Jessica Jackley, a co-founder of the online microfinance community Kiva, is trying to change the way we think about people in poverty. Many people will relate to her perspective, especially her attitude towards people in poverty prior to founding Kiva. She thought that "they" need "our" help. After actually meeting a handful of people we would term as "in poverty," she realized that her attitude was wrong. They did not need help that would only turn into dependency. Now she believes that instead of the haves and have nots, the lines should be blurred. We should not think of giving as a transaction or a way to make ourselves feel better. We should not distance ourselves from people in poverty. Check out the above video to hear her story as well as the stories of the entrepreneurs that changed her attitude towards poverty.
-Kelli Hanson