In the mid-1970s, Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist, pioneered the concept of microfinance by lending small sums to poor women to help them start businesses and lift themselves out of poverty. This innovative approach to development earned Yunus and his Grameen Bank the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, as it seemed to offer a simple yet powerful solution to global inequality. However, the story of microfinance is more complex, as journalist Mara Kardas-Nelson explores in her new book "We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky." Kardas-Nelson will be at The Wharf on June 14th to discuss the unintended consequences of microfinance, which has in some cases burdened borrowers with unsustainable debt rather than empowering them. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from women in Sierra Leone whose experiences challenge the rosy narrative of microfinance and to engage in a thought-provoking dialogue with Kardas-Nelson and Georgetown professor James Benton about the deeper systemic drivers of poverty that a singular focus on small loans may overlook. This event promises to provide a nuanced and critical examination of a development approach that has been widely celebrated, yet also deeply problematic. Anyone interested in international development, economic inequality, or the complex realities faced by the global poor will find this discussion both illuminating and essential. By attending, you can gain a richer understanding of the promises and pitfalls of microfinance, and consider more holistic solutions to addressing the root causes of poverty worldwide.