NEWSLETTER ISSUE NO: 01 I JANUARY 2013
Social Business
Inside Foreward Accolades in 2012 -Grameen Solar Systems light one million homes -Mung Beans bring boon for farmers -Grameen Telecom reaches one million people -GDL covers 5,000 members Social Business Highlights -SB in Nepal -Mobile Phones detect Cancer -SB in Albania -SB in Denmark -SB Day 2012 -SB Summit 2012 -Grameen Shikkha launches GS-CISD -Vocational Training Centre Grameen Telecom Trust Brief -SB Design Lab -AGM and Board Meeting -Health Complex-1 -SBIF and Learning Centre Facts & Figures -Grameen Kalyan -Grameen Health Care Services -Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing
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Insights
We have a lot of science fiction. We should write social fiction. Use our imaginations and make it happen Professor Muhammad Yunus at the World Economic Forum 2013, Davos
The corporate world has suffered a great deal in the eyes of the public in recent times. Public perception was affected negatively through events such as the world financial crisis and the expositions on the deleterious working conditions in Apple factories in China and Toyota’s recall of 2.7 million cars. Many have instituted corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs as an attempt to regain a more positive image and prove to the rest of the world that corporations are doing their part to help society. However, as corporations continue to augment their profits annually, the incomes of millions of poor people remain stagnant. While absolute poverty has declined over the years, inequality has grown. Today more than 2 billion people live on less than $2 per day and have limited or no access to food, clean water, healthcare, education, and the list can go on and on. I have proposed an innovative idea called social business to help mitigate the problems associated with poverty and eradicate poverty itself. For a social business, the first goal is to overcome a social problem such as unemployment or hunger, and second to earn a profit to make the business sustainable. All profits are returned to the Continued on page 2...
business for expansionary or other business-related purposes. The profits may be used to start or invest in another social business as well. Therefore, a social business is a non-dividend company in which the only return investors expect is their principal investment. There is a single focus with which a service or a product is marketed in social business.
access to clean and portable water, Grameen Shakti to provide solar energy, and Grameen Healthcare Services to improve healthcare. In addition to these programs, there are many more working in other focus areas. I have recently been advocating the integration of health and mobile phone technology using the social business model.
Social business initiatives may take up issues of vocational education, agricultural products collection or employment of women in handicraft and many others. Most recently a MoU was signed in Albania to use social business in addressing poverty problems, unemployment and other social concerns. Currently, Grameen has several functioning social businesses. One of the first social businesses is Grameen Danone. Grameen partnered with the French company Danone to produce a low-cost nutritional yogurt which would be affordable to the poor in Bangladesh and reduce malnutrition amongst children. Apart from the positive health impact, Grameen Danone reduced unemployment by creating jobs for women in Bangladesh to sell the yogurt door-to-door. Other ventures based in Bangladesh include Grameen Veolia to increase
Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) is the flagship entity endowed with the responsibility to carry out social business work. GTT strives to transform society through social business. It is responsible for implementing and facilitating social business ideas towards fulfilling humanity’s most pressing needs. Once innovative ideas are set forth, GTT formulates them into prototypes that can be replicated in a sustainable manner. GTT has taken an initiative to publish quarterly Newsletter from now on to give an in-sight on social business and to help understand the potential that social business possesses. This newsletter will share social business ideas and experiences from Bangladesh and around the world, with an emphasis on implementing sustainable social business with a social mission.
Accolades in 2012
Grameen Solar Systems Light
one million homes Grameen Shakti (GS) has reached the landmark of installing one million solar home systems in the country’s rural areas on 30th November, 2012. This has enabled around eight million people to light their homes and businesses using cheap and environment-friendly solar power. And now, GS plans to reach two million homes by the end of 2016.
GS is on its way of becoming a successful model of renewable and green energy technologies. Renowned writer Nancy Wimmer in her book “Green Energy for a Billion Poor” reviewed and lauded GS for its green energy program. Wimmer leads the reader straight into a study of how Grameen Shakti, here in Bangladesh, has made a difference in the lives of the not-so-privileged. Continued on page 3...
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“The point about Grameen Shakti is its endeavors toward providing easily available solar energy to the rural poor in Bangladesh. Of course, there is the small matter of the costs involved, seeing that the exercise is rather new for a country yet struggling to break free of poverty. It is just such a struggle which becomes the focus of Grameen Shakti's green energy programme,” says Syed Badrul Ahsan in his review of Nancy Wimmer’s book in the Daily Star. “The premise was simple: if in twenty years the poor could be drawn into a new vista through micro-credit, one of self-dependence and perhaps even prosperity, the idea of solar energy lighting up homes in the villages of Bangladesh could not be dismissed as an improbable thought,” he says.
Grameen Shakti : At a Glance Set up in
1996
Districts Covered
64
Villages Covered
50,000
Total beneficiaries
8m
Solar home systems installed Improved cook stoves installed
1.02m 595,516
Biogas plants installed
24,206
Power Generation Capacity
53 MW
Mung Beans bring
The ladies harvesting mung beans cultivated in rural area in Bangladesh
Under a new social business initiative of Grameen, Bangladesh has started exporting mung beans to Japan. The first shipment went to Japan in December 2012 opening a new horizon. The mung beans were cultivated by Bangladeshi farmers under a joint venture agreement between Japan’s leading agro-company Yukiguni Maitake Co. (YMC) Ltd, Kyushu University and Grameen Krishi Foundation (GKF). The mung beans exported to Japan are expected to go on sale as sprouts next spring. The sprouts will be named ‘Kizuna’. The word ‘Kizuna’ means bond and is special for the Japanese people. They feel this word brings hope for people suffering from natural disasters. Also, in this fiscal year, the scale of the production is planned for expansion, which is expected to provide more Bangladeshi farmers with the benefits of the social business initiative. The joint venture agreement signed in July, 2011 by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chairman of GKF, and Mr. Yoshinobu Odaira, President of YMC, at
boon for farmers Grameen Krishi Foundation aimed at producing high quality mung beans in Bangladesh for both domestic consumption and export to Japan. By cultivating mung beans with its own management, Yukiguni Maitake is able to eliminate soil contamination and other risks and ensure a stable supply of high-quality mung bean sprouts. Also, farmers in Bangladesh are acquiring technical skills for cultivating high-quality mung beans. Currently about 7,500 contract farmers are involved, and this number is expected to grow.
“I am proposing to create another kind of business, based on selflessness that is in all of us, I am calling it Social Business” … Professor Muhammad Yunus
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Grameen Telecom reaches
The first ever Village Phone Lady of Bangladesh Ms. Laily Begum
Grameen Telecom commenced its Grameen Village Phone programme on 26th March, 1997. The programme provides a mobile community phone that bridges the information gap between rural and urban areas. Most of the operators are women and are known as ‘Village Phone Lady’.
one million people Grameen Telecom has reached the landmark of serving one million people in the country’s rural areas through village mobile connection.
GDL covers
5,000 members Grameen Marketing Network, one of the key projects of Grameen Distribution Limited is being implemented in 23 districts. The project has progressed very well in 15 districts. In the rest 8, the project has just commenced. Through GMN, mosquito nets, GDL mobiles, mobile batteries, energy saving lights, LED lights, garments, mini solar systems, seeds, Tetley tea, GDL sandals, Square
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products etc. are being distributed and sold by members of GMN (people in villages, mainly poor ladies.) Sales of GDL products are increasing by day. GMN set a target of attaining 5,000 members in 2012. At the end of 2012, GMN had a total of 4925 members. The total sale in 2012 was Tk 2,74,50,579.
Social Business Highlights
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus attended a series of high-level meetings on social business and microfinance in Nepal organized by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI).
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus addresses the 7th Saarc Federation of Oncologists (SFO) International Cancer Conference on Mobile Phones that can detect Cancer
Yunus's initiative for vocational
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, right; and General Manager of Tirana Business Park Carsten Conrad, left, sign a deal to launch social business in Tirana, Albania, on January 21, 2013. Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, centre, is also seen.
Yunus Social Business in Albania and Tirana Business Park, an investment of Germany-based Lindner Group, teamed up to set up a vocational training school for the unemployed youth in the impoverished European country. Prof Muhammad Yunus, Nobel laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, and Carsten Conrad, general manager of Tirana Business Park, signed a memorandum of understanding for the Vocational Training Social Business in the Albanian capital. The ceremony was held at the Tirana Business Park in Albania, in the presence of Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
training school in Albania
The centre will initially train new plumbers, electricians and industrial mechanics, with more subjects being added in later years, Yunus Centre in Dhaka said in a statement yesterday. While there have been signs of economic progress, Albania remains one of the poorest in Europe outside the former Soviet Union and unemployment is stubbornly high. The school will be sited on the Tirana Business Park campus and draw on the vast knowledge and expertise of these professions within Tirana Business Park and its German parent company. Continued on page 6...
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The vocational training centre will be structured as a separate company clearly aligned with the principles of social business, with equity held by both Tirana Business Park and Yunus Social Business in Albania.
The Lindner Group is one of Europe's leading companies for the building envelope, interior fit-out, insulation and other construction-related services.
Denmark turns
From left, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus discusses social business with Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Christian Friis Bach and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at the Conference on Social Business hosted by Denmark's foreign ministry in cooperation with the Confederation of Danish Industries in Copenhagen on 28th January, 2013.
Denmark has hosted a daylong conference on the social business concept of Prof Muhammad Yunus to find answers to some of the problems the Scandinavian country faces. The Danish foreign ministry in cooperation with the Confederation of Danish Industries organised the conference in Copenhagen on Monday where the Nobel laureate was the chief guest. Christian Friis Bach, Denmark's minister for development cooperation, hosted the conference, which was also attended by Crown Princess Mary, according to a statement of the Yunus Centre in Dhaka. The conference was inspired by Professor Yunus' concept of social business. Sessions were dedicated to discuss ways for social business to be used as a tool by the Danish government to solve problems in the country, and through the Danish government's overseas development programmes, in other countries.
to social business
The founder of Grameen Bank gave two keynote addresses and took questions from the audience throughout the day. Dr. Yunus narrated his experiences in setting up social businesses in Bangladesh, Haiti, Albania, Germany, France, Japan, Togo, Brazil, Colombia, Nepal, India, Tunisia and other countries. The Banker to the Poor also gave proposals of how Denmark could use the social business concept to address social challenges within the country, such as social exclusion and youth unemployment. Over 150 guests, including top government officials, politicians and chief executives of corporate houses, took part in the conference. The participants jointly identified top priorities for social business in development cooperation and social policy, according to the statement.
“Poor people are bonsai people. There is nothing wrong with their seeds. Only society never gave them a base to grow on.� -Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism
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Social Business
Professor Muhammad Yunus at the inaugural session of SB Day 2012
The world needs to embrace social business as a tool that works for people and can turn the current financial woes around. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus spoke at the third annual Social Business Day on 28th June, 2012 which was observed with a call for embracing business practices that serve social goals, which the existing system is failing to do. He stressed the need for using technology and youth to reverse the world economy for the better. "It is not a failure of youth, but it is the failure of the framework we have," said Professor Yunus, who along with Grameen Bank which he founded won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for "efforts to create economic and social development". Explaining social business, Professor Yunus said it it not one that stands against traditional business. The term "social business" was coined and defined by Professor Yunus, and a number of organizations with which he is associated. These organizations are actively promoting the concept of social business. The different panel sessions highlighted issues such as
Day 2012 held youth, technology, environment, renewable energy, employment, the disabled and the disadvantaged, healthcare, nutrition and microfinance, in the context of social business. Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations, in a message to Professor Yunus, said social business represents a paradigm shift in the business community: focusing not on maximizing profits and increased financial returns for investors but in prioritizing the needs of people. At the daylong event, organizers also awarded prizes to some students for winning the social business plan competition. A team from the marketing department of Dhaka University bagged the top prize, while another joint team from Dhaka University, IBA of Dhaka University and BUET got the first runner-up prize and a team from East Delta University the second runner-up prize. Professor Yunus handed over the crests to the winners. The day also featured the screening of "Bonsai People," a documentary on Grameen Bank members.
“We have to get out of this mindset that the rich will do the business and the poor will have the charity.� -Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus
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Global Social
Professor Muhammad Yunus is seen with the members of the Yunus Centre delegation at the summit
Business Summit-’12 held
The 4th Global Social Business Summit-2012 was held in Vienna, Austria on 8th November, 2012 bringing together all the main actors in the field of social business. Barrister Faiyaz Bin Hasan, Sr. Manager, Legal & Regulatory Affairs and Prometheus Siddiqui, Coordinator, Communication & Research from GTT attended the Summit as a part of the Yunus Centre Delegation of the Grameen Family.
before the Summit. This included day long meetings on Academia and Social Business. Universities working in the field of social business for creating courses and curriculum on social business got together to provide updates on their activities.
The theme of the summit was ‘Power of Innovation to Change the World’. The conference was equipped with unbelievably powerful technology and easily accessible communication tools that can empower any individual to make their causes heard. This gave the attendees exciting opportunity to discover innovations that can solve any problem our societies are currently facing us.
In parallel a meeting of Young Challengers, chosen from around the world, committed in setting up social businesses in their countries also came to Vienna to express their expectations from the Summit.
More than twenty universities around the world from every continent participated in the academic meeting.
8th November, 2012 saw the arrival of HM Queen Sofia of Spain who inaugurated the Summit alongside Professor Muhammad Yunus.
On 7th November, 2012 there were pre meetings
Professor Yunus launches GS-CISD
Professor Yunus with others observing the vocational training room at Savar
Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has launched “Grameen Shikkha-CISD Vocational
Vocational Training Centre
Training Centre” in Savar on 9th January, 2013. Grameen Shikkha, with financial assistance from the Continued on page 9...
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Netherlands-based C&A Europe, has been conducting a vocational training programme since 2008 for the country's poor and the school dropouts. The organisation has trained more than 2,300 students on vocations such as electronics, industrial swing, mobile phone servicing, garment machine mechanics, computer, solar home management and
computer applications. Grameen Shikkha also started a scholarship management programme with a unique idea of Professor Yunus from 2002. Gerben De Jong, the ambassador of Netherlands to Bangladesh, Nurjahan Begum, managing director of Grameen Shikkha, C&A's Director Chris Brenninkmeyer, were also present at the programme.
Vocational Training Centre Fatema Nupur was born in a village in Comilla district about 13 years ago. When she was 21 days old her mother Minu died. Fatema’s father Nazrul also died when she was very young. Fatema had an elder sister called Pinky. Both sisters became very destitute at the death of their parents. Pinky’s grandmother (Nazrul’s mother) began to take care of her; while Fatema was adopted by an aunt of her mother’s called Rusia. Rusia, a widow and completely illiterate, came to Dhaka along with Fatema and a son of her own in search of work and began to work as housemaid. Her son later married and somehow managed to go to the Middle-East to work as laborer. He also married and now takes little care of her mother. Fatema’s elder sister Pinky who was living with her grandmother in Comilla was married off early. Her husband used to persecute her for dowry. His oppression became so unbearable that Pinky committed suicide by hanging herself about two years ago. Now Fatema is absolutely alone in the world except Rusia, who has been taking motherly care of her soon after her birth. Fatema calls her ‘mother.’ They live in a rented one-room poor house in a slum in Mirpur. Rusia
works in several houses as maid and her meager income has been the only source of income to support these two destitute women. Fatema became a student of a NESC school about eight years ago. She carried on her studies well from grade one through grade five. She decided to take the national primary examinations 2010. Grameen Shikkha arranged for her enrollment. She got first division in the exams and in 2011 enrolled in grade six in Bownia Badh Model High School in Mirpur. Now she is preparing for her grade seven finals. She is going well with her studies and aspires to become a doctor in future.
Grameen Telecom Trust Brief
Social Business
Design Lab Participants in the Social Business Design Lab
Grameen Telecom Trust participated in the Social Business Design Lab held at the Yunus Centre on 5th
January, 2013. The lab was organized to discuss Social Business project proposals. It was attended Continued on page 10...
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by representatives from civil society, academia, nongovernmental organizations, youth forums, business groups and various Grameen companies. Six project proposals were presented in the morning plenary, each followed by a brief Q&A session. At the closing session, all the participants shared their views on the proposals and pledged to participate in such labs in future. Many entrepreneurs
came forth and expressed their keen interest in mentoring the projects. The Grameen Telecom Trust delegation included Ms. Parveen Mahmud, Managing Director of Grameen Telecom Trust, Mr. Manjur Ahmed, Head of HR and Admin and Mr. Prometheus Siddiqui, Coordinator, Communication and Research. The delegation was accompanied by representative from SDRS.
AGM &
Board Meeting A view of 1st AGM and 9th Board meeting
The 1st Annual General Meeting and 9th Board Meeting of Grameen Telecom Trust were held on 19th December, 2012. Different departments of GTT briefed the meeting about their activities with updated information. Several decisions were taken after discussing and examining their information. At the Board meeting, Professor Muhammad Yunus
honorable Chairman of GTT formally launched the website of GTT. The website projects various aspects of social business. Earlier, several logos for the website, selected by the trustees at the 8th meeting of the Trustee Board, were submitted to the Chairman for his consideration. The honorable Chairman selected one logo from the submitted ones.
Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) has signed an agreement with Grameen Kalyan (GK) to implement the Health Complex-1. The project will be implemented jointly by GTT and GK. This is one of the GTT projects now under implementation. Two documents, one on Hospital Planning and Designs, and another on Hospital Construction in the Perspective of Hospital Administration have been prepared and finalized by the project director. Institute of Architecture Bangladesh (IAB) has been selected to prepare the design of this project. GTT and GK will finalize the design considering national and international standards. Several sites are being considered for the project implementation.
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Launch of
Health Complex-1
Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) has established a Social Business Innovation Fund (SBIF) to help provide social business projects with financial support. The Fund will be an integral part of GTT’s endeavors to develop and grow social business. The to key functions of the fund are, incubation and financing of innovative enterprises. The modes of funding include equity financing and working capital financing. A Social Business Learning Centre is also in the process of being established under SBIF. The main purpose of the Learning Centre is to raise awareness about social business, foster discussions, and encourage implementation. The Learning Centre will be the primary location of the incubation stage of the project. At the Learning Centre, participants will have the opportunity to acquire training, take part in discussions, and compete in the Social Business Competitions.
Social Business Innovation Fund &
Learning Centre
Facts & Figures (For the Year 2012) Health Interventions Grameen Kalyan Region
Tangail
Savar
Health Center
7
7
Keranigonj Comilla Rajshahi Mymensing Sirajgonj Pirojpur 8
8
7
Grand Total
7
7
3
54
Number of Patients Treated: At Health Centre
19,049
20,646
12,744
12,057
9,155
8,138
5,917
2,472
91,386
At Satellite Camp
17,613
10,980
12,262
15,217
10,809
8,293
4,592
2,740
83,594
At School Camp
3,341
944
9,390
3,145
6,450
1,502
6,748
13,193
45,623
At Specialist Camp
15,065
6,570
4,194
4,429
2,954
4,662
2,450
995
41,479
Total Patient
55,068
37,713
38,625
34,723
29,368
22,695
19,707
18,405
256,049
Number of Satellite & Other Camps Organized: By Doctor
14
197
4
1,715
167
0
0
0
2,099
By DMF*
332
137
390
597
315
321
413
116
2,659
By Paramedic
470
556
514
304
675
477
297
358
3,696
School Camp
72
6
74
47
168
20
212
109
715
Specialist Camp
604
536
487
501
435
696
799
195
4,277
*Center Co-ordinator (Diploma in Medical Faculty)
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Grameen Green Child Eye Care Hospital Annual Report Jan-Dec, 2012 Bogra
Barisal
New Patients
195,380
106,593
Review Patients
89,760
47,050
Cataract Surgeries Performed
11,277
5,049
Other Surgeries Performed
2,517
2,010
Purchased Medicine
101,428
89,412
Tests Undertaken
97,966
82,672
Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing Contents
Information
Total Number of Batches
4
Total Number of Students
173
Courses offered
Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery
Number of students who will graduate in 2013
38
SAVE THE DATES 2013 World Social Business Day 2013 June 28, 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh www.muhammadyunus.org
Published by Grameen Telecom Trust Corporate Office: House-132, Road-2 Block-A, Section-12, Pallabi Mirpur, Dhaka 1216 Tel: 88-02-8059934, 8059938, Fax: 88-02-8059921 Email: info@gtctrust.com, Website: www.gtctrust.com
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Global Social Business Summit 2013 November 7-9, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.gsbs2013.com
Grameen Telecom Trust KALEIDOSCOPE Advisor: Professor Muhammad Yunus Executive Editor: Parveen Mahmud
Editorial Team: Manjur Ahmed Prometheus Siddiqui Mirza Tabassum Abu Md. Munayeem