Have you ever heard of the book The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an
Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz? If not, you should definitely
check it out! I normally only like reading fiction books but Novogratz did an
excellent job in describing her journey from a banker to the founder and CEO of
Acumen – a non-profit organization that funds social enterprises that tackle
issues of poverty.
I’ve only read chapter 1 to 8 so far, but I have already
taken away so much from the book. The first thing that really stuck with me was
when Novogratz said “ I did what I now tell young people to do: I started where
I could and where I was given the chance.” This advice is something that I
think people need to take to heart. From what I see in my family and friend
group, there is a lot of pressure to know what you want, have a set goal, and
to be instantly successful in whatever it is you decide to do. That obviously
is ideal, but people forget that life is far from perfect and that sometimes
the best solution is to take advantage of any opportunities present. This could
be applied to looking for your first job straight out of college, or like
Novogratz, learning about she could help global poverty. Without seizing the
different opportunities Novogratz had, she would have never been able to figure
out through trial and error that traditional charities were not a long term
solution to help the poor, and that the best solution was to provide loans to
the poor to start a business and become self sustainable.
Another thing that I think is important to highlight is that
helping the poor and is not just about money. Stereotypically, when people
think about poverty, the first thing that pops into their mind is: “let me
donate some money.” As seen through Novogratz’s experience, giving money does
not actually make the problem go away. To really make a difference and a
change, you have to understand the culture of the people in poverty, their
needs, and their goals. For example, Novogratz initially received a lot of
resentment from African women despite her efforts to help because she was a
white woman who didn’t ask what they wanted or needed. However, as she learned
through her mistakes, she started teaching and advising others on how to run
their own business instead of taking the role of the expert and telling people
what to do – as seen through her work with the Blue Bakery. Doing so allowed
her to connect more with the locals, and help empower the people by giving them
a sense of accountability, reward, success, confidence, and therefore freedom.
So far, I have found this book extremely engaging and mind
opening. If you ever get the chance, this is a book worth reading.
