Yunus

Muhammad Yunus
"Poverty in the world is an artificial creation. It does not belong to the human civilization." Grameen Bank started in 1976 when Prof. Muhammad Yunus loaned $27 to 42 women in a village in Bangladesh. Learn more about him using the links below.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus http://muhammadyunus.org/ Nobel Prize http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2006/yunus-bio.html

10 Indicators for Moving out of Poverty
(http://www.grameen-info.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=126 ) Muhammad Yunus Every year Grameen Bank staff evaluate their work and check whether the socio-economic situation of GB members is improving. GB evaluates poverty level of the borrowers using ten indicators. A member is considered to have moved out of poverty if her family fulfills the following criteria:

1. The family lives in a house worth at least Tk. 25,000 (twenty five thousand) or a house with a tin roof, and each member of the family is able to sleep on bed instead of on the floor. 2. Family members drink pure water of tube-wells, boiled water or water purified by using alum, arsenic-free, purifying tablets or pitcher filters. 3. All children in the family over six years of age are all going to school or finished primary school. 4. Minimum weekly loan installment of the borrower is Tk. 200 or more. 5. Family uses sanitary latrine. 6. Family members have adequate clothing for every day use, warm clothing for winter, such as shawls, sweaters, blankets, etc, and mosquito-nets to protect themselves from mosquitoes. 7. Family has sources of additional income, such as vegetable garden, fruit-bearing trees, etc, so that they are able to fall back on these sources of income when they need additional money. 8. The borrower maintains an average annual balance of Tk. 5,000 in her savings accounts. 9. Family experiences no difficulty in having three square meals a day throughout the year, i. e. no member of the family goes hungry any time of the year. 10. Family can take care of the health. If any member of the family falls ill, family can afford to take all necessary steps to seek adequate healthcare. =16 Decisions= http://www.grameen-info.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=109 One of many Gols of Grameen Bank, was to help impoverished women escape from the clutches of abject poverty by providing them low-interest, micro-credit loans.When provided with the loans, the women are requested to unitedly take the following sixteen decisions, which many take very seriously and which change their lives.
 * 1) We shall follow and advance the four principles of Grameen Bank --- Discipline, Unity, Courage and Hard work – in all walks of our lives.
 * 2) Prosperity we shall bring to our families.
 * 3) We shall not live in dilapidated houses. We shall repair our houses and work towards constructing new houses at the earliest.
 * 4) We shall grow vegetables all the year round. We shall eat plenty of them and sell the surplus.
 * 5) During the plantation seasons, we shall plant as many seedlings as possible.
 * 6) We shall plan to keep our families small. We shall minimize our expenditures. We shall look after our health.
 * 7) We shall educate our children and ensure that they can earn to pay for their education.
 * 8) We shall always keep our children and the environment clean.
 * 9) We shall build and use pit-latrines.
 * 10) We shall drink water from tubewells. If it is not available, we shall boil water or use alum.
 * 11) We shall not take any dowry at our sons' weddings, neither shall we give any dowry at our daughters wedding. We shall keep our centre free from the curse of dowry. We shall not practice child marriage.
 * 12) We shall not inflict any injustice on anyone, neither shall we allow anyone to do so.
 * 13) We shall collectively undertake bigger investments for higher incomes.
 * 14) We shall always be ready to help each other. If anyone is in difficulty, we shall all help him or her.
 * 15) If we come to know of any breach of discipline in any centre, we shall all go there and help restore discipline.
 * 16) We shall take part in all social activities collectively.