Voice out of Poverty

Jillian Haslam was born in 1970 and raised primarily in the slums of Calcutta. Despite the severe devastation of her family’s living circumstances, she completed her education and landed her first major employment as a personal assistant to the CEO at Bank of America in India.Jillian rose through the ranks, and Bank of America appointed her president of its Charity and Diversity Network in India, where she spearheaded charitable work in four different cities. This led her to receive three philanthropic awards from Bank of America: the Star Recognition award, the Service Excellence award, and The Individual Achievement award.In 2011, she published the first version of her memoir, Indian. English, which chronicles her life growing up amid dreadful poverty, abuse, and tragedy. The book sold over 150,000 copies, mostly while she was on the speaking circuit. Her story also incited interest from Hollywood and British film directors and producers, leading to the development of a feature film.Charitable giving became Jillian’s life work. In 2012, she received the first runner up award for The Asian Woman of the Year in the “Social and Humanitarian” category. In early 2015, The Telegraph of Calcutta presented Jillian with the True Legend award for her exceptional contribution to social and humanitarian causes. In mid-2015, she was recognized as a finalist for the Role Model of the Year award for her work delivering speeches in educational institutes across the UK. In late 2016, she received an award for Excellence in Humanitarianism. And, in 2017, she received her greatest accolade, the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award.Jillian became a speaker in demand and is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). She has delivered several TEDx talks, among other prestigious speaking engagements, on various topics that flow from her life story. Jillian speaks on topics that include entrepreneurialism, the power of the mind, and human resilience.She has also been featured on various TV networks, including Channel 5 and the BBC, and a wide range of print media, including The Independent, The Pioneer, The Times, The Telegraph, The Metro, Gulf News, and other major media outlets.Jillian’s charitable work continues under the auspices of the Remedia Trust where she oversees several separate charities: Ageing Smiles (for the elderly poor), Happy Hearts (for children), Empowering Girls (for teaching various workable skills), India’s Disabled (for building a mobile medical unit), E3 Growth (focused on education, employment, and employability), and the Mother Teresa Project (for women and single mothers).Jillian currently lives in London with her husband.

“Jillian’s story of a poor Anglo-Indian family struggling to exist in the slums of Calcutta shows the power of love and goodness,” said the Duchess. “In the book, Jillian recalls the generosity of the local people, such as the tea shop owner who gave milk to her sick baby sister. The trials of her life taught her resilience and mental strength, but kindness gave her hope for the future.” “I am a great believer in kindness, and Jillian is an inspiration and example to us all.” - Sarah, Duchess of York // "...a coming of age story of courage, survival and inner strength which illuminates the human condition in all its squalor and glory.’ —Vikas Swarup, Author of Slumdog Millionaire // ‘Enormously compelling …like something out of Dickens, yet true. It has the power to move with an epic sweep, yet it is intensely personal. It is tailor-made for the cinema and I cannot think of a more worthy project to make happen!’ —Jack Sholder, Hollywood Film Director, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge // ...riveting and essential reading.’ —Dame Joanna Lumley, actor, TV producer, activist // ‘It is no Cinderella story, but rather emphasizes hard work and sheer courage. —Shachi Amdekar, President, Cambridge University International Development Society