Fw: Letter from Jacqueline Novogratz - Summer 2010

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington Carver What is Social Entrepreneurship? Statement of Faith You can find other "Market with Meaning" but you definitely want to see "Profit with Purpose". I personally "Believe in Kingdom Transformation" because I know there is only ONE "Life for Significant". 社會企業家的事業 my facebook  &  my twitter  &  my blog --- 2010年8月18日 星期三，Jacqueline Novogratz <ceo@acumenfund.org> 寫道﹕ 寄件人: Jacqueline Novogratz <ceo@acumenfund.org> 主題: Letter from Jacqueline Novogratz - Summer 2010 收件人: incubator.hou@gmail.com 日期: 2010年8月18日,星期三,下午9:00      Dear Houghton,   The past three months have been so intense and rich that I don’t know where to start. I spent eight weeks in our country offices – Kenya, Pakistan and India. The experience taught me a great deal about our global operations from the country perspective, and it reinforced my assumption that building strong local organizations that are both self-sustaining and interdependent is crucial to our long-term vision. I also was humbled repeatedly by the quality of entrepreneurs with whom we work, our advisors who give so much of themselves and our team members who bring their whole selves to all parts of the work. We also held our Investee Gathering where we brought together Acumen entrepreneurs who problem-solved, discussed values and made lasting connections. Amitabha Sadangi, whose work on drip irrigation has now reached more than 400,000 people in India, is planning to visit Pakistan and provide technical assistance to Dr. Sono Khangarani and the team at Micro Drip who are bringing that technology to their country. We’re also grateful to Partners and Advisors who joined the meeting at their expense to bring their skills and talents to the table.  The Blue Sweater 500! Thanks to a generous donor, we're giving away copies of The Blue Sweater (up to 100 copies to each winner) for the most creative ideas for using the book. Learn more about the competition here. Royalties from paperback sales go to support the work of Acumen Fund  and other organizations fighting for social change.    D.light's Diwali campaign Acumen investee D.light Design has launched a "Light up this Diwali with D.light" campaign. If you or your organization is interested in purchasing lights as part of this effort, please contact Saurabh Sharma or go to D.light's website.   In Pakistan, I had the honor of speaking at a TEDx that asked "What Does Pakistan Need?" I spoke about some of the innovations that underscored the good news in that country. Jassar Farms, for example, is a company providing affordable insemination services to improve cattle breeds and milk productivity. It was thrilling to meet the first generation of cows born of Pakistani cows inseminated with Holstein or Jersey semen. These cows are producing 14-23 liters of milk per day as compared to their mothers who produce 4-5 on average. It is early days, for sure, but you can begin to imagine large-scale transformation when you think that there are 35 million people in Pakistan who depend on smallholder livestock. Life changing for me personally was visiting Saiban’s housing development outside Lahore.  I visited the day after the terrorist attacks on two Ahmadi mosques where 100 people were killed and another 60 seriously wounded.  The housing development is more beautiful each time I visit. Now there are 300 houses, two schools and green parks around which houses are constructed. The community is diverse and welcoming, including several Muslim sects. There stands in the community a single mosque. For eight months, former Acumen Fellow Jawad Aslam met with community leaders who could not agree on which group would use the mosque for Friday prayer. Finally, they resolved to choose the three most respected imams who would rotate every Friday. As for the community, the people gather to pray together. In Pakistan, Saiban is building community, not just homes. Read more about Jacqueline's trip to Pakistan in her latest journal. In some ways, this is a small story. Three hundred houses and a single mosque. But Pakistan needs stories of what is possible as does the rest of the world. Moreover, this single development already has influenced policies for housing in the state of Punjab. Acumen has a model for what works. All of us can dare to imagine. Pakistan needs dreams right now. Our hearts break for the 20 million individuals who have been displaced because of the floods and we send our thoughts and prayers to all who have been affected. The impact of this tragedy will be felt for a long time; Pakistan needs help and friendship now. Team members have lost family in the Air Blue flight from Karachi to Islamabad and as a result of the floods as well. If you’d like to contribute, here is information on several strong organizations. Finally, India. I spent significant time there, in part because our Country Director, Varun Sahni is moving on after five years of service to Acumen. We are currently seeking an extraordinary individual to help take our $18MM India portfolio to the next level and play a role in expanding our patient capital approach to other countries. Thanks go to our wonderful advisors who have reaffirmed what community means. I was able to meet with many of our entrepreneurs, and was often humbled by what they are achieving. In spending time in places like rural Bihar where Husk Power is now bringing electricity to more than 100,000 people, I also was reminded of the extent of India’s deep poverty, and of how much work there is to do. I return to New York feeling like a different person. I feel a deeper level of anger at the injustices wrought by poverty and too much passivity when it comes to changing policies that could release the energies of millions. I feel a deeper level of connection to individuals around the world, from whichever profession, who are dedicating themselves to finding new solutions that build on the strengths of capitalism while realizing it must be transformed in new ways to meet the needs of our interconnected world. I feel a deeper level of commitment to the hard work of investing in people, in organizations, in relationships - recognizing that our most precious asset is trust, and that trust takes so much more work and discipline to build and to hold than it does to destroy. Let me end with a quote from Gandhi that I hold as a north star for its wisdom: Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, try the following expedient: Recall the face of the poorest and most helpless man you have ever seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him.  Will he be able to gain anything by it? Will it restore to him control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to…self-rule for the hungry and spiritually starved millions…? Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away. I wish you peace and kindness, Jacqueline Novogratz     Help us spread the word. Forward this to a friend To unsubscribe from this and all Acumen Fund emails, click here.

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