A Voice Out of Poverty
by Jillian Haslam
GENRE: Memoir
BLURB:
A woman’s ascent from devastating poverty and childhood trauma to international standing as a prominent advocate for the poor and helpless.
As a young girl, Jillian Haslam saved a life. Herself tiny and aching from malnutrition, she stood for hours at a tea shop, begging for a ladle of milk to try and prevent her newborn sister from dying of starvation.
From the slums of Calcutta to the executive floors of a global bank, A Voice out of Poverty offers an unflinching look at one woman’s journey from destitution to success.
Throughout, Haslam demonstrates an inexhaustible drive to rise above adversity and find beacons of positivity in impossible circumstances. But her rise doesn’t stop at the top; she returns to her roots again and again to extend a hand to those left in the impoverished communities that she so narrowly escaped.
British by ancestry and born in India after its independence, Haslam and her family suffered degradation and prejudice. They were forced to live on the streets, flee danger in the middle of the night, and face persistent abuse and starvation.
This treacherous environment is the backdrop of an unlikely story of resilience and an unshakable family bond. From squalor and powerlessness, Haslam finds countless moments of grace, community, gratitude, and love.
A Voice out of Poverty is a raw and inspiring memoir that shows how beauty can be found in improbable places, and how “success” is not just the act of making it through. Rather, it is the act of reaching back to bring others with you.
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Excerpt:
One day my mother took Vanessa and me to see Mr. Nazareth, a kindly family friend. Mr. Nazareth was a tall, dark, South Indian, Christian gentleman in his late forties, who my parents had met through a mutual acquaintance and in the past helped my father find work. Mr. Nazareth was blessed with a charitable heart. Poor himself, he was always smartly dressed, a habit from his father who had worked closely with the British Army during British rule. His family had worked for the British Army and he always wore perfectly pressed shirts and trousers and behaved like an absolute gentleman.
DUM DUM 5
Seeing Mr. Nazareth was a high point for Vanessa and me. He never failed to have a bag of Muri Balls ready for us. Flavored with cardamom, ginger, and coconut, and the size of a golf ball, Muri Balls were made from puffed rice, honey, and jaggery—an unrefined sugar. They were super sweet and light and a huge treat. Each time we saw Mr. Nazareth he’d have a bunch for us wrapped in a paper packet called a thonga.
But my mother didn’t take us to him to indulge our sweet teeth. My mother sought his guidance regarding where and how we should live, which we desperately needed. He asked us to return two days later with my father.
We returned as requested and gathered with him into the crowded small living space in his two-room home. My parents perched on his two cane stools called moras and he, hands on his knees, sat upright on his sole dining chair. Vanessa and I sat on the floor and leaned against the wall, devouring the obligatory Muri Balls as fast as humanly possible.
“I’d like to make you a proposition,” he said. His tone was more formal than normal, like a CEO leading a discussion with staff. He paused to emphasize the moment and continued.
“I have spoken to a friend who would like to open a school for the poor in Dum Dum. The area is desperately short of such facilities, so many children in need.”
“I see,” said my father, with a tone of respect, “but why are you telling us?”
“I would like you, Roland, to be the principal and Margaret the teacher. I want you to teach the children to speak and learn English. But beyond that, I want to offer you all a place to live. You cannot go on like this.”
Interview with Jillian Haslam
Do you ever wish you were someone else? Who?
While I’m happy to be the person I am and have become today, my driving purpose and ambition is to make a positive difference to the world we live in and through my book, my speaking, and my charities I am striving to achieve this goal.
So, therefore, while I am happy to be myself, I admire three women who have made a positive difference to the world we live in, in their own unique ways. These women are Mother Teresa, Princess Diana and Oprah Winfrey. If I can make a difference in some small way as they have managed, I believe I would have achieved my purpose in this life.
What did you do on your last birthday?
The honest answer is I spent my time at home contemplating my life to date and feeling sad and shedding a few tears for opportunities that I felt are passing me by. I used my birthday as a reminder that I need to do more to try and make a difference to the world we live in.
What part of the writing process do you dread?
The part I find hard and challenging is proof reading and editing. There are two reasons for this, as I read what I have written once again, there is always the urge to add to the text to try and improve it and I am always side-tracked by this. I have tried “outsourcing” this to a professional but the challenge there is that having not been through my experiences, they are often challenged to understand and transmit the emotion or the feeling I wish to share with the world.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
All of my writing so far has been based on my lived experience. So, while recalling those experiences is not a challenge, the associated emotions with revisiting some of the dark and frankly terrible times in my past still drags me down, even in the present day and to overcome that feeling and look forward to a more positive tomorrow can be a test of willpower. I have found taking a break and focusing on something positive for a while has often helped me bounce back.
Tell us about your latest release
I published my Memoirs in the US late last year and received extensive coverage, some very high profile endorsements and rave reviews from publications like Newsweek and several others that culminated into the honour of receiving a Kirkus Star review. I am now looking to have the book turned into the documentary, a series or a movie
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jillian Haslam was born in 1970 and raised primarily in the slums of Calcutta. Despite the severe devastation of her family’s living circumstances, she completed her education and landed her first major employment as a personal assistant to the CEO at Bank of America in India.
Jillian rose through the ranks, and Bank of America appointed her president of its Charity and Diversity Network in India, where she spearheaded charitable work in four different cities. This led her to receive three philanthropic awards from Bank of America: the Star Recognition award, the Service Excellence award, and The Individual Achievement award.
In 2011, she published the first version of her memoir, Indian. English, which chronicles her life growing up amid dreadful poverty, abuse, and tragedy. The book sold over 150,000 copies, mostly while she was on the speaking circuit. Her story also incited interest from Hollywood and British film directors and producers, leading to the development of a feature film.
Charitable giving became Jillian’s life work. In 2012, she received the first runner up award for The Asian Woman of the Year in the “Social and Humanitarian” category. In early 2015, The Telegraph of Calcutta presented Jillian with the True Legend award for her exceptional contribution to social and humanitarian causes. In mid-2015, she was recognized as a finalist for the Role Model of the Year award for her work delivering speeches in educational institutes across the UK. In late 2016, she received an award for Excellence in Humanitarianism. And, in 2017, she received her greatest accolade, the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award.
Jillian became a speaker in demand and is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). She has delivered several TEDx talks, among other prestigious speaking engagements, on various topics that flow from her life story. Jillian speaks on topics that include entrepreneurialism, the power of the mind, and human resilience.
She has also been featured on various TV networks, including Channel 5 and the BBC, and a wide range of print media, including The Independent, The Pioneer, The Times, The Telegraph, The Metro, Gulf News, and other major media outlets. Jillian’s charitable work continues under the auspices of the Remedia Trust where she oversees several separate charities: Ageing Smiles (for the elderly poor), Happy Hearts (for children), Empowering Girls (for teaching various workable skills), India’s Disabled (for building a mobile medical unit), E3 Growth (focused on education, employment, and employability), and the Mother Teresa Project (for women and single mothers).
Jillian currently lives in London with her husband.
Connect with Jillian Haslam:
Facebook – Author ~ Facebook – A Voice Out of Poverty
8 comments:
Sounds like a good memoir. Enjoyed the excerpt and interview.
Thank you for hosting today.
Thank you so much for this perfectly written blog on my book. I am more than grateful. It has taken much more than resilience to have lived in a slum where we shared 3 toilets with more than 3,000 people, to have got my first job at a bank as an Executive Secretary and to have climbed the rants to being The Head of Charity & Diversity but all of this was done just to be reach out to people in desperate need and for that I shall always be grateful.
Sounds like a good read.
Enjoyed the interview.
I look forward to reading this.
This sounds like a book that I would enjoy.
I would love to read your book and I just love your cover.
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