Last Monday’s talk A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity by Nicholas Kristof was a true educational delight. I regularly read his articles on the New York Times which center on humanitarianism and social justice. His talk focused on these same topics, albeit explained from a more personal perspective than his journalism.

Specifically, he spoke on the theme of investment and the creation of opportunity for the disenfranchised around the world. Most of hat Kristof said was not surprising to me; the statistics about the number of impoverished around the world, initiatives by NGOs and other foundations, etc. But what truly made the talk different from a governmental report was his humanization of these distressed people by sharing his experiences as a journalist and his travels to remote villages all over the world. One story that made an impression was that of a young Chinese girl who was forced to drop out of school because her family could not pay the yearly fee of $13. Kristof later received thousands of dollars in donations to help her and her schoolmates gain an education, yet it struck me how such a fundamental aspect of childhood could would have to be given up because of a “mere” $13.

Nick Kristof is a splendid columnist and speaker. I thought he aptly described several of the issues plaguing the developing world, and yet also offered hope that they would too will be resolved and fall to the dustbin of history.