Overview

WINNER OF THE MOTHER THERESA INTERNATIONAL MEMORIAL AWARD “. . . a coming of age story of courage, survival and inner strength which illuminates the human condition in all its squalor and glory.”—Vikas Swarup, writer of Slumdog Millionnaire From Devastating Poverty and Childhood Trauma to International Standing Rising from the slums of Calcutta, where Jillian Haslam and her family were forced to live after British colonization ended, A Voice out of Poverty traces the remarkable journey of this determined, and compassionate woman as she uses her story and her voice to speak for the poor and powerless. Haslam first embodied her fierce will to never give up as a young girl, when she stood for hours at a tea shop, begging for a ladle of milk to keep her newborn sister from dying of starvation. A Voice out of Poverty leaves the reader asking how someone so young had the tenacity to overcome so much—and then go back to face it all again in a passionate effort to spare others from the suffering that she endured and witnessed all around her growing up. ""It is no Cinderella story, but rather emphasizes hard work and sheer courage. Poverty, gender, and race are at the forefront of our problems—and indeed, problems worldwide.” —Shachi Amdekar President, Cambridge University International Development Society, UK

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9781970107234

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Reviews

Jillian is remarkable not only for overcoming her own history but for using it as an upbuilding example with which to help others. She does not feel sorry for herself or ask for sympathy, rather she seems to wish us to connect with the millions who, like her, had very tough childhoods of extreme poverty. --Rani Singh, BBC Broadcaster and author of Sonia Gandhi: An Extraordinary Life, An Indian Destiny Jillian Haslam's unforgettable memoir, makes Slumdog Millionaire look like the fantasy it is! --Manuel Freedman, Filmmaker, and Author, MFM, Los Angeles, CA, USA Poverty, gender and race are at the forefront of our problems and indeed, worldwide. Jillian's experiences fascinated the student members of CUiD, not merely because of the instinctive appeal of her rags-to-riches tale. It is no Cinderella story, but rather emphases hard work and sheer courage. The depth of her story was not lost upon us, with the inclusion of social factors that contribute to poverty. -- Shachi Amdekar, President, Cambridge University International Development Society (CUiD), Centre of Development Studies (POLIS) There are two kinds of people in the world--those who break under adversity and those who take it as a challenge and rise above it. Jillian Haslam belongs to the second category --The Hindu We have much to learn from this story of resilience and from a will that is unwilling to relent. --Sundara Rajan, Barclays, UK Not many emerge from such hardship & deprivation with such a positive attitude towards life. What she has learned from her own life and from her studies, she applies to helping others cope with the vicissitudes of fortune. Truly a remarkable person with a remarkable story to tell. --Neil O'Brien, Former member of Parliament (India) A startling account of an English/Indian family which stayed in India after Indian independence and suffered through excruciating times ... while living in conditions on the margin of slums and homelessness. Amazing to learn from such real-life experiences, it shows how the past does not have to determine one's future. --Tom Groenfeldt, Freelance journalist & Writer, Forbes Magazine, NYC, USA Her own life has been exemplary in many ways; her capacity to deal with adversity seems immeasurable. I was very much affected by the book, in a positive way. I am certain every reader will find inspiration and lessons from this hard-hitting autobiography and will learn even more when listening to her telling her story of how she goes from a life of nothing to achieving unbelievable success. --Ambi Venkateswaran, Consultant, Aozora Bank Ltd., Tokyo (Formerly, CEO, Bank of America Corporation)

Jillian is remarkable not only for overcoming her own history but for using it as an upbuilding example with which to help others. She does not feel sorry for herself or ask for sympathy, rather she seems to wish us to connect with the millions who, like her, had very tough childhoods of extreme poverty. Rani Singh, BBC Broadcaster and author of Sonia Gandhi: An Extraordinary Life, An Indian Destiny A startling account of an English/Indian family which stayed in India after Indian independence and suffered through excruciating times while living in conditions on the margin of slums and homelessness. Amazing to learn from such real-life experiences, it shows how the past does not have to determine one's future. Tom Groenfeldt, Freelance journalist & Writer, Forbes Magazine , NYC, USA Jillian Haslam's unforgettable memoir, makes Slumdog Millionaire look like the fantasy it is! Manuel Freedman, Filmmaker, and Author, MFM, Los Angeles, CA, USA There are two kinds of people in the worldthose who break under adversity and those who take it as a challenge and rise above it. Jillian Haslam belongs to the second category The Hindu Not many emerge from such hardship & deprivation with such a positive attitude towards life. What she has learned from her own life and from her studies, she applies to helping others cope with the vicissitudes of fortune. Truly a remarkable person with a remarkable story to tell. Neil O'Brien, Former member of Parliament (India) Her own life has been exemplary in many ways; her capacity to deal with adversity seems immeasurable. I was very much affected by the book, in a positive way. I am certain every reader will find inspiration and lessons from this hard-hitting autobiography and will learn even more when listening to her telling her story of how she goes from a life of nothing to achieving unbelievable success. Ambi Venkateswaran, Consultant, Aozora Bank Ltd., Tokyo (Formerly, CEO, Bank of America Corporation) We have much to learn from this story of resilience and from a will that is unwilling to relent. Sundara Rajan, Barclays, UK Poverty, gender and race are at the forefront of our problems and indeed, worldwide. Jillian's experiences fascinated the student members of CUiD, not merely because of the instinctive appeal of her rags-to-riches tale. It is no Cinderella story, but rather emphases hard work and sheer courage. The depth of her story was not lost upon us, with the inclusion of social factors that contribute to poverty. Shachi Amdekar, President, Cambridge University International Development Society (CUiD), Centre of Development Studies (POLIS)

Author Information

Jillian Haslam is an international motivational speaker, business coach, educator, author, philanthropist, and survivor. Born to parents of British ancestry who stayed in India after its independence, she relied on the charitable kindness of others and the life lessons she learned on the streets to survive disease, malnutrition, continual abuse, and the deaths of multiple siblings at a young age. Against all odds, she secured her first big job as a personal assistant to the CEO at the Bank of America in India. Her passion to help others from similar situations as her own led her to the charitable department within Bank of America. She then went on to launch six nonprofit organizations across India, personally overseeing the creation of school programs and training programs to help empower students. Haslam now resides near London and travels the world utilizing her wisdom and vision to help others, inspiring everyone she meets along the way.

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