14
SPOTLIGHT
NOV 2015
UMP
大學廣場
Lending Money to Villagers and Women
In the lecture, Professor Yunus talked about the
importance of challenging the current financial system
and social values. “I set up the system of Grameen
Bank by looking at conventional banks, and doing
the exact opposite of what they did……It is not a
right way to make money out of the poor. Instead,
money should get to the hands of the needy when
they need it.” This is the reason why all the branches
of Grameen Bank are set up in villages. Professor
Yunus and his students also talk to villagers, offer
them the choice of microcredit loans and encourage
them to start their own business, so that they can gain
personal financial autonomy and get out of poverty.
Grameen Bank is also famous for lending money to
women. 97% of the bank’s present loan takers are
women. Professor Yunus shared how he convinced
local women to break through their gender roles and
start business. Since women in the village were only
willing to talk to other females, he brought with his
female students to talk to and encourage a female
villager to sell the food she made. “Originally, the
woman just kept saying that she knew nothing and
she was not supposed to deal with money. Women
were told by their society that they know nothing, but
after continuous explanation and persuasion, they
realized their potential.” Six years after Grameen
Bank got its first female loan taker, the bank finally
achieved its goal of having 50% of loan takers being
female. The success of Grameen Bank certainly
contributed to the development of gender equality
in Bangladesh.
Professor Joseph Sung (right) expressed his gratitude to
Professor Muhammad Yunus after the lecture
An exhibition about poverty around the world and the
introduction of the Grameen Bank was held at the
Yasumoto International Academic Park
Setting as Perfect Example
Professor Yunus encouraged students to build their
own solutions by setting up social businesses. “We
are not job seekers, we are job creators,” he said,
adding that working for others was a “waste of
human creativity”. Grameen Bank has helped tackle
the problem of food waste, malnutrition in children
by investing in different businesses that strives to
improve the world we are living in. Professor Yunus
is the perfect example that by challenging traditional
values and taking the lead on providing solutions, we
can make the world a better place ourselves.
