Il Banchiere dei Poveri
For my Anthropology class here, I had to read “The Banker of the Poor” by Muhammad Yunus. Even in another language, this book touched me. Yunus created the Grameen Bank to establish Micro Credit programs for the poor, all because he couldn’t stand teaching wonderful theories of Economics in a classroom while having to walk through the slums to go to work.
If only we all had a conscience like Yunus, and would act on the things that distress or disturb us. I believe I mentioned before in this blog how the beggars and dog people in Rome would make me worry; I would stay up at night wondering who those people are and why we make assumptions about them before asking them their stories. Every day taking the train into Milan I would see people living in the trash by the tracks under a small bridge.
One day the Police came and cleared it out, and blocked off the part under the bridge. Where did those people go? What happened when some of them came back and realized that they had to leave? How did they feel? What did the Police do with them, to them? I asked everyone I knew these questions, and no one had answers for me.
“Maybe they took them to their country.” “What country?” “Romania” “But what if they were born in Italy and are Italian?” “They’re not Italian.” “But if they lived in Italy and went to Italian school or know Italian they are a part of Italian culture, too. They can’t help being born poor.”
Utimately the answer is always “I don’t know” or “It’s not my problem.” Or something more violent and contemptuous that I refuse to even type. Why so much hatred? Can’t anyone imagine being in their place?
And I argue, it is your problem. It’s everyone’s problem. Because if you kick the poor out of one spot, they move to another spot. No one wants them in their backyard, but no one does anything to help them.
Which is why Yunus’ book touched me so much. One man came up with an idea to save the world from poverty that actually works. Now programs like Grameen are all over the world, and Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize.
My University at home does a “Freshman Reader” every year, and I’m planning on suggesting this book. It’s something that everyone should read, to understand why the poor remain poor and the prejudices we habour against them, in the attempt to change all of that. But what good is it to read an inspiring book, and then do nothing with your new knowledge?
So, the other week, I stopped and talked to a povera that I see everyday walking to school. She sits on a chair and makes bookmarks. I bought one with cats on it for a friend and talked to her about how she was doing. Her name is Rosy, and I’m really glad to have met her.
