Interview made with Mrs N Begum female co-founder of Grameen since 1976

Grameen began a project in 1976 of 4 people: Dr Yunus, Mrs N Begum, Professor Latifee, and Dipal Barua. All four lead the bank today in its 33rd year of helping humanity race to poverty museums by designing and replication social businesses round all of community's most vital service needs

Here is an extract on interview made with Mrs Begum summer 08:
Minute 12- Bangladesh 1976 - Gradually we started to talk to the women,- the first reaction , I’m a woman, I cannot do anything. My husband is responsible for any economic activities. Most of them never touch money with their own hand, because the husband is bringing all the things so she is not really handling any money matters. So when we started talking to them , they were really surprised,- oh you go to my husband, he can do something, I cannot do anything. So we gradually convince the women to take some money to start up some business, so some of them – very few – first loanee was Sophia. She was a beggar who startes to work. And others were just observing what was going on. Then one by one they came…seeing those who have the money are doing better. But it was not an easy task. From the beginning we had in our mind that at least 50% should be the women and 50% should be the men. To talk about that is easy, but to involve women in that scenario, it was not easy. So it takes time. One thing I should say, how women feel much better and the position came up. I was in a workshop in Tangi in 1979, and in that workshop I’m talking about: is there any change with their family, with their husband, the relationship? So one woman mentioned my husband never took me to doctor or never brought me any medicine if I feel sick. But later when I joined Grameen and I’m in money, now my husband goes to the doctor, brings the medicine. So I asked what is the reason ? She told me that this is – I am an "earning woman" – the important thing that you are depending on yourself, not dependent on others, husband or son or the father…and you come yourself and you give yourself some confidence. And this is the dignity of life.

So what Dr Yunus wants, to bring the dignity among all these women, vulnerable women, so that they can make their own future, they can make their children’s future, because the mother always loves her child very much.


If you need full 45 minute transcript - please contact chris.macrae@yahoo.co.uk washington dc mobile 240 316 8157 you can also ask about 10 hours of transcript made wiht all founding directors of Grameen July 2008 the week the Nobel judges came to Dhaka to celebrate opening a Yunus Museum - a celebration we commemorated by sampling yunus10000 dvds- and 2 years later during Yunus Interdependence weekend 4 July 2010 Glasgow (first commemoration party to Norman Macrae) launch of Journal of Social Business