Money is freedom & choice is dignity
Reviewed by Kudrat Kahlon

The Blue Sweater
By Jacqueline Novogratz. Harper Collins. Pages 314. Rs 399

It is said that change is not possible unless we feel the suffering of another as our own. With the poetic eloquence of a well-travelled writer and a cinematographic vividness, Jacqueline Novogratz makes the daunting work of a social worker sound inviting. Whether describing the industrious streets of Nairobi or the scenic streets of Lamu, her keen sense of detail partial to colour and the spirits of the people, one visualises her accounts with ease. Her inquisitiveness and ever-ready eagerness makes her affable not only to the reader but also to the people she comes across.

Her conversational writing style makes the complex concepts such as lending loans to the poor on minimal margins and the failure of traditional charities in synch with modern capitalism easier to understand. While her naivety is disarming, her optimistic attitude rubs off on the reader. As you read on, you find yourself experiencing her epiphanies as if they were your own. What is most striking theme in the book is the underlying essence of bravado and optimism that Novogratz holds steady, whether she feels physically threatened for her life in the war-torn streets of Africa or the ostracisation from those very women she is trying to help. The reader takes away a richer understanding of cultures and human nature.

Not only are Novogratz’s accounts inspirational, whether it is the social worker building a network of tele-kiosks across India or an entrepreneur experimenting with new ways to build low-cost housing in Pakistan, the people she encounters exhibit such resilience and an unfaltering sense of hope that it leaves you looking at the world differently.

Novogratz’s is quick to learn and innovate where traditional charitable models fail, despite all odds hanging on to her strong idealism and backs it with unfailing zeal and energy, embracing models such as Patient Capital, a concept modern capitalists might scorn at, aims at investing money over a long period of time with the knowledge that returns will be below market, for the good of the society.

The result of which is Acumen, Novogratz’s foundation, which has invested over $40 million in enterprises serving the poor. At the same time, it has led to creation of over 20,000 jobs in the process. She keeps the reader enthralled and captivated with her lightheartedness and frankness. She portrays the paradoxes that she faces, not as obstacles but as lessons in human nature from which one can learn — whether it is the hard-working feminist she encounters who has helped so many women but at the same time is unapologetic about committing atrocities or the women she comes to help only to find her efforts
unwelcome, including threats to her life.

An inspirational read for the idealists longing to make a difference, or the rationalists who believe in the trickle-down effect. Either way, the minute you put down The Blue Sweater, you will be infused with an overwhelming feeling to change the world.

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