A Light in the Darkness

Dr. Yunus, Kirsti and Jay

Dr. Mohammad Yunus is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.  He also happens to be a banker from Bangladesh and an economist. The 72 year-old was recently visiting in the Intermountain West (i.e. the State of Utah), and took some time to get together with old friends.

Dr. Yunus is someone you need to know about.  Talk about the "power of one!"

He was a professor of economics when he developed the concepts of microcredit and microfinance.  In simple terms, these are loans of small amounts, such as $10 or $25, given to hard-working people too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans, in amounts too trivial for ordinary banks to bother with. The "microbank" would then provide support and help these people start their own businesses.  This might mean being able to buy a goat, or some bamboo with which to weave furniture. For many in his impoverished country, these small loans mean the beginning of self-sufficiency and a way out of extreme poverty.

Dr. Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, along with Grameen Bank, for their efforts to create economic and social development.  His actions have been of a practical benefit to millions of people in Bangladesh and other countries.  He is the first Bangladeshi to ever get a Nobel Prize.

I've been told he is gracious, humble and very easy to talk to.  My sister-in-law was particularly interested in his ideas about empowering women.  

Those kind of ideas can't be popular in his part of the world!  And true to form, it appears his own government has turned against him, no doubt fearing the power of his ideas. However, Dr. Yunus is unique in his outlook on the world.  He feels people just need to organize to solve problems.

For example, he's partnering with Dannon, the yogurt company, to make a yogurt that is fortified with the essential nutrients that kids in his country are lacking.  He brow-beat them into making it so cheap that even the poorest people can afford it!

Then, he complained because the yogurt came in plastic containers.  Dannon told him they always use plastic containers.  He reminded them that plastic is bad for the environment, so they went out and found a company in China that makes containers out of biodegradable corn starch.

"Good!" Dr. Yunus said.  "But can you eat it?"

That sent the company into a tizzy!  "What do you mean?" they asked.

"Well," Dr. Yunus replied, "Little kids will want to eat the container.  Make one they can eat."

I hear that Dannon is still working on that one.  But I think it's a fabulous idea, don't you?  And not just for poor kids in Bangladesh.

Next, Dr. Yunus contacted Adidas and told them he wanted a shoe that costs less than 1 Euro.  It took years, but now they are doing just that.

Isn't that amazing?  He is an amazing man.

He is also a great example of the good that one person can accomplish.