy of twinkling stars. I was humbled to have met some amazing people who carried a genuine sense of passion and drive for a social cause they can identify with. For Daniel, who recently joined as a Chapter Rep., that sense of identification was derived from his study abroad experience in Beijing. Having the opportunity to travel to many parts of China, Daniel witnessed the immense gaps in the social and economic development between rural and city areas of China. Now as a young working professional in the finance industry, he is empowered to help spread the awareness of microfinance as an effective tool to alleviate poverty. Capturing the vast transformations undergone by China – both good and bad – over a few short decades on his camera, Daniel proposed a creative idea of planning a photography exhibition as a next event for the Toronto Chapter. This is a wonderful example of how chapter volunteers can play an important role in making a positive impact on their local Wokai communities and contributing innovative ideas to help raise funds for microloan borrowers.

As we enter the second week of September, students are going back to school. Our next planned step is to engage student volunteers by launching Wokai Campus Chapters across three different universities. The efforts will be lead by our VP Internal Management, Michelle Lung, and a number of our student Chapter Reps. The vision for these Campus Chapters is that they will help spread the message of Wokai across to the student population and encourage their participation through campus fundraising events and “Wokai in the Classroom” sessions. Stay tuned to our next chapter blog entry for updates on how this initiative takes off!