Blue Sweater Post #3

The Blue Sweater

The last few chapters of The Blue Sweater, talks about Jacqueline and Acumen. The reason why she started Acumen (a non-profit global venture capital fund) was due to her belief in the market as the starting point for solving problems of poverty. The fund supports entrepreneurs with the drive to find a solution that will allow the poor to help themselves. I believe that she has pin pointed the problem and has found the right solution to solving poverty. She has realized that giving money and items to the poor is not the ultimate solution, but helping them become entrepreneurs is the key because only then, can they build a life worth living. It was also very interesting to learn about the correlation between investing in health care and people's ability to earn income. In the book, it talks about how a bed net gift allowed a man named Eliarehemu, who was suffering from malaria, to get healthy and earn income. So because of the investment in bed nets, this man was able to use it and become healthier, which allowed him to work and earn income.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Blue Sweater. I respect and look up to Jacqueline. She had left a successful career in finance to come to Africa to help people. She took the time to understand them and ultimately came up with the best solution which was to help them become entrepreneurs so that they can take care of themselves. 

Blue Sweater Post #2

The Blue Sweater

My favorite part in the second half of The Blue Sweater, was when Jacqueline Novogratz was in Rwanda. In Rwanda, Jacqueline worked by helping poor women start businesses. She helped Honorata, Liliane, Prudence, Agnes, and Annie start a bakery which they named Duterimbere. It was amazing to be able to see the impact that she was making on these women's lives. She made them realize that "for the first time in their lives - a real correlation between the effort they put into their work and the income they earned. They began to believe the organization could succeed and that they themselves would play a key part in that success." She was able to empower these women to believe in themselves which I believe is a great accomplishment. 

Jacqueline leaves and then comes back to Rwanda after the genocide to find that her friends were victims. However, when visiting the bakery it was very sad to find out her friends were killed, but "for one brief moment, there had been a packet of joy here in a place where women dared to have aspirations, to make their own decisions on their own terms". It can be seen that Jacqueline was able to really make a difference and impact the lives of the women that owned the bakery as well as many other women in Rwanda that witnessed aspirations as being possible for women.

Blue Sweater Post #1

The Blue Sweater

I was very excited to be assigned to read The Blue Sweater, by Jacqueline Novogratz after hearing her on Ted Talk in class. From her Ted Talk, I could tell that she is a very passionate individual that thrives off helping others. I really respect Jacqueline and look up to her. And I am really looking forward to reading her book and being able to learn and see how her strong passion came about. 

The first thing that caught my interest was the title of the book, The Blue Sweater. It was interesting to learn about the story behind the blue sweater. Jacqueline owned a blue sweater that she loved and wore all the time, but after being made fun of when wearing it, she donated it to Goodwill. Years later, she saw that same sweater on a little boy when volunteering in Rwanda. This just comes to show that we are all connected. 

The quote that caught my attention the most was when Jacqueline went to explore the the slums of Hillside Rio. She wanted to experience not only the rich but the poor parts of as well. "I'd never experienced such poverty alongside such wealth before, and I'd also never felt such a strong desire to make a difference or felt so fully alive." This quote was so powerful because it was in this moment that she realized how unfortunate some peoples lives really are and realized her calling. All in this one moment, she also realized how she has been living in a bubble and has not really seen the "real world", until now. Overall, I really enjoyed the reading so far and I am looking forward to learning more about Jacqueline and her journey. 

Anything Post #2

Try, Try Again

In 5th grade, my teacher would post a poem each month on the board and we were asked to memorize it by the end of the month and recite it to the class. Out of all the poems that I memorized during my years as a 5th grader, it was interesting to see that this particular poem stayed with me until now.           

Try, Try Again

From The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett

'Tis a lesson you should heed,

Try, try again;

If at first you don't succeed,

Try, try again;

Then your courage should appear,

For, if you will persevere,

You will conquer, never fear;

Try, try again.

The poem is very catchy, it's easy to memorize, and it is a useful lesson. The poem taught me that making mistakes are fine as long as you don't give up and keep trying. And in the end you will succeed. Growing up, this poem has reminded me to keep persevering. I have lived, not giving up and I believe I am more successful because of that. I believe that this poem was a great lesson that my 5th grade teacher had taught me and for that I am grateful.