Posted by Vince Wadhwani on Dec 12, 2006

Muhammad Yunus just gave his acceptance speech for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. There are some great words but my favorite analogy is this one on poverty. I wonder though if there is enough soil in the forest?


(Note Image is of a Sequoia Tree)

To me poor people are like bonsai trees. When you plant the best seed of the tallest tree in a flower-pot, you get a replica of the tallest tree, only inches tall. There is nothing wrong with the seed you planted, only the soil-base that is too inadequate. Poor people are bonsai people. There is nothing wrong in their seeds. Simply, society never gave them the base to grow on. All it needs to get the poor people out of poverty for us to create an enabling environment for them. Once the poor can unleash their energy and creativity, poverty will disappear very quickly.