micro business

Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus talks about the first time he spoke directly to the women of Jobra village beside Chittagong University, Bangladesh. He tells of how conservative 1970s Bangladesh was and how difficult it was for men to speak directly to women and vice versa because of purdah. Professor Yunus recounts the story of going to the poor womens homes in Jobra to encourage them to take microcredit loans. He used to bring female students who would go between himself and Bangladeshi women asking and answering their questions about borrowing and lending money, setting up micro business etc. One day it started raining and as he was standing outside the ladies allowed him to come into the house which they had partitioned. The future women borrowers became so eager to hear what Professor Yunus was saying about microcredit loans and micro-entrepreneurship that the wall collapsed under the force of their weight. Initially there was shock and embarrassment with the women covering their faces but soon the Professor of Economics at the neighbouring University was having an animated conversation face to face with these poor women about microfinance and the future Grameen bank.