The Blue Sweater - My thoughts so far

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.