Does Charity Put the Customer First?

Why is it that most organizations in the social sector ignore the very customers that they are trying to serve? Often times this critical business oversight is compounded by the fact that many organizations work in a vacuum, oblivious to other initiatives that may be partly of fully serving the very same need. I recently heard the story of a homeless person who actually gained weight after moving to the street. Most of us assume that food and shelter are the most critical services that the homeless need. Well in fact, they have other needs, such as access to laundry services, that may be even more important than food if enough good Samaritans have stepped forward to meet the market demand. Laundry Love Project (www.just4one.org/laundrylove.html) is one such initiative that was founded because someone actually sat down with the customer and realized that there was an unmet need that should be addressed.

Unfortunately, this lack of focus on the customer is not only a US-centric epidemic. In fact, it is one of the main reasons why billions of dollars of traditional aid to the developing world have simply disappeared. Too often aid agencies have looked at the governing elite as their customers instead of the poor, who are the ultimate recipients of the service. The poor are perceived not as customers, but rather as charity recipients.

Recently, I returned from spending nine months in Pakistan, where I worked for a drip irrigation company that targeted small farmers. As a for-profit start-up, we soon realized that our product offerings were not gaining the traction that we desired. As we dug deeper into the problem, we recognized that we were not doing a good job of putting the customer’s needs at the forefront of our business. Of course we would spend time in the field with customers listening to their concerns, but customer service was not a strategic part of our business. We found ourselves discussing our customers’ needs as if we knew exactly what they were when in fact we did not. The turn around came when we began to deploy IDEOs Human Centered Design approach in the field. We began to conduct in-depth interviews with customers to discern what influenced them and how they made decisions. We finally were really listening to the customer. Soon, we began to change our focus from more expensive systems to a cheaper system that only cost $12.

Social Entrepreneurship is different than traditional aid because it treats the poor as customers who have a choice, often for the first time. By selling a product or service to the poor instead of giving it away for free, social enterprises have the ability to use the market as a feedback loop to tell which goods and services are working and which are not. Just recently, D.Light Design, a for-profit company who is serving people without access to reliable electricity, listened to its customers and heard that their product offerings were still too expensive at a $15 price point. They went back to the drawing board and came up with an even cheaper solar light that is more user friendly for only $10.

When the poor pay for critical goods and services they become empowered. They can vote with their limited discretionary funds and demand a level of service that charity is hard pressed to replicate.

Joel Montgomery

---

A Storm to Remember

It’s ironic how a lightning-filled storm can knock out the electricity to millions of people. Yesterday, I was on my way back from Hyderabad headed to Karachi, when I noticed a strange phenomenon. Suddenly, this strange liquid began to pelt our car in large drops as big as a grape. SPLAT… SPLAT… SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT. Now for those of you who are used to rain, this probably seems quite standard, but for those of us who live in Karachi, rain is an irregular event. I have lived here in Pakistan for 7 months and only seen raindrops twice. As we barreled forward undeterred by Mother Nature, the clouds grew dark and the wind whipped up the desert sands to obscure our view. Lightning danced all around us. Thankfully, we made it through unscathed. Outside my house in Karachi, I exited the car that had shielded me from the torrent and heard the familiar hum of the generator. Load shedding is a daily reality, so I didn’t think much of it. One hour, two, three… now this was not normal. Usually, the power stays off for only one hour. Four, five, six, seven… thank goodness that our generator runs on natural gas, because something major must have happened.

Well, we were not alone. 70% of the southernmost province of Sindh, including most of Karachi (16 million strong) was in the dark due to the very storm that we had passed through on the way home. Those who are not so lucky to have a generator of UPS suffered for 20 hours or more. Those that could afford a generator of UPS suffered for 15 hours or more depending upon how much gasoline they purchased to run those precious fans. Most of the city ground to a halt. Finally at about 1:30pm the following day, all of Karachi let out a joyous exaltation. The electricity was finally back.

Joel Montgomery

---

The Wind

For many years the vessel sailed in gentle seas, a light breeze guiding the way. The sailors enjoyed nice ports in the Americas but seldom ventured further. One day, a great storm approached, accompanied by strong winds that the vessels’ sails had never seen in these warm Atlantic waters. The captain pondered if he should stow the sail and ride out the storm or run downwind at the mercy of the gale. The lines grew taut, the knots shrank, but the tackle held. Never had anyone on the boat traveled at such speeds. Fear filled their minds but soon fear was replaced by amusement and amusement replaced by joy. The strange winds took the sailors to far off places few ever imagined. The mysterious force would stop as quickly as it started, usually not far from a harbor in which to rest. After disembarking the crew would explore the new locale, taste exotic foods, and befriend the locals. Inevitably in each port of call, the crew would find some way to use the skills from their country to help the local inhabitants. In return, they would gain new insights into the world and hone their own abilities, constantly learning from their new friends. As quickly as it had stopped, the mysterious wind would pick up and the sailors would know that it was time to return to their beckoning ship. Once on board, the force would whisk them away to another land. Now in every journey, they would pass by deserted islands and crystal blue waters. Some of the sailors would ask, “Why don’t we explore that ile, for it seems a perfect spot to rest our souls.” But the captain knew that though he had a hold of the rudder, the wind guided his path.

Joel Montgomery

---

Update from Pakistan

Mohammed Shafi is an eight-acre farmer who must support fifty members of his family by farming, raising a few water buffalo, and working as a day laborer. He cannot afford to cover his expenses and as such, must take loans from local money lenders at rates in excess of 10% per month. It is farmers like Mohammed Shafi, that I am trying to help through my work with Micro Drip. Micro Drip is not a non-profit, but rather a social business. We sell low-cost drip irrigation systems to poor farmers at a reasonable price so that the farmer has access to this incredible technology, and we can serve him without asking for handouts.

Incredibly, it has been six months since I first arrived in Pakistan and God has been faithful in keeping me safe in spite of the violence that has plagued parts of the country. Thankfully, I've found that the reports on the news are scarier than the ground reality. The assignment has been the most challenging of my life, but I've also learned more here than anywhere else.

1) No plan will work unless it includes on-the-ground knowledge
The typical aid model of the past 50 years has been for smart people from the developed world to decide what people in the developing world need. This strategy is doomed to failure from the beginning. Poor people aren't dumb. They understand their ground reality better than you or I.

2) Innovation does not only come from the developed world
When working with poor farmers with little-to-no education, I have been amazed by some of the human ingenuity that I've witnessed. For more details, check out my blog (see link below).

3) I am now more aware of my own basic assumptions
When explaining how to calculate a farmer's net profit to a room of Masters-level sales people, I was shocked to learn that they did not understand basic percentages.

4) Human Resources is THE strategic function
You can have the greatest strategy in the world, but if you don't have the right people, then the strategy is worthless.

5) You and I are spoiled
I have had the opportunity to live with an incredible Pakistani family. I have access to a car, internet, AC, a TV, etc. The electricity goes out some five or six times daily and yet we have a generator to power the fans in the extreme heat. Most of this country is not so lucky. When in America, we don't even think about the electricity, water, or internet not working.

In three months, I will return to the USA and complete my fellowship with Acumen Fund in New York City. Acumen Fund is an innovative organization that uses the power of business to tackle some of the most critical social issues in the world such as clean water, affordable healthcare, renewable energy, and low-cost housing. Post Acumen Fund, I am considering several different career options, including potentially starting my own business or consulting with private companies that are seeking to enter developing markets. If you have any job leads that you believe would fit well with my skill set and interests, please do email me.

Thank you for your interest and support of my work around the world. While I believe my next job will be based in the US for at least a few years, I am sure that I will head abroad again soon.

Sincerely,

Joel Montgomery

---

Innovations from the Field: Onion Lottery

The next series of blog posts will cover innovations from the field. Recently, I conducted some in-depth farmer interviews around Hyderbad and learned about some pretty interesting innovations that are happening on the ground. Keep in mind that these are not college-educated individuals; most have not even finished high school. What I saw was human ingenuity in its purest sense. At the end of the day, I found myself leaving inspired by their innovativeness and creativity.

Mohammed Ishmail is an eleven-acre farmer who doesn’t need a broker to diversify his portfolio. Like his counterparts in the developed world who invest in various types of stocks and bonds in order to spread the risk on their portfolios, Mohammed does not put all his eggs in one basket. During the summer season, he plants 10 acres of cotton, a crop with minimal price volatility, and one acre of onion, a crop that is notorious for huge price fluctuations. The price of onion can fluctuate between PKR 10,000 to 300,000. Mohammed sees this as an opportunity to hit the jackpot. According to him, during a 10-year period, he will hit the jackpot five to six times. Not bad odds. An onion lottery… that is innovation.

Joel Montgomery

---

Innovations from the Field: Wheat ATM

The next series of blog posts will cover innovations from the field. Recently, I conducted some in-depth farmer interviews around Hyderbad and learned about some pretty interesting innovations that are happening on the ground. Keep in mind that these are not college-educated individuals; most have not even finished high school. What I saw was human ingenuity in its purest sense. At the end of the day, I found myself leaving inspired by their innovativeness and creativity.

Zulfiqar Ali, a four-acre farmer in the small village of Dabri, Pakistan, doesn’t travel to his nearest bank branch when he needs some cash. All he has to do is open the door to a room where he stores his wheat crop and travel to the market. Unlike most farmers in Pakistan, Zulfiqar does not sell his wheat crop upon harvest. He realized that harvest season was the worst time to sell his crops due to a glut in supply. Zulfiqar stores his wheat crop and sells it one bag at a time, based upon when he needs cash. With each passing week, the value of his remaining wheat increases. A wheat ATM… that is innovation.

Joel Montgomery

---

Innovations from the Field: Natural Life Insurance

The next series of blog posts will cover innovations from the field. Recently, I conducted some in-depth farmer interviews around Hyderbad and learned about some pretty interesting innovations that are happening on the ground. Keep in mind that these are not college-educated individuals; most have not even finished high school. What I saw was human ingenuity in its purest sense. At the end of the day, I found myself leaving inspired by their innovativeness and creativity.

Agriculture is extremely risky. There are so many things that can go wrong: bad seed, no water, pest attack, fake fertilizer, bad weather, no transportation to market, etc. Price fluctuations are also quite common. This means that a farmer may spend Rs. 25,000 (USD $315) or more on inputs (seed, fertilizer, pesticide, etc.) and land preparation (tractor rental, laborer wages, etc.) just to find out at the end of the season that the price of his crop is so low that he will make a loss. He borrowed money at the beginning of the season from an arti (money lender) at a rate of 120% annual interest and now is even farther in debt.

In Pakistan, most farmers grow two crops: cotton (summer) and wheat (winter). We always wondered why both crops were so prevalent and finally realized upon completing our interviews. Firstly, most farmers grow cotton and wheat because the prices are stable. It takes a lot of the guess work (and risk) from other types of crops that have more volatile prices. Secondly, farmers grow cotton and wheat because they don't spoil. If you grow vegetables, then you must transport them to the market quickly before they rot. Cotton and wheat, on the other hand, can be stored for a long time and won't go bad. Probably the most interesting reason for the traditional cotton-wheat rotation is that wheat is a natural life insurance policy. Farmers grow wheat and keep 50-100 munds (1 mund = 40kg) back to ensure that their families have food to eat during the coming year. Usually an average family needs around 50 munds per year, but they keep extra for festivals, weddings, and unforeseen circumstances. No matter what happens in the coming year, the farmer knows that he can provide for his family. A natural insurance policy... that is innovation.

Joel Montgomery

---

A Day in My Life: Farmer Interviews

It is critical that any social enterprise have a deep understanding of the customer it is trying to serve. At Micro Drip, we conduct in-depth farmer interviews using various techniques in order to understand the particular farmer’s circumstances along with how he makes decisions. Many thanks to IDEO for their Human Centered Design Toolkit which served as a guide for our work.

Faces of Pakistan

The Pakistan that I see in the media and the Pakistan I see on the ground seem to be two very different worlds. I don't delude myself into thinking that they are not both realities of the same country, but I wish that people could see what I am fortunate to witness here on the ground. In that vein, this video is a collage of the faces of people I have met in my travels...

Ethical Hurdles at the Base of the Pyramid

Micro Drip is a company that is committed to demonstrating the highest level of ethical behavior. Unfortunately in Pakistan, that makes our job even more difficult than it already is.

Besides the obvious benefit of helping farmers earn more with less, Micro Drip’s work has the added benefit of helping Pakistan address its impending water crisis. Currently, Pakistan is under a severe threat of water scarcity, according to the current level of per capita water availability, which hovers just above 1,000 cubic meters of water per person. The World Health Organization has set 1,000 cubic meters of water as the minimum amount of water necessary to satisfy basic needs for food, drinking water, and hygiene. At the current rate of decline, Pakistan is projected to reach 886 cubic meters of water availability per person in the year 2020, well below the minimum threshold.

In light of these issues, the Pakistani government has enacted a number of programs designed to increase water efficiency, including a US$ 1.3 billion program for subsidizing drip irrigation. On the surface, this seems like it would ideally suite Micro Drip, but the proposal was written primarily with the highest quality orchard drip irrigation systems in mind. Micro Drip’s innovation is being able to reduce the price of drip irrigation so that it is more accessible to poor farmers, but this same innovation is making it much more difficult for us to qualify for the subsidy.

Recently, we had a discussion with a government representative who asked us why we had flagged our products in the beginning as not meeting certain government specifications. He questioned why we did not simply forge certification documents and place fake labels on our material in order to qualify for the subsidy. This same representative also alluded to the fact that other drip irrigation companies are doing just that. By doing what is right, we have made the path before us even more complex, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Joel Montgomery

---

Driving in Pakistan for Dummies: How to Reach the Gym

Think for a moment what it is like to take a normal drive from your house or apartment to a daily destination such as the gym, store, or work. Now compare that with my 10-20 minute trip to the gym. Driving in Pakistan requires a completely different skill set…

1. Walk outside house and unlock gate.
2. Enter right side of car and place key in ignition.
3. Use left hand to place car in reverse and back up, making sure not hit the mirrors against the sides of the house.
4. Put on emergency brake, step out of car and lock gate.
5. Step back into car and continue backward.
6. When back of car is 2 feet into road, look both ways for pedestrians, goats, kids, carts, cars, rickshaws, etc.
7. Back up fully on to Park Lane and begin driving on the left side of the street, making sure to dodge the potholes.
8. Honk just before entering intersection to ensure other drivers are aware that you are coming.
9. Pass old man holding out his hand for change.
10. Take a left on Clifton road toward Tin Talwar (“Three Swords” in Urdu. A roundabout with a monument of three swords in the center). If you wait until the coast is clear, you will be here all night. Force your way into traffic.
11. Honk at slow vehicles that are driving in the middle of the road so they will move into one lane.
12. As you get closer to Tin Talwar, move to the extreme left so that you can bypass most of the traffic that is waiting to turn right.
13. Wait in traffic. Wag finger and say “Nay” to: transvestites looking for money, kids wanting to clean the windshield, hawkers selling cheap inflatable toys, etc.
14. Sneak back into right lane about 100 meters before Tin Talwar and wait.
15. Honk at cars that are too close.
16. Keep your bumper 5 inches behind the car in front of you to keep other cars from cutting in.
17. Avoid hitting pedestrians and motorcyclists who will jump in front of you.
18. Pass the traffic cops extracting bribes and turn right.
19. Continue until the next intersection where the traffic light is not working. Force your way through the traffic to the other side. Pray the colorful buses with people on the roof will not hit you.
21. Drive straight into the water. It should be no more than a few inches deep. Continue toward the piles of gravel where the street crews have still not filled the holes.
22. Drive through the puddles of water and make sure not to stop in a trough as these can be five to seven inches deep. Allow cars and rickshaws through when necessary, as there is only room for one vehicle at a time.
23. Navigate the maze of potholes and take a right at the end of the road. Be sure to honk at cars with their reverse lights on.
24. Pass through the shops and veer to the left.
25. Take an immediate right past the guard, through the gate into Shapes.

Joel Montgomery

---

HR Woes

Anyone who has worked at the Base of the Pyramid can tell you that human resources is a major challenge. Recruiting and retaining good talent can be a nightmare and has major implications for how fast (or slow) a social business can scale. I am faced with these issues every day in my work as an Acumen Fund Fellow with Micro Drip , an irrigation solutions company that focuses on poor farmers in Pakistan.

Micro Drip has been searching for over a year for a competent Operations Manager. Most candidates are either extremely over or under-qualified. As a social business, we simply cannot compete with large multi-national corporations in terms of salary and benefits. Our plight provides further evidence to the gap at middle management that is often present in developing countries.

Recently, I helped develop a start-of-year workshop that was designed to rally the company around a new Vision & Mission and build a feeling of belonging & teamwork (Video). As part of the three-day event, we introduced a strategic task list to help strengthen the company’s foundation in preparation for further expansion. Each employee was assigned at least one strategic task with which they were supposed to outline a logical sequence of steps to complete the task, along with an estimate for how much time each step would take. Yesterday, I reviewed the tasks in detail with several key managers and requested that they jointly create a sequence of steps necessary to complete one of the tasks. I was amazed when they were unable to do it unassisted. After about an hour of coaching the managers through the process, we arrived at a logical plan. It is not that these gentlemen aren’t intelligent, quite the contrary. I attribute their inability to complete the task at hand to two main factors: (1) Traditional Pakistani education system, and (2) A “Yes Boss” culture.

In the traditional Pakistani schooling system, there is often a stronger affinity for rote learning, discipline and respect for authority. In most classrooms in the country, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills are new concepts. This can lead to dependency on superiors in the work environment. Some of the more prestigious schools do embrace independent thinking as a critical concept to teach students, but these schools primarily cater to the elite.

Pakistan is a very hierarchical society. Many bosses in hierarchical cultures simply want to give orders and have their direct reports follow their plans to the letter. They encourage a “Yes Boss” culture in which employees never voice a dissenting opinion. This poses particular problems in Micro Drip, as we are a small company with limited resources. We need capable employees who can think for themselves without having to be guided every step of the way. Ultimately, our company will be stronger if different points of view are better represented, irrespective of where they come from in the organization.

At Micro Drip, we are committed to helping develop our employees to better themselves, but the verdict is still out on how long it will take to introduce a culture of problem solving. We must begin now to think on how we will retain our talent, because once our employees reach a higher level of professionalism, they will be a scarce commodity in an underserved human resources market.

Joel Montgomery

---

A Team in Three Days

Last week, I helped conduct a start-of-year workshop to help Micro Drip clarify its Vision, Mission, & Values. This video has some footage from the experience.

Instantaneous Parties

Living with a family here in Pakistan has truly been a blessing. It’s given me such a unique perspective into the real Pakistani culture. One particular behavior that I have noticed is that instantaneous parties occur on a regular basis. Often times, I will be sitting at home in jeans and a t-shirt and all of a sudden nicely dressed friends or relatives start to appear as if on cue. Magically, mounds of food appear out of the kitchen that usually just feeds three. I’m the only one who seems to not be in tune with whatever frequency is advertising these impromptu gatherings. Over the past few months, I have learned to look for clues that may indicate that an instantaneous party is imminent… bouquets of flowers on the table, dinner not being served before 9:00pm, and the appearance of random children that I have never seen before are all tell-tale signs. The more I think I understand Pakistani culture, the more I realize that there are a lot of subtleties that I am only beginning to see.

Joel Montgomery

---

Freedom

Life in Pakistan for an American is just plain different. Of course I’ve known this ever since I arrived almost two months back, but it became more real to me on a recent visit to Singapore during the last week of December. Suddenly, I was able to walk wherever I wanted, wear whatever I wanted, and relax my guard. In Pakistan, I live 500m away from work and yet no one wants me to walk, but in Singapore, I walked all over the city and even biked over 50 kilometers. In Pakistan, I don’t drive outside of Karachi after dark, while in Singapore, I traveled extensively after dark. In Pakistan, I stay confined to two districts of the city, but in Singapore, we explored every nook and cranny of the island nation.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel scared living in Pakistan. Precautions are just a fact of life.

Joel Montgomery

---

Social Enterprise is HARD to do

Starting a business is hard enough, but starting a business that has a social focus is even harder. For Micro Drip, we are still very much working to refine our business model so that we can successfully sell to the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) here in Pakistan, those who live on less than $4/day. For Micro Drip, one of the most difficult challenges is that we can have the greatest low cost, high quality drip irrigation system in the world, but ultimately success for a farmer depends on much more than our system: microfinancing, stable water source, good seed, fertilizer, storage, know-how, distribution to markets, etc. As a result, we cannot simply sell our system off the shelf; we have to think about ways to directly and indirectly (through partnerships) address the problems that come before and after our product.

A second difficulty that we face is the seasonality of our product. There are two growing seasons in Pakistan each year with most farmers growing cotton during the summer season and wheat during the fall season. Unfortunately, drip irrigation cannot be used with wheat given the density of the plants/acre. Vegetables can be grown during both seasons and offer much higher prices, but the lack of storage and access to markets forces many farmers into cotton and wheat, which are more stable with much less risk of going bad.

A third difficulty that we are tackling is how to motivate local sales reps in the communities that we serve. CEMEX, a Mexican cement company, has successfully mobilized a large network of local promoters in its program Patrimonio Hoy, which helps clients who make between $5-$15/day to save money for do-it-yourself home improvements. While there are some successful models out there, many social businesses are struggling with this issue, as it is often difficult for local sales people to make sufficient income selling a single product. Where sales channels to the BOP already exist, it is much easier for existing sales people to add additional products to their offerings. Unfortunately, we are not aware of any other sales channels that reach our target market that would be willing to add our systems to their existing portfolio.

In spite of the challenges, we are committed to bringing irrigation solutions to the poor farmers of Pakistan. Drip irrigation increases crop yields by 30-100% all the while decreasing water usage by 50-70%. This translates into more money for poor farmers and ultimately has the potential to free farmers who are imprisoned in debt and a subsistence life.

Joel Montgomery

---

Eid al Adha

This is the second day of Eid al Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice. Take a look at my video blog to see what it's all about...

---

The Servant’s Dilemma

I am here to serve the poor in Pakistan, yet I constantly find myself being served. The family I live with has two servants, the company I work for has two servants, and my friends have two servants. I can’t cook, I can’t clean, I can’t carry, I can’t even make tea for myself. Now I realize that the working wage in Pakistan is low, such that this is common, but I must admit that it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. In order to have a servant retrieve the dishes from the dinner table at 10:00pm, that individual cannot be with his or her family. Frankly, I would prefer to do my own dishes so that that person can be at home. While some people treat their servants like members of the family, others treat them as second-class citizens or worse. How easy it is to dehumanize fellow human beings. Thankfully, I was changed by my experience on the streets of New York with the poor during training and I have made sure to treat these people as best I can. Of course, I must allow them to do their jobs, but I make sure to speak to them, thank them, and of course give them a smile. I hope they realize that I appreciate them. I pray that I will never stop these small gestures for if I ever do, it will be a sad day indeed.

Joel Montgomery

---

A Look Back to Acumen Fund Training: A Day on the Streets of New York

As part of our training curriculum for the Acumen Fund Fellowship, we were required to spend a day on the streets to better understand the poor. As soon as we arrived in the office one beautiful fall Friday, we were required to empty our pockets of our wallet, cell phone, keys, etc. We were given a $6 metro card and $5. The following is an article I wrote about my day with the homeless…

I have often wondered what is the most appropriate response when faced with a beggar in the street. Too often, I have balanced the choices of giving or not giving in favor of the latter, without truly understanding the person behind the request. Through spending a day on the streets of New York City, I was able to explore the lives of the very individuals that I have passed without even a smile or a kind word. Much to my surprise, my stereotypes of the urban poor were thrust back into my face.

Rose passed by carrying a small, black suitcase and a clear plastic bag full of cans and bottles. She eagerly accepted my offer to help her on her quest. Her slight smile, gentle eyes, and grandmother charm immediately made me feel comfortable. Rose taught me which cans were acceptable and which grocery stores accepted our booty. Every day of the week, she started work at 7:00am sifting through trashcans to collect the five-cent rewards that were hidden along her treasure route. On the day that I worked with her, Rose only managed to raise just over $3.00 after four hours of work; that is less than $1/hour. What struck me most about Rose was that she didn’t appear homeless at all. She was quite intelligent, very articulate, and knew more about literature then I could ever know. As I said goodbye to my new friend Rose, she asked, “Can I have a hug?” “Of course,” I replied. “I don’t get many hugs,” she responded.

Shirley caught my eye as I entered Penn Station. She was a small black woman, sitting in a motorized wheel chair with a sign that indicated that she was a veteran and in need of help. I struck up a conversation with her and was immediately taken with her jovial laugh and joyful demeanor. She told me how she often comes to Penn Station to raise money to live on. I asked her if people were being generous and she said, “Well, you came by and it is a blessing to talk to you.”

Peter sat on the gum stained sidewalk, cowering next to a hand written sign and cup full of change. I sat down next to him and noticed the sadness radiating from him. I learned that he was from a part of Hungary that I had visited in May of this year. He had come to the U.S. in 1999 at the age of twelve with his two parents. Since then, both of them have past away from AIDS. Peter lives in a cardboard box on the street. He told me how he has regulars who give him money, but he remarked that no one stops to really ask how he is. When asked what he likes to do for fun, Peter remarked, “I don’t really have fun.”

The homeless don’t have feelings. They are a group of nobodies with no life worth living and no real value to society. That is how you and I treat these human beings when we speedily walk past to escape their disheveled appearance and jingling cups. Oh, we may give a few coins or even several tattered bills, but contributing to their plight doesn’t lessen the dehumanizing behavior that we engage in.

Each of the 35,000 homeless in New York City has a story. Many are just as happy as you or I, if not more so. Certainly, some have mental illness and others are drug or alcohol addicts, but that does not give us the right to treat them as if they are not human. During my day on the streets, I met eight individuals who marveled me with their resourcefulness, touched me with their affection, tickled me with their laughs, and rebuked me with their humanness. No longer shall I walk by without acknowledging their humanity. To give money to their cause is a matter of personal choice, but to give a smile or kind word requires nothing but a little courage. The next time, you pass a beggar in the street, remember that he or she had a mother and a father. He or she has intellect and emotion, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, just like you and I.

Joel Montgomery

---

Thanksgiving Sadness

I awoke this morning to the terrible news that Mumbai had been bombed yesterday evening. So far 125 are dead and 327 injured. Apparently, one of the terrorists in custody is of Pakistani descent. I hope to goodness that this will not derail the recent talks of partnership between the two countries.

The Acumen Fund team immediately went into action to check on all of the fellows in India along with those of Indian citizenship to see if they and their families were safe. It’s comforting to know that there is such support here and abroad.

Apart from the dreadful news, this day has been like any other. Earlier this week, I tried to contact the US consulate in Karachi to see if they had any Thanksgiving plans open to US citizens, but they did not. While I may celebrate Thanksgiving alone this day, I still have the fresh memories of my family’s Thanksgiving celebration on November 9. I traveled home for a wedding during my final weekend before leaving the states. My sister, brother, and brother-in-law all came home as well for the festivities. We cut-a-rug at the wedding and then enjoyed our last meal together for the next 10 months. I am so blessed to have such an incredibly loving family that supports me and loves me back home!

Joel Montgomery

---