Yunus' ideas!!

I would like to first say that I wish I had more time to write in my blog, but I am still so excited that our trip to Belize is quickly approaching!!!
I find Yunus’ ideas fascinating, just the pure fact that he saw something terribly wrong going on around him and he was that one person that made a change, and bettered the lives of thousands. He is the prime example that one person can make a difference in society and the world.
I am intrigued that he focuses on the women of Bangladesh, he brings attention to the skills that they have and turns them in to actual income raising productions. He allows women to stand on their own two feet and come out of the shadows of their husbands and better their family needs. As he says in Chapter five, just teaching the women how to write their signature, opens a new world for her and she is ready to take other great leaps in to self-sufficiency. J
I also find it interesting to read about all the separate businesses that the Grameen have opened. All of them have produced many employment opportunities as well as new services for the people of Bangladesh to have luxury items that we take for granted like telephones, a stable roof over our heads, and safe fishing ponds. These numerous different businesses have created many new outlets for the people that they serve!
Now, to the question of connection between what Yunus has done and philanthropy and service is quite easy. In my mind it is a combination of both of these. By definition, philanthropy is to increase well-being to human-kind by means of charity aid or donations. The idea’s that Yunus brings to the table is to provide a service to the people of Bangladesh and raise their living conditions to help rid them of their poverty stricken lives. His ideas are not that of charity or donation, but of providing employment and job opportunities through monetary loans to help the lives of the people become better then what they were.
All of his ideas sound amazing, and the fact that through statistics he can show that they are actually working is even more amazing! My hope is that other countries can adopt or have adopted the ideas to help benefit their own people and end the world of poverty! We shall see down the road…
In reading Yunus’ books, it has opened my eyes to the program at hand, and it is easier now to see how we will help the people of Belize start to live better lives.