Banker to the Poor

Driven by the devastating 1974 famine in Bangladesh, Yunus realized that traditional banking systems completely shut out the poorest individuals.

He established the Grameen Bank to provide micro-loans, allowing destitute villagers to start small enterprises and gain self-reliance.

Despite initial skepticism from local governments and traditional bankers, his micro-credit system successfully proved that the poor are highly credit-worthy.

Today, this revolutionary economic model has spread to dozens of countries worldwide as a powerful, proven weapon against extreme poverty.