Living on Little: Navigating financial scarcity in modern Kenya by Julie Zollmann, publishes in July.
In anticipation of the publication of this very special book, author Julie Zollmann talks through the motivation behind writing the book, how the discoveries in it can challenge our assumptions, and about the resilience and ingenuity of ordinary families.
Drawing on four years of systematic research with nearly 300 low-income families, this book offers readers a new and intimate perspective on poverty. This wonderful book, publishing in July, is a window into the systemic barriers getting in the way of getting in the way of people living their fullest lives, including the economic devastations of political uncertainty, and the impact of finance and gender norms on women’s lives. It is a compelling story about people who must do so much with so little.
If you ever want to understand not just the macro picture of poverty, but also the micro picture of what poverty feels like, and the energy with which people fight it, read this book.
Julie has also written several blog posts, continuing her observations of the same diarists over time, including documenting their experience of lockdown. In normal times people survive crises by leaning on people within their social networks, usually from people who don’t happen to be suffering the same crisis at the same time. But with COVID-19, everyone is affected, and the normal routes are drying up. The articles are fascinating to read, and you can find them here.
The book is free to read online. If you prefer a print copy, you can order it on our website or by emailing us at publishinginfo@practicalaction.org.uk.
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