Angol
Renowned author and journalist Sheila McLeod Arnopoulos uses her talent for investigative reporting to take us deep into the poorest villages in India. Yet, far from being passive victims of their circumstances, the women who live there-often illiterate, yet possessing outstanding leadership skills-have joined forces and are making astute use of microcredit to break the cycle of poverty. Microcredit was launched by Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus (for which he won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize), and consists of very small loans made primarily to women for the production of essential commodities or to start small businesses. Based on a number of trips to India between 2001 and 2008, Arnopoulos shows her sense of solidarity and desire for authenticity by sharing the daily life of these villagers of all different ages. However, the first-person account of her extensive travels-on foot, in a rickshaw, by bus or train-focuses primarily on these women's inspiring success stories.
