Knowing the borrowers

In my trip to Solonga I attended many borrowers´ meetings, 5 female centers and one male center (97% of the Grameen borrowers are women). At these meetings the Center Manager collects weekly loan payments and discusses with borrowers any problems that may have arisen during the week. The meeting is held once a week at the center house (a small house made of straw and cane, a table and many benches). The Mgr. sits behind the desk and borrowers sit in groups in front of him. The first bench is always the bench of honor. Normally the Center leader sits there and she is in charge of starting and finishing the meeting as it is stipulated by Grameen rules. It is a formality that is divided into three steps: stand up, rise your right hand (in Bangladesh you always have to use your right hand, to eat, thank, etc.) and then sit again.
Once the greeting was over, we introduced ourselves in Blanga…yeah (very funny because women were surprised to hear us speaking their language). I must say that I learnt a lot in those 4 days. Then our questions began: we asked them about their life, loans, history, desires, and plans for the future. At the end, they asked us about our country of origin.
At the meetings some women talked with confidence while others were shy hiding their mouth behind their veil. Most of them have been GB borrowers for a long time. Their lives have changed a lot in the last 20 years, since their first loan. One of the borrowers told us that, at the beginning, they were scared taking the credit, learning the rules, and memorializing them, being totally illiterate. But after 7 days of training, they became Grameen Bank borrowers. At that time they lived at a shack and most of them didn’t even own the land where they lived. Their husbands worked the land and have a very low income. With time and Grameen credits they started their own business and built their own house (now made of straw). Today they do their best to have their kids educated and to repay the bank. Their life has changed dramatically. They still have a poorly life from our point of view but, actually, it is a great step forward for them.
Some women were luckier than others. Some continued progressing while others had to take flexible loans to continue paying the bank.
The area I visited suffers from floods. The river rises high in summer and water covers the roofs of houses. Every year people have to rebuild their house and their lose assets (cattle, crops, etc). The Government cooperates reconstructing the area by spending billions of USD per year. Nevertheless, they keep working every year, taking credits to increase business and looking forward to a better future. They know that floods will come so they try to prepare themselves every year.
Borrowers´ kids (older that 6 years) must attend school, that’s a requirement of Grameen. Most of the mothers are illiterate but the following generation is literate. Kids who do not attend school work in the family business. These children belong to big and less educated families. In these centers, the situation is much more.
Grameen Bank offers many types of loans: basic loans, micro enterprise loans (for bigger business that requires more money), loans for higher education (school and university), loans for house construction, scholarship for the best student, etc.
Women are the connection between the family and the bank. They are responsible for attending the meeting and repaying the loan weekly (another bank’s requirement). Grameen believes that women administrate money better than men do. Women will spend money on family welfare and development, and that is the bank’s main philosophy.
There was a great feeling of union and community in the atmosphere. Everyone cared about each other. Borrowers helped each other when someone couldn’t afford the repayment. Bank works through peer pressure. All members must be updated with repayments, so that everybody can keep getting the loan. The community is really concerned about the sustainability of refunds.
It was a great pleasure to meet these borrowers, their stories, and their future plans. Some of them invited us to go to their houses and very proudly showed us their homes. Here there are some pictures for you to know them too.
I should say that this was not an easy goodbye. Some women were very touched when they told us their stories, they were thankful for receiving people from other countries who had come to their homes and had listened to their anecdotes. And so were we with each tale and every sweet look from these women. The oldest women wished us a long life and patted our heads as a blessing. I am so grateful to everyone for having me at their homes and sharing their stories with me. The world hides wonderful stories in isolated villages…I heard some of these stories and I feel very lucky for that.

More pictures from Solonga

Here there are more pictures of this incredible place. The landscape of Solonga is stunning, full of green (rice pads) and fresh air. At night silence and stillness allow me to enjoy the stars… something impossible in Dhaka.
The girl with beautiful eyes is Nurjahan; her name in Bangla means “light of the world”. Her mother was closing her account at the bank because her husband will travel to Lebanon to work and will send them money monthly so, she will not have money to repay the bank weekly.

Struggling Member Program

Grameen Bank has developed a program for beggars: Struggling Member Program. Every center at GB is responsible for recruiting beggars from villages to give them the chance of becoming borrowers of Grameen. They have a very different treatment. They are given a loan with no interest at all. They have no deadline to return the money. The idea is to encourage them to start some activity that generates money. They usually take the loan to grow something if they own a piece of land or they buy small items to sell door-to-door service. The proposal is for them not to beg anymore but it isn’t a mandatory request. Some of them quit begging and some do it one or two days a week.
I was lucky to meet many members of this project. Their life story is very tough but their spirit and strength is unbelievable. I truly admire them.
Most of them are women who lost their husbands many years ago. Their kids are poor too and they cannot support them economically so they are abandoned. Poor women that become divorced or are widows in this society become, most of the times, homeless. They begin to beg. Everyone in the community knows them.
Once they get into the program, they are adopted by a “guardian”: someone who takes care of them, not for charity (Grammen does not support charity), but to be aware of their needs.
In my trip to Solonga I met a successful case: Ravier Katun. This woman entered the program and after 3 years she became a borrower from the bank. She quit begging and now she has her small business of selling poultry. She has been a member of Grameen Bank for 5 years now, for the last 2 as a basic borrower. Her husband died in the 70’ leaving her with 4 daughters. She used to live at the same place where she keeps her birds now. She wants to buy a cow because she says she has got bored with chicken business. The manager has promised that she will receive the loan to buy it. The whole community is very proud of her achievement. She is a great model.
I met another program member: Giolimon. A 70-year-old woman who is still a member of the program, but her life has improved considerably. She was very sweet with us; she was moved as she shared her story with people from other countries. She wished us a long life in a very affectionate way as elderly people frequently do here.
I believe this is a very good and valuable program. Many beggars are leaving streets to be able to undertake their own project. It is a huge step, very hard, but they rely on the support of the community. It is so great to see these people so united. They are always helping each other with a great community feeling.
Here are some pictures of program members. I believe they are great fighters.

Social Business

I am back in Dhaka, very proud of the incredible women I met. I am so happy that words are not enough to describe my feelings.
I was 4 days in the north of the country. I visited Bogora and Solonga. The itinerary began in Bogora, where Grameen has to 2 social companies. Let me explain a bit about this new concept developed by Prof. Yunus. According to Yunus, it is possible to create companies that aim to eradicate poverty or to improve the situation of millions of poor. These companies work as any other company with the only difference that they do not distribute dividends and all earnings are invested again in the company. A company that address 51% or more of their earning to social development for the poorest can also be considered a social business. I promise I will tell you the details about this idea later on, I’m sure you are full of questions but now I would like to focus on the wonderful days I had spent at the branch.
On Sunday I visited a Danone Grameen industry, a joint venture that belongs to Grameen and Danone (50-50). This company began in 2006; it cost 1 million American dollars and produces 8.000 yogurt jars per day. The main consumers of this product are the children of Bogora. The idea is for them to get the proper vitamins every kid needs during childhood per 5 takas (0.07 USD) the jar (it costs 10 takas downtown as people are wealthier). The taste of the yogurt is amazing, very sweet and nourish. It is quite successful but unfortunately it is not currently making profit as the population believe that it is not healthy to eat something cold in winter (at GD I was told that during the year they are going to work on a marketing campaign to eradicate this belief). Shokti Doi (that’s the name of the yogurt) is sold in the village markets and by the “lady of the yogurt” who goes to each village with a little fridge selling the yogurt. Every borrower of Grameen knows this product and buys it whenever they can. The factory is small, very tidy and with a water purifier pump. It is an incredible project and I bet that it will grow a lot in the future. I wish I could take some Shokti Doi to Argentina.
The other social company that I visited is the “Eye Care Hospital Center”. They see 150 patients per day. Bangladeshi people are prone to eye problems, elderly people suffer from cataracts and they receive treatment and surgery here. The Hospital is very well organized; it has 3 doctors, many nurses and a very clean structure. Poor patients do not pay or pay a minimum amount; while people with more income pay more for the same service. The Hospital’s profit is reinvested. They are building the second hospital and their project is to have 50 hospitals distributed all over the country. The health system in Bangladesh is terrible and poor people have limited access to it. Wealthier people travel to India or Thailand for treatments. Grameen is making a great effort to improve the life quality of needy people.
I sincerely believe in the success of these projects and in the idea of Social business. It is not charity, but profit-making-organization that seeks social improvement. I hope Yunus and Grameen Bank continue developing this concept. It’s time for things to be distributed in a more equal way.

The authentic Grameen Bank

I have so many thoughts in my mind that I find it hard to express them. I’m impressed by the reality of this country and by Grameen Bank’s work. The first idea that comes to my mind is the great daily effort and work of Bangladeshi people. These people start working very early in the morning and the type of work they do it is very rough and tough. The main activities performed at villages are: agriculture but they also have cows, chickens and ducks. Some men pull Rickshaws (used as taxis); others do carpentry work or sell they land produce in the market. In winter it gets dark at 6pm and they continue working with the light of a candle (most people have no electricity supply).
We stayed 3 days at a Branch (a GB unit that manages many borrowers´ centers). The Branch Manager’s Family was very nice to us. We were 3 interns (a Japanese girl, Mai, an Australian boy, Andrew, and me) and an interpreter (Bangla-English) Sharman. We had a great homemade meal, typical Bengali food… too spicy! We became adapted 100% to their culture, we ate with our hands during our stay (it’s an incredible experience, food seems so much tastier!). The menu was: rice (always) plus vegetables and meat or fish. Once in a while we had a Shokti Doi for dessert.
We went to 2 center meetings every morning. These meetings are held in a little house made of straw once a week. The centre manager meets the borrowers and performs the bank’s transactions. The GB has an incredible style of business. Grameen staff works from 8 am to 10 am. During the day the hold these meetings, visit borrowers, check that people are carrying on with the income generating activity for which they asked the loan, and the in late afternoon, they come back to the Branch to continue with the paper work that Bank requires. They have the same smile as at the beginning of their working day and as in the end of it. The energy they put to what they do is admirable.
The relationship between the borrowers and Grameen staff is very special: on the one hand borrowers address the Center Mgr. with respect, as a father or teacher, and on the other hand the bank employee addresses women with respect and manners as they were their clients, for whom they work (the 95% of the bank belongs to borrowers and 5% to the Bangladesh government). Friendliness and a vocation to help is present in everything.
Grameen business is based on motivation. They have to convince thousands of women (most of them illiterate) that they deserve a loan and that they are capable of managing the money and doing productive activities that will produce a major income for the family (that’s one of Grameen conditions for granting a loan). It’s a very personalize treatment.
Women must get together in a group (minimum of 5 persons) to ask for the loans. They must complete 7 days training with the Bank staff to learn rules and requirements of the Bank. To become a borrower, Branch Mgr will test women with an oral test about GB rules. If they answer correctly, he will accept them as borrowers of the Bank. There are many regulations and a lot of work to do for each borrower; I would bore you with details. But I was a witness of this work: every file, account or revision made. I really admire them.
These employees ride their bike or scooter and go out every day. They perform a great job and are example for everybody; it’s my pleasure to introduce them to you.

Old Dhaka

I went to Old Dhaka with two friends: Daniela, from Germany, and Claire, from Switzerland. It is the oldest quarter of the city. This trip was one of the most interesting and intense experiences I have ever had.
The streets are narrow, full of shops and people walking without stopping. Rickshaws occupy all the streets so, we had to walk very carefully.
We were the attraction everywhere, people stared at us, kids followed us and some of them even took pictures with their cellphones. Others came close and asked us which country we were from. Most of them were happy to hear that I came from Argentina as most of them knew about Maradona and Messi. It was strange and fun at the same time: we had our cameras working amazed by such an exotic landscape (considering our occidental point of view) and Bangladeshis took pictures of us because, from their perspective, we were the exotic ones.
As it is a very poor country, Bangladesh does not receive lots of tourists. Most foreigners are people who come as volunteers or to do research.
I went to a very pretty mosque. It is strange for women to go inside a mosque, most of the times they go to an isolated and special place for them.
This wasn’t the case. We had no trouble to get in, even though it was time of prayer, we only had to take our shoes off. We were lucky! I was able to see the way men prayed and a group of kids studying the Coram with their teacher (red bear, as you can see here in the picture, is a sign of status).
We continued wondering around. The streets interweave with each other, with no streets´ names or numbers. We were trying to go the river when we met a woman who offered to guide us there. She spoke only Bangla so, we had to make an effort to understand her words with our little knowledge of the language.
We followed her together with a group of women. After a while, we realized that we were not heading towards the river; we were going to her house. We got into a narrow street of the neighborhood and finally, we got to a small door. They invited us to go into their humble house. We were both very happy to be invited.
The place we went into had many rooms, a shared backyard and a sort of kitchen outside. The girl was 22 and had two kids. Her sister, aunt and mother were there too. We took our shoes off before we went in. Each family has one indoor room, sometimes two, where the whole family sleeps.
The first house we entered, we saw our host’s father sleeping on the only bed in the room. Nevertheless, they asked us to sit next to him. There were a lot of people at the door staring at us and laughing. They offered us Coke. In fact, they went to buy some in order to give us something to drink. They spoke all the time and did their best to be clear. We learnt a little more Bangla today, they were our teachers.
Then we were invited to another house. This one had a small room at the back with a bed. We sat there and they gave us some cookies. We continued chatting a bit more, and then we met their kids and some neighbors came to talk. People were so nice with us…we were very grateful for this experience.
Everything happened without any plan and it was amazing. We let ourselves flow with the current, along with these women, with no worries about our destiny. I think that, the fact that we were all women, allowed us to live this experience. Maybe, if a man had been present, women would not have invited us to their houses because they cannot be with a man if their husbands are not at home. They also wanted to invite us to lunch, but we decided to go on with our tour, we didn’t want to bother them. They offered us to be our guides and company. After we had walked and talked for a while in Bangla (we didn’t understand what they were saying) we arrived at a station where we said goodbye. We could see tears of sadness in their eyes. We were sad too. The kindness and sweetness of these women is incredible: we went to their houses and met their families, it was wonderful.
Our last stop was at the river. We met some Bangladeshis that came close to talk. The landscape was beautiful: a grey sky (Dhaka is one of the most polluted cities in the world), a reddish sun, a bridge, small ships and men having a bath in the river, or washing their clothes. A strange and lovely scene.

Being a woman in Bangladesh

I have already mentioned that many people here think that I am Bangladeshi when they see me. This allows me, I think, to understand more clearly the status that the woman has in the culture of this country. Many times when I enter a market or when I go along the streets, men ignore me completely. But if I am with a man, they talk to him. Those who are more conservative don’t even look at me, as if I wasn’t there in front of them.
Those who I did talk to, at first asked me about my country of origin and secondly they asked me if I was married... Now I’ve learnt what to say: “Aami biba hito”, which means that I am married; it is no use to say that you have a boyfriend. Then they asked me if I have kids, and what my husband did for a leaving. I answered that I didn’t have kids and that my husband was a business man.
The other day I went to shop a cell phone card. To do so, I had to write: my name, my husband’s and father’s name and my address in Dhaka. I was really angry. At first, when I read about the Islam I open minded and I tried to understand and to respect the culture. But now that I’m living here and experiencing the culture, I can’t stand it and I feel a terrible resentment. It is very difficult to be a woman here. It means to lose your individuality, to become an object that belongs to man; a man who becomes the owner of your destiny, your desires and plans.
At this very shop of cell phones, the owner offered my friend his 10-years-old daughter! He even showed him a picture and told him that she would be a great wife for him. Mi friend is 35 years old! Then I was even more irritated.
That same day, I exchanged money and the clerk me didn’t even look at me. I felt like a ghost, a miss nobody.
If you do say that you are unmarried… someone might even ask you if you want to marry him. I assure you, it can be an awkward moment.
We will see how things at the Village are… I will tell you on Wednesday.
Shuvó shap tajo! (Have a good week!)

More photos of Old Dhaka

Here there are some pictures of Old Dhaka for you to enjoy. I will not write till Wednesday as I will be staying in different villages meeting the borrowers, the main characters of this business.
At least! I have been told that it is there where the real Grameen Bank is.

Shuvó Ratri! (Good night! It’s 12 am here).

Holud

Last night I was part of a Holud ceremony. Holud is one of the wedding ceremonies in Bangladesh. It is like a stag party where family and friends participate together with the bride or the groom families. For the preparations, friends of the couple prepare a special dance with different songs to honor the couple. The dance is very beautiful, a mix of Hindu and Bangladeshi steps. This video shows a Hindu dance that I found particularly interesting.

Grameen Knitwear

A couple of days ago I visited one of Grameen Sister Companies: Grameen Knitwear, a textile firm. I must admit that I was greatly surprised when I saw the workshops. The visit began very well. We had the meeting with the company Mgr. who explained the company policies to us, showed us the great machinery they use (they are all imported from Japan and Europe) and the sewing area.
I won’t go into details; I’m posting some pictures and giving you some figurers. That’s how you’ll come to your own conclusion.
The company has 2.900 employees approximately. There are 3 shifts per day, 8 hours each (women only apply for the first shift), 6 days a week. Only 36 % of employees are women. The factory only exports to countries such as: Germany, Spain, USA, and China among others. Employee’s basic salary is USD 30 per month plus 3.600 takas (USD 53) for transportation and food. I was told that this work condition is the best of Bangladesh.

Meeting Professor Yunus

Today was a day to remember. I’m sure this day will be part of a tale I’m going to tell my grandchildren. I met professor Yunus (that’s how they call him). For those who don’t know him, Dr. Yunus is the creator of microfinance and the founder of Grameen Bank. He is the main reference for microfinance worldwide. For you to figure this out, every time he travels, he meets presidents of different countries. Today I shook hands with him, he even gave me his personal card and had a picture taken with him.
He asked me why I had gone to Bangladesh and how. I told him, that I was inspired by his books and that I wanted to see his work with my own eyes. He told me I was very brave to travel so far away and he asked me to keep in touch with him… I still have the memory of his smile so vivid in my mind!
He seems a very simple, nice and humble man, always smiling, very literate, and extremely smart. He created the Grameen Bank starting with a small loan of 27 USD from his own pocket. He is a an example.
I feel very lucky for the possibility of this encounter. I hope I see him again before I live.
It was a beautiful moment…just beautiful.

Adrenaline in Dhaka streets

For those who are looking for action… watch this video and feel the amazing adrenaline I experienced on a Rickshaw in the streets of Dhaka. Unbelievable!!!

Mirpur

Mirpur is the neighborhood where my hotel and the Grameen Bank are in. It is a very busy place, full of crowds and dreadfully noisy. The population density of Bangladesh exceeds 1,000 people per square km. Maybe that’s the reason why I am surrounded by such chaos.
This is a very colorful place, full of life and activity. Horns stop blowing at midnight approximately. At night it gets quieter. Prayers begin at 5.30 am at the mosque that is placed behind the hotel (see photo), they are beautiful and act as a good alarm clock. Muslims pray 5 times a day, I am delighted to hear their singing.
As you can see, Rickshaws occupy the streets. They are used by local people. It is very difficult to communicate with someone who is driving one of them, you never know if they understood the address you gave them. The best thing you can do, is to learn the road name and tell them by making signals (I’ve learnt dan… right and bam… left) Today I gave indications to a Ricshaw driver in Bangla. I’m learning! Cu bahlo!!! (That’s how you say “very good”!!!).

Renewable energy: Grameen Shakti

I would like to share some of the project that Grameen has developed through the Shakti Grameen Company (Shakti means energy).
Bangladesh lacks of a stable energy source. Electricity comes from some areas of the country. Areas that receive electric power distribute the energy equally among each other. There are some days that some places have power and some other don’t, and vice versa. Grameen Shakti has developed sun panels hoping that GB borrowers may buy some of them with small loans. Thanks to these panels many houses have electricity now.
Women form part of the tech staff that generates these panels, they work assembling batteries and special plug-ins. I visited one of these centers and the area manager explained how the panels worked. They charge daylight and if there is no light the battery lasts for 3 days. They also produce devices to deal with battery charging. Borrowers have a certain amount of years to pay back the loan. These panels allow them to have 4 lamps and some other appliance turned on at home.
Another kind of energy which has been developed by Grameen is called the biogas. This gas is a mixture of cow dung and water that produces a gas which is used as a kitchen gas fuel. The amount of dung needed is 70 kilograms and the same amount of water, this mixture is put into a blender as you can see in the picture. It goes through a pipe and it is stored in a small cylinder. The waste of dung is reused as a fertilizer. This amount of gas is enough for 6 hour of work.
They also develop more efficient kitchens to minimize the use of wood which is very expensive.
It is quite interesting to hear the managers of these projects. They are so proud of their work… they detail everything with such passion that it is inevitable to get more interested in their projects.
I also liked the kind of publicity they use for their products. They have signs that describe the product with words and drawings for all villagers to understand what it is about (even if they do not know how to read or write).
Sometime it is difficult for a woman to interact with Bangladeshi men. Normally man and woman (outside marriage and family) do not establish any physical contact. When I met these managers or employees of Grameen, most of them just greeted me with a nod, with male interns, they shook hands. Only a few shook hands with me. Usually they are the bosses; they speak poor English and I could tell that they were used to relating with western people. I truly believe it is a great challenge for them to shake hands with a woman. I think they do it out of respect and appreciation for the visitor.
We were asked which country we came from. To tell the truth, a lot of people asked me if I was Bangladeshi. They told me I look like a Bangladeshi because of my clothes and dark hair. But when I told them I was from Argentina…they opened their eyes and shouted "Great football team!!! Maradona, Messi...great players! They are real fans of our football team.

A Bangladeshi song

Today I visited many centers of the Grameen Bank outside Dhaka. GB works with different centers distributed all over the country. Today I visited some special projects on different programs designed for borrowers. GB does not only provide small loans, but also programs for health, education and communication development among others. Most of them are companies related to the Bank. My present for you is the video I have uploaded. I must admit that my eyes were full of tears watching the pictures I’m sharing with you. Kids were waiting for us in a maternal kindergarten that opens every day (except on Friday because is holiday in Bangladesh) for kids under 6. Here kids are prepared for primary school. Courses last a year and it is amazing how fast they learn. The main characters of this video started kindergarten 20 days ago and they have already learned the Bangladeshi National Anthem (second video).
With the first song, children are taught about personal health. They march behind each other and every time they stop, the teacher checks their hair and nails, and if she finds someone who is not very clean, he or she has to sit in the middle of the group while the rest continue marching. Everybody knows the song. Those who are in the middle, promise not to be dirty the next time. Kids also learn the name of fruits, numbers and shapes in English and in Bangla. Toys are donated by UNICEF. The kindergarten is located in a piece of land that belongs to a GB borrower. The little house works as borrowers´ center meeting too. They meet here every week. The kindergarten is open not only for borrowers´ kids but for every member of the community. The fee is 20 takas per month (0.29 USD).
Today I felt very honored by these little people. It was a privilege to hear them sing. We even introduced ourselves and asked theme some questions (through an interpreter). I almost forgot! I learnt something today! The children thought me some numbers in Bangla: 1..ek; 2..doi; 3..tin
Asala Molecum...(that’s how they greet here).

A business trip

For the first time in my life I traveled in Business Class and it was great!!! (I slept for the first time in 30 hours!!). As you can see, Air France connection went great. I arrived at the airport in Paris, and it took me some time to find my way in the immense airport (really huge) and from there I flew (Air Europe donation) to Doha (Qatar capital). Qatar limits with Saudi Arabia a small peninsula.

The big question is how I managed to travel business class. I was in Qatar waiting for the last and long awaited flight to Dhaka when a nice and smiling Qatar Airways assistant offered me the chance to fly in business class. I obviously accepted, my back was more than thankful, maybe seeing my 19-hour-flight face helped. Those last hours on the plane helped me to gather up what was left of my energy.

The story is even more surprising. I was sitting very comfortably when a Bangla looking girl sat beside me (she was around 28): Moushumi. We started talking and she happened to be a Bangladeshi lawyer living in the US who had worked many times with Yunus at the Grameen Bank. She was really impressed by my internship experience and told me about many encounters she had had with Yunus and his assistants. She was very nice to me. She gave me her cellphone and her family phone in Dhaka.
We may meet before I leave. Having these contacts while being in such a different country made me feel safe.

Traffic at Bangladesh Capital

If you are shocked by the traffic of Buenos Aires, it’s nothing compared to the traffic in Dhaka. Here, there are no rules. I’ve never heard so many horns blowing at the same time in my life…
Streets are full of cars, buses, 3-wheel-motorcycles that take passengers in a sort of cabin and the well-known Rickshaws. These Rickshaws are the famous Bangladeshi cabs (they also draw yellow taxis). They are drawn by men on bicycles. These pictures were taken from inside a Rickshaw. The white building you see in the backdrop, in the first picture, is the Grameen Bank.
There are traffic lights that do not work properly. The adrenaline you feel on those little taxis is amazing.
There are Riskshaws crossing everywhere, in front of cars and buses. The horns do not stop. You have to get into the Riskshaw it and trust the ability of Bangla drivers. These drivers spend the whole day in the street, pedaling for some takas.
Dhaka is a very chaotic city, horns do not stop blowing and the screaming of Rickshaw men is heard all the time. People cross the street wherever they can, you have to step with attitude in front of cars for them to let you walk through. There are many beggars, kids, grown ups, and crippled adults that approach cars to beg for money. I was advised not to give them money. I’ve been told that there are big organizations using beggars to make a profit of their low social position. Does this ring a bell?

Saved by an Air Europa assistant

When I arrived at Ezeiza, very innocently, I went to look for my flight info (Air Europe to Madrid) in the announcements board and I didn’t find it. I knew something was wrong because flights that had to take off later were announced. I went to the Air Europe desk and literally my blood pressure went down when I saw the departure time: 08.15 pm. WHAT? Impossible, I thought (my original time was 2.30 pm). But it was true. My first reaction was to cry desperately and desolately. In my mind I counted up the flying hours and it was clear that I wouldn’t be able to take the connection with Qatar Airways (which would take me to Bangladesh). I desperately called my cousin, who had made the connection and to make things worse, he told me that from Madrid there were no flights till NEXT FRIDAY! More tears.
Finally someone listened to me at the desk. I think the Air Europe boy felt sorry for me and went inside to look for a solution for my plight. He took his time… so I kept crying and cursing my bad luck.
After a while, I was invited to go into their offices. A very nice girl, in her uniform of Air Europe, sat with me: Dafne… my new savior. When she saw my situation (35 hours of flight; 24 flight and 11 hours in between) she couldn’t do anything but help me. She started writing strange codes on the monitor in front of her. She found a way so that I would fly to Europe through Paris. She got a seat for me on an Air France flight that very afternoon. Once in Paris y would make a connection with my flight to Bangladesh. I would be arriving according to the plan. Dafne: I’m so grateful! I believe everyone will agree with me, I was very lucky.
According to my mum, trips that start with your left foot, are the best. I hope she’s right!

How to get an internship at Grameen Bank

After reading Yunus´ books I realized I wanted to know more about microfinance projects and its main figures. The idea of doing an internship came to me surfing the Grameen Bank webpage. One of the title options is “training”. Clicking there you’ll see many options to study at Head Quarters of GB, among them a free internship (they only charge 36 dollars for materials and administrative costs, a very fair amount). Internship is absolutely ad hoc. Each student can adapt their study depending on the professional objective he/she pursues. There is an internship model that can be used as a guide. The main activities are: studying the history of GB, the way they proceed, and the most interesting thing for me, visits to the villages. I think this should be the frosting of the cake. One unique experience to go through, meeting the true microcredits protagonists, and observing the daily bank running and the outcome pf they work.
When you speak to people that have been in these villages, you cannot avoid to feeling surprised and touched listening to their stories and the feelings they reveal through their memories. Later on, I will be able to confirm their stories.
Going back to the tale, next step was to contact by e-mail the person in charge of internship: Nurjaham Begun, the first lady to work visiting Yunus villages, at present bank manager. She took her time to reply but it ended up being rewarding one (they last a week to answer). She asked me for my CV and objectives that would justify my wish to go. After a week they confirmed the acceptance: I had green light to meet them!. GB does not afford transportation and food. Just for the record, most trainees stay at the Grand Prince Hotel.
To get a visa you will also need a GB letter, you may request this from your contact. If you wish to contact past trainees you can join their Facebook group for 2007, 2008, and now 2009.
There is a lot of information on the internet about GB and small loans in general. You can not skip Yunus books (“Yunus” “The banker of the poor”, and “A world without poverty”). They inspire and transmit great strength and optimism. A good beginning for a professional to be.