Pop Quiz Make-Up

    The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz had a unique and nuanced perspective on how to more effectively help those in need. I enjoyed her process from going in as a naive banker to an insightful leader and founder of Acumen. However I found myself wondering if her call to action was a bit much at times. 

    The main takeaway from the story was that charity itself was not the end all be all for impoverished communities in Africa- that there needed to be infrastructure built for people to thrive without outside actors. Much like the verse "teach a man to fish"- she wanted to establish a foundation on which local economies can grow by investing what she coined as "patient capital".  I really liked how Novogratz built up systems in which local leaders could lead and how Acumen itself is a non-profit.

    As much as I agreed with Novogratz and her mission- I found myself wondering if her call to action was too much to ask from the average person. Even in the US, where she is from, over 35 million people are impoverished, and over 65% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. How could they even think about being a global citizen when they can barely afford to care for themselves? Why doesn't she set up systems to help Americans before trying to "save" countries in Africa or India? I found myself asking these questions while reading. 


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