Banker to the Poor.

Muhammad Yunus & Alan Jolis

Physical

Available

Muhammad Yunus set up the Grameen Bank in his home country of Bangladesh with a loan of just £17, to lend tiny amounts of money to the poorest of the poor - those to whom no ordinary bank would lend. Most of his customers - as they still are - were illiterate women, wanting to set up the smallest imaginable village enterprises. It was his conviction that this new system of 'micro-credit', lending even such small sums, would give such people the spark of initiative needed to pull themselves out of poverty. Today, Yunus's system of micro-credit is practised around the world in some 60 countries, including the US, Canada and France. His Grameen Bank is now a billion-pound business.

It is acknowledged by world leaders and by the World Bank to be a fundamental weapon in the fight against poverty. Banker to the Poor is Yunus's enthralling story of how he did it: how the terrible famine in Bangladesh in 1974 focused his ideas on the need to enable its victims to grow more food; how he overcame the sceptics in many governments and among traditional economic thinking; and how he saw his micro-credit extended even outside the Third World into credit unions in the West. Such is the importance of his book that HRH the Prince of Wales has contributed a Foreword in which he hails 'a remarkable man [who] spoke the greatest good sense'.

What will you learn from this book

  1. Origins of Grameen Bank: Understanding the genesis and founding principles of Grameen Bank, including the vision of Muhammad Yunus to provide financial services to the poor.

  2. Microfinance Revolution: Insights into the microfinance revolution and how Grameen Bank pioneered the concept of providing small loans to impoverished individuals as a means to empower them economically.

  3. Social Business Model: Learning about Muhammad Yunus's concept of social business and how Grameen Bank operates as a non-profit institution with a focus on social impact.

  4. Women Empowerment: The book may highlight the emphasis on women as key beneficiaries of microfinance, exploring how empowering women economically can lead to broader societal benefits.

  5. Poverty Alleviation: Examining the role of microfinance in poverty alleviation, and the impact of providing small loans to individuals who lack access to traditional banking services.

  6. Entrepreneurship and Self-Reliance: Understanding how Grameen Bank promotes entrepreneurship among its borrowers, fostering a sense of self-reliance and empowerment.

  7. Challenges and Successes: The book may cover the challenges faced by Grameen Bank in its early days and its subsequent successes, showcasing the resilience of the microfinance model.

  8. Social Change: Exploring the broader social change brought about by Grameen Bank, including improvements in education, health, and overall well-being of the borrowers.

  9. Global Influence: Understanding the global impact of Grameen Bank's model, which inspired the establishment of similar microfinance institutions worldwide.

  10. Financial Inclusion: The book likely emphasizes the importance of financial inclusion and how providing financial services to the poor can contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Language English
No of pages 313
Font Size Medium
Book Publisher Aurum Press
Published Date 11 Jul 2003

About Author

Related Books