When Jillian Haslam was 8 years old, she would stand outside a tea shop in the slums of Calcutta for hours to receive a ladle of milk that would help save her baby sister's life.
This was one of many experiences that would lead Haslam to become a force in the world of social activism, which she shares in her tragic yet inspiring memoir, A Voice Out of Poverty: The Power to Achieve Through Adversity.
Haslam and her siblings faced malnourishment, sickness and death daily as they fought to take care of each other, living on the streets and fleeing danger in the middle of the night. Their parents worked hard to keep the family afloat, but in the slums of one of India's most populated cities, they were in a near-constant state of illness and starvation.
Born to British parents who stayed in India after the country won its independence, Haslam recalls not only the destitution, but the abuse and prejudice that she faced growing up as an Anglo-Indian, and she gives an interesting perspective on the topic of intersectionality and colonialism.
Years later, Haslam found herself moving from the tiny room that she and her many siblings called home to work for the Bank of America, fighting prejudice as she faced to move up the ranks in the corporate world. All the while, she continued to take care of her family and do volunteer work in her free time.
Haslam unflinchingly shares stories about the struggles she and her siblings faced, the troubles that her parents fought through and the unwavering resiliency to remain kind and faithful through it all. She describes the moment she felt the calling that led to her becoming the activist and advocate for the poor that she is today.
A Voice Out of Poverty is a heartbreaking story of a childhood that forced Haslam to grow up quickly. She recalls many tragedies with a steadiness one cannot help but admire, retelling stories of her younger years with an innocence that gives added dimension to the depictions of that harsh childhood.
But Haslam never forgets a friendly face, With a loving gaze, she recalls her youth and the people who helped her, including Mother Teresa, with reverence and gratitude, which Haslam has been able to pass on to others in her own work. A Voice Out of Poverty inspires readers to look upon those less fortunate than themselves with the same loving kindness.
Haslam has overseen six separate charities, given numerous TEDx talks has been awarded the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for her humanitarian efforts.
In simple, yet stunning prose, A Voice Out of Poverty tells Haslam's beautiful story of resilience without shying away from the horrors of the environment that gave her the strength to overcome hardships and become the woman she is today.
A Voice Out of Poverty: The Power to Achieve Through Adversity is published by Top Reads Publishing and will be available on September 13, 2022.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more
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