[TED Review]Jacqueline Novogratz - Escaping Poverty

One out of seven people die of extreme Hunger. This is not because there isn’t enough food – actually there is enough food to feed all the people on earth. It’s not because of an epidemic or natural disasters nor lack of technology. This flagrant situation is caused by the esoteric structure of the society and elusive attitudes of people against the people experiencing famine, and this applies to all the poverty that exists on Earth.

Jacqueline Novogratz talks about Mathare, a slum in Kenya. The big town was filled with poor, powerless and secluded people who lived along with drugs, violence and prostitution. Some people sell water and soap in order to prevent the owner from relegating their families out of scanty shacks, some struggle in garbage dumps everyday to find something to eat, and many other kinds of situations. This isn’t because of the people’s indolence, wickedness, or evilness; it is because they are never provided an opportunity to escape such vicious cycles. Jane, whom Jacqueline met, was one of those unlucky people. Jane told Jacqueline that she once wanted to be a doctor and also wanted to marry a good man. However, she ended up in prostitution, earned 20 cents or so a day, and still continued to live in Mathare. But her life changed when she encountered ‘Jamii Bora’ and was provided a chance to borrow money. She spent a year to collect 50 dollars, bought a sewing machine and started her new career as a tailor. She would buy second hand clothes in market, repurpose it, and sell it to people who would wear them in milestone events such as sweet 16 parties, birthday parties – events that people celebrate regardless of economic spectrum. She makes more than a dollar these days, and is looking forward for her new house she had provided herself. Novogratz says that the worldwide economic crisis is an opportunity for innovation and invention. She added that it was chance to renovate the world into a society where products and services were extended to all people, so they will be able to make decisions and choices for themselves.

Jamii Bora, introduced in Novogratz’s speech, is the largest microfinance organization in Kenya, which means ‘good families’. It lends money to people no matter how poor they are, under the condition that the people provided commensurate amount of savings. This organization nullifies the invisible barrier poor people face when trying to afford the bases of their daily lives. Also, Acumen fund introduced later in the speech, is a non-profit global venture fund that aims to solve the problems of global poverty. These organizations had similar characteristics to the Grameen Bank, which I read in a newspaper a few years ago. Grameen Bank was founded by an economist who wanted to solve the problems of poverty as well. Grameen means ‘rural’ or ‘village’ and lends money to people under the condition that they prove the people are using the borrowed money efficiently and are saving appropriate amounts. I believe such organizations exemplify how the individual organizations should help the poor people. I think such organizations would assuage the gap between ‘the haves’ and ‘the not haves’ by providing opportunities to suffering people.

The people like Jane do not need extraneous condescending or sympathies. Supporting them shortly and instantly does not appease them. Rather, the pragmatic systems which would ‘teach’ them how to start living on their own can actually make big changes. Prodigal and useless donation is no good for anybody - it may provide a day’s shelter or meal, but the fact that they have to be afraid of the new sun rise does not change.

There are many teenagers and students who are zealous in participating programs to help people experiencing extreme poverty. We read a lot about them, we hear a lot about them, and almost all the teenagers have their own opinions on the global poverty issue themselves. This is good sign, since out apathy would be more virulent to the people. However, we need to elaborate what we know to what we actually do to ameliorate the pitiful reality. We should do our best to minimize the amount of resources and efforts squandered by carefully examining and determining what the poor people really solicit.

“When I go HIV counseling, I always say 'Look at me. You are not dead. You are still alive. And if you are still alive you have to serve,'” This is what Jane told Jacqueline. We should learn from this brave woman who had changed her most depressing moments of life into a time of changes. Also, we should do our best for the next Janes.

Let there be no more people on Earth who suffer from lack of opportunities. Let people who had enjoyed much work for the neglected – to teach them how to catch a fish instead of catching tons for them. Let our grandchildren’s children read that one out of three people experienced poverty in history textbooks, not in newspapers. This isn’t just an auspicious hope; this is a world we all should work together for.