Chapter 13, Grameen Bank II Summary and Analysis

Grameen has been a very successful program. The bank has come a long way from the twenty-seven dollar loan made by Yunus to the stool makers of Jobra. They have faced many problems and have solved them. With more than one thousand one hundred branches they service more than 2.6 million borrowers. The bank is more or less self-reliant, financing almost all of its loans from its loan funds or savings of depositors. The bank stopped taking funds from donors in 1995. With the exception of three years, the bank has been profitable every year. From Yunus's point of view they are proving that businesses that have social objectives can succeed and be profitable.

Grameen now has three different kinds of loans for its borrowers. There are income generating loans, housing loans and educational loans. All of...