2. Muhammad Yunus
• Professor Muhammad Yunus is founder and Managing Director of Grameen
Bank. He dedicated himself to alleviate poverty. Since Grameen Bank’s
inception in 1976, he founded 25 companies, all of which aim at improving
the living situation of the poor. In 2006, he and Grameen Bank received the
Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to create economic and social
development from below.
3. What is Grameen Bank about
• Grameen Bank provides financial services to the rural poor of Bangladesh.
Those services include loans, saving accounts, pension plans and loan
insurance. The overall goal of Grameen Bank is the elimination of poverty.
• The Head Office of Grameen Bank is located in Mirpur-2, Dhaka,
Bangladesh. However, the actual banking takes place in thousands of villages
in rural Bangladesh. Grameen Bank is present in all regions of the country.
• It is a self-reliant bank with profits annually.
4. To whom does Grameen Bank target?
• Women in Bangladesh are neglected by society. Through the opportunity of self-
employment and the access to money, Grameen Bank helps to empower those
women. In addition, studies have shown that the overall output of development is
greater when loans are given to women instead of men, as women are more likely to
use their earnings to improve their living situations and to educate their children.
Since poverty is thrive in the rural parts of Bangladesh, people especially women are
not entitled to basic necessities due to lack in financial capability. The Grameen
Bank helps these people especially targeting women in need.
• The Grameen Bank also differentiates from commercial banks by laxing their loan
requirements, so to allow people in need to acquire loan more easily.
5. The success of the Grameen Bank
• 1994, Grameen Bank received the Independence Day Award in 1994, which
is the highest government award.
• October 13, 2006, the Nobel Committee awarded Grameen Bank and its
founder, Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to
create economic and social development from below.
• Citizens of Bangladesh widely celebrated the success of Grameen Bank.