Why do some programs for the poor succeed while others fall flat—even with the best intentions?
One of the reasons we were successful in achieving all our impact goals at CoolCoach was because we factored the ideas of aspiration windows and aspiration gaps into our program design. These concepts, defined by economist Debraj Ray in his essay Aspirations, Poverty, and Economic Change are essential for anyone designing programs for the poor.
Ray's essay made a lasting impression on me. I spent considerable time researching and understanding the aspiration windows — and the possible aspiration gaps — of the people we wanted to serve at CoolCoach. That made all the difference.
I don't intend to summarize Ray's essay here. Instead, I want to encourage you to find time to read it. If you are anything like me, you'll have a few lightbulb moments along the way.
P.S. Ray's essay was literally the very last essay in one of the best books I have read on Understanding Poverty. The book is a compilation of essays by different experts, edited by none other than Abhijit Banerjee. Over the years, many of the contributors, including Abhijit Banerjee, went on to win the Nobel prize for their contributions (Hopefully that’s reason enough to grab a copy!)