Blue Sweater Essay: Jacqueline Novogratz

Lindsey Bristow First Year Experience November 28, 2012 Blue Sweater Essay One of the many themes in the Blue Sweater is leadership. The main character Jacqueline Novogratz is an amazing leader and proves that throughout the novel. She goes through many struggles but she always over came them. In this class I have learned many things that I will take along with me through my journey here at LIM College. This novel and what we have learned in class can relate to my experiences as a freshman at LIM College, and inspire me to be a better person. Jacqueline Novogratz is the definition of a leader. The book starts off with Jacqueline as a young girl realizing that without knowing, people indirectly affect you with the actions they make in life. She wanted to make her affect on someone positive. With that said Jacqueline was determined to use her new skills to help the poor and do whatever she can to make their lives better. she accepts a position to serve as an ambassador to African women in an office of the African Development Bank. During her first week she encounters many challenges with her co-workers. But as a true leader she decides to stay and work through it.
Even leaders need help sometimes and that is exactly what Jacqueline needed at this point.
Jacqueline remembers what her friend in Africa once told her, be a bird on the inside and a tiger on the outside. This is when she realized that if she was going to make a difference, she needed o change her attitude and be more tough. Jacqueline returned to Kenya in 1987 and worked extremely hard at analyzing the loan portfolio at a fledging women’s microfinance organization, only to find out that a good percentage of the money is owed. Feeling helpless, Jacqueline accepts a friends offer to start a credit program for women in
Rwanda. Jacqueline speaks with the women and they are very excited about the program that will give them a fair interest rate. She named the new organization Dutertimbere, which means to go forward with excitement. During the first year, Jacqueline and her coworkers confront the issue of women failing to repay their loans. Jacqueline and her coworker Lillian realize they have to show the women that they care by making them to repay the loans on time. Within eight months, the women earned $2 a day. This is four times more than what they were paid when they started. This gave women a voice and the ability to make decisions for themselves. This shows how great of a leader Jacqueline was through out the novel. Overall Jacqueline did the best she could and fought for a cause she believed in, like any true leader would do. Although she had many set backs, she was able to make a difference in many lives. Jacqueline is someone who truly cares fore the well being of others.