The Blue Sweater (Part 1)

I really like how the book starts with a story that inspired me. When the author Jacqueline was young in Virginia, she had a blue sweater gift, and she loved it very much. Years later she cannot fit in that sweater anymore, she send the sweater to a charity organization. After eleven years, she saw a boy wear that blue sweater passed by her, and there was still her name printed on that sweater. Seen her childhood sweater again in some many years at a totally different country, she instantly feel there is interconnections between people, and what we do or what we not do will have influences one others. Thus, the author Jacqueline decides to find out what stands between wealth and poverty in Africa.

When Jacqueline was 26, she gave up the job at Chase Bank, instead, she became an ambassador for at African Development Bank. Jacqueline help the empower women to gain financial abilities. However, the experience was not very easy for her as she always get rejected and scorned by the local African women there. The African women thought Jacqueline does not has any experience and ability to help them. She later realized the problem that she should provide substantive help to low income women, like increase the income, because that is the key to gain the trust and solve the problem. Thus, she returned Kenya again and started to make progress. Jacqueline recommended the local women to start bakery on their own, and Jacqueline taught them how to suggestions as they run the shop. Soon, the local women were able to make about $2 per day. I felt Jacqueline really solved their low income problem at a very essential level. There is no one can offer anyone help forever, and the only way to save anyone is he or she needs to get stronger on their own.

This book taught me a very important lesson. Sympathy cannot help poor, they need to develop abilities in order to be stronger.