Jillian Haslam’s ‘A Voice Out of Poverty’, an inspiring memoir

When Jillian Haslam was 8 years old, she stood outside a tea shop in the slums of Calcutta for hours to receive a ladle of milk that would help save her little sister’s life.

This was one of many experiences that would lead Haslam to become a force in the world of social activism, as she shares in her tragic but inspiring memoir, A Voice Out of Poverty: The Power to Achieve Through Adversity.

Haslam and her siblings faced malnutrition, disease and death daily as they struggled to care for each other, lived on the streets and fled 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 populous cities, they were in an almost constant state of sickness and hunger.

Born to British parents who stayed in India after the country gained its independence, Haslam recalls not only the poverty but also the abuse and prejudice she faced growing up as an Anglo-Indian, and she gives an interesting perspective on the subject of intersectionality and colonialism.

Years later, Haslam found herself moving from the small room she and her many siblings called home to work for Bank of America, fighting prejudice as she faced moving up the corporate ranks. All the while, she continued to take care of her family and do volunteer work in her spare time.

Haslam unflinchingly shares stories of the struggles she and her siblings faced, the struggles her parents struggled through and the unwavering resilience to remain kind and faithful through it all. She describes the moment she felt the calling that led her to become 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 fast. She recalls many tragedies with a stability you can’t help but admire, and retells stories from her younger years with an innocence that adds an extra dimension to the depictions of a rough childhood.

But Haslam never forgets a friendly face. With a loving look, she remembers her youth and the people who helped her, including Mother Teresa, with reverence and gratitude that Haslam has been able to pass on to others in her own work. A voice out of poverty inspires readers to look at those less fortunate than themselves with the same loving kindness.

Haslam has overseen six separate charities, given numerous TEDx talks and 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 flinching 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.