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In Poverty as my Teacher, Robert Miller has identified the true key to successfully addressing what is arguably the most pressing social issue of our time: global poverty. The solution lies in his systemic socioeconomic approach to addressing pervasive poverty, whereas virtually all previous methods have addressed a segment of poverty, whether it be clean water, microloans and entrepreneurship, or health care. While these initiatives are critical to addressing global poverty, none will ultimately succeed until they are part of a larger, systemic approach such as proposed by Robert Miller. This book therefore represents a seminal work toward that auspicious goal. Poverty has not and will not be solved using a fragmented, archaic approach. This age-old issue needs a new perspective and fresh ideas. The approach taken by Bob Miller quite simply…works. It attacks all of the elements that cultivate poverty and creates an empowering environment where those factors cannot thrive. Developing sustainable communities with the focus on family provides an opportunity for the residents to not only become contributing members to our society, but to also see their own inner worth. Projects to end poverty have never worked. It is time to move beyond projects that address one or just a few of the prevailing conditions of poverty as experienced by adults and children living in slums (i.e., lack of: clean water, sanitation, literacy, health care, …) and wake up to the truth that poverty can only be eradicated if all the underlying, systemic conditions are dealt with – all at once and in one location. Mr. Miller presents a simple framework for such a solution that is both scalable and ultimately doable. I know of no other “war to end poverty” initiative that even comes close to attacking and conquering all the conditions of poverty that prevail in the many places where absolute poverty persists throughout the Robert Miller has taken the concept of social sustainability and envisioned it around the most important issues of our time: poverty, children and the family. His work provides us with a vision for communities that are soundly based in the values that will lead to their success, communities that honor and foster individual dignity, growth and equitable opportunities for those who choose. Sustainable Family Communities has the potential to take individuals out of a day-to-day struggle for existence and into a life of purpose that empowers them and connects them to a greater good; serving neighbors and future generations. Our Family Orphan Communities (O.F.O.C.) presents opportunity for all of us. O.F.O.C. provides a vision that I can embrace. What is needed now are vision holders, dedicated workers and the financial support to begin. I am fully on board! This book is much more than a practical guide to developing a sustainable community. Bob Miller illustrates the importance of seeing the synchronicity in our lives and following a meaningful path. SFC has obviously thought about this long and hard, and has come up with a plan that addresses the multi-pronged problems of poverty, community needs and orphan survival. The plan is well developed, forward looking and focuses on sustainability rather than monetary minimal bandaging. People and projects like this one deserve support and involvement from the community behind them, and from the communities they strive to create in areas of the world where the life and economics are harder than in the developed world. Robert Miller has created in his book, Poverty as my Teacher, a systemic formula for the world, not only as it could be, but as it should be for our children and grandchildren. He not only made me believe that a better world is possible, he made me understand that there is something I can do! It’s been said that behind every revolution, there stands one person with a vision. If there is to be a revolution in the way we care for children without parents or guardians in this world, I have no doubt that Bob Miller’s visionary and comprehensive SFC model will be in the vanguard. Bob Miller’s personal experience with poverty, seeing two orphans’ lives take a different path, desire to leave this world a better place, combined with his lifetime of experience and professional skills is summed up in Poverty as my Teacher. Learn how once the initial capital is put into a Sustainable Family Community, it will not only be able to support itself, but can replicate itself multiple times. All leaders of philanthropic and benevolent organizations should read this book and consider funding these world-changing Sustainable Family Communities. Not only am I a donor, but I am buying several of these books to pass on to my associates and am asking them to do the same. What’s $30 for a lifetime of research into how to create poverty-free, Sustainable Family Communities? Let’s help to make our world a better place by buying this book and getting the message out to more people. Please read Poverty as my Teacher. Bob Miller’s approach to this new book is very strong based on his personal experience with the two young men who apparently adopted him and then he formally adopted them. That experience put the author in a unique position to truly understand the depth and impact of poverty in the world. It is with that experience that he speaks from authority. His message, first-hand experience and vision for a better world makes this book a “must read” for those seeking to reduce the incidence of poverty in third-world countries as well as in the dysfunctional core of many urban communities in the world’s greatest cities. I’m the proud dad of three adopted kids, Iñigo (16), Mayte (14) and Paloma (14). Adoption has been an interesting process for my wife and me. We didn’t know exactly what to expect or how we were going to handle it as the kids grew up. Today I can say it has been the very best and most meaningful decision we ever made on our lives. Our home is surrounded with the happiness of our kids’ smiles and laughter. We have been blessed, both as individuals and as a couple, with the unique opportunity of sharing what we have been given to share, love. When I first met Bob and heard about the Sustainable Family Communities (SFC) initiative, I always thought about my personal experience. Charity is a gift that every human being should experience; however, in many cases, money doesn’t help to resolve the problems of poor communities. SFC combines very specific activities, resources and objectives, aiming to provide much more than purely economic resources to communities. There is nothing more important to an infant than a real family; a real mom and dad, a real family environment, the feeling and warming of a place that you can call home; the capacity of love and feeling loved. Yes, shelters, foster homes and orphanages are great and they perform a great mission in our society; however, there is nothing comparable to the feeling of a true home. I’m a believer this initiative will generate a completely different way of supporting communities and understanding their real needs Many people are looking for self-sustaining structures to help the world’s orphan children. Bob Miller and his team have created one that deserves our respect and support. I am blessed to be an adoptive Father to two wonderful children; however I did it in a developed nation with abundant resources. This wonderful book details an idea that could work in less advantaged circumstances. It could positively change these children’s lives. This book, with its emphasis on community, family, and self-reliance, brings an innovative approach to the age-old fight against poverty and its attendant ills. The world of the poor is often a harsh place, grinding body and soul. It is encouraging that people like Bob Miller are dedicated to the fight against poverty, bringing their passion, their love and, most importantly, their ideas and their hard work to the fight. This is a great concept….so emotionally captivating. It is so humbling to know that someone out there has a vision to offer the orphans a life that they would never have imagined; a family environment and sustainable economic life. I am honored to have worked alongside Bob as he molded ideas into the O.F.O.C vision. This Sustainable Family Community model is a much-needed paradigm shift from the conventional charitable template and will go a long way in redefining the concept of “giving” to the under-privileged. Bob’s model provides a holistic and self-sustaining solution that is destined to benefit the orphaned and homeless children. This model promises to rid the communities from social vices that are usually associated with the homeless orphans. I am looking forward to when the first model will be implemented in Uganda.
Testimonials for the Book Poverty as my Teacher — Learning to Create Sustainable Family Communities® by Robert E. Miller
— Kevin Ruble, President Circle M Foundation
— Warren L. Rose, founder Vorus Biopower
— Michael Lanier, CEO Business Integration Advisors
— Susan Bryner, M.S., Life Coach, Owner, Books & Beyond
— Mary Hoffman, Executive Director of Community Partnerships Adams State University
— T.J. Carney, Attorney at Law
— Rosalind Rogers, Founding Partner PEAK Learning Systems
— Rich Mitchell, Executive Director, PIER Institute
— Erwin Young, founder of Colorado Aquaculture,
— Dr. Nick Parker, Nick Parker Consulting, LLC
— Javier Garcia, Chief Financial Officer
— Robert White, author, Living an Extraordinary Life
— Troy Braegger, Attorney at Law
— Robert Mugerwa, MSc. Finance, Mugrob Consulting Inc.