Kaleidoscope Issue 4

NEWSLETTER

ISSUE NO:04 I JANUARY 2014

Inside Social Business Highlights Global Social Business Summit 2013

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GSBS 2013-“SOCIAL BUSINESS TO CHANGE THE WORLD”

Grameen Telecom Trust Brief 13th & 14th Board Meeting

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Social Business Programme Updates

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Nobin Uddogata (YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS from Grameen Families)

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Social Business in Progress Grameen Uniqlo expands after a flying start

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Social Business Design Lab

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Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus speaks at the opening ceremony of the Global Social Business Summit in Malaysia.

Accolades Mrittika

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10 Inspirational Bangladeshis

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Story Of Change GB Borrower’s Son Going for Ph. D in Malaysia

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Second batch Graduates from Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN)

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Tribute to Nelson Mandela

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With the theme of “Social business to change the world” the 5th Global Social Business Summit took place from November 7-9, 2013 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in KL, Malaysia. This was first time that the Summit was organized in Asia. In total, 585 participants from 40 countries with over 100 participants from Bangladesh took part at the Global Social Business Summit. The event was live streamed on the internet and was viewed by approximately 3,120 viewers from 97 countries all over the world. The annual event was organized by “Yunus Centre” and “Grameen Creative Lab” in partnership with “MyHarapan” and “The YY Foundation”. This global showcase gathers experts from private sector, civil society, governments and academia over five days of meetings, forums and workshops.

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus addressed both the opening and closing ceremony. The opening ceremony was attended by His Excellency Y.A.M Tunku Redhauddin, Prince of Negeri Sembilan State, Malaysia. The program began with an Continued on page 2...

exhilarating performance by the musical troupe ‘Malaysia Percussion’ which set a high note to the opening ceremony. Hans Reitz, the Head of Global Social Business Summit and Nurfarini Daing, CEO of Youth Trust Foundation (MyHarapan) welcomed the participants and handed over the floor to Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad to conduct the first session.

Professor Yunus expressed his happiness in seeing the concept of social business develop and flourish globally and how it has conquered frontiers, making inroads into traditionally conservative and powerful organizations. He stated the capitalist system came up with a lot of promises and the whole world had rallied merrily around it. “It was thought that it would solve all problems. Instead it created new problems. And we see no light at the end of the tunnel, and we are trapped". He said business is a very powerful machine which could be used in different directions for achieving multiple results instead of driving it into a single goal of making money. “Social business could be that multitasking machine,” said the Bangladeshi economist.

The opening session was followed by two plenary sessions. The topic of the 1st plenary session was “State of the art of Social Business: The development and implementation of social business around the world”. Panelists for the first plenary session included Dr. Fatima Al Balooshi, Minister of Social Development of Bahrain, Sir Richard Branson,Virgin Group (virtual address), Saskia Bruysten, CEO of YSB, Nurfarini Daing, Eric Lesuer, Project Director, Veolia Environnement, Hans Reitz, Prof. Hiroto Yasuura, VP of Kyushu University and Mr Rogerio Oliveira CEO of Yunus Social Business, Brazil. Fatima Al Balooshi, social development minister of Bahrain, said her country has targeted social business as a means to empower its marginalized section of society — socially, economically and politically. Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, through video conferencing said: “We believe businesses can make the world better. Still, two billion people are living below the poverty line. Social business is a perfect tool to help them come out of poverty.” Nurfarini Daing, chief executive of Youth Trust Foundation (myHarapan), said social business is the best solution suited to the ideas and thoughts of the youth with which they can contribute to the community. Prof Hiroto Yasuura, Vice Executive President of Kyushu University, said social businesses are fast spreading among students, not only in his university but also in other universities.

Second session consisted of 20 focus group discussions which went into greater depth on particular aspects of social business. The focus group Continued on page 3...

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session was followed by the second plenary session which focused on co-creation, collaboration and the importance of partnerships as a key driver for social business. Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Director General & CEO, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Antonio da Conceicao, Minister of Commerce, Industry & Environment East Timor, Hendrik Heuermann, HR Department H&M Germany, Krish Krishnan, Founder Director and CEO Green Ventures, Gilbert Mbesherubusa, Vice President Operations African Development Bank, Erin Pham Steinhauer, Head of Corporate Responsibility Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa Visa Inc, Hans Reitz, Head of Global Social Business Summit, Imamus Sultan, Managing Director, Grameen Kalyan, Alex Thier, Assistant to the Administrator, USAID, Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia (virtual address) took part in the second plenary session.

Announcements made at the Global Social Business Summit 2013 As in the previous four occasions, the summit saw signings of a number of agreements.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Government of Veracruz and Yunus Social Business to set up a Social Business fund of USD 4.5 million in the Mexican port city of Veracruz. With this Yunus Social Business (YSB), a German based organization which helps in creating and incubating social businesses around the world spans its operations to Mexico.

Under the agreement, the government of Veracruz will invest $4.5 million to start a Holistic Social Business Movement, which includes an incubation centre. This investment will help in creating a supportive environment within which social businesses may thrive.

Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between a Costa Rican food and beverage company named Florida Ice and Farm Company (FIFCO) and Yunus Social Business to set up a social business called Nutrivida. This is YSB’s second partnership with FIFCO. Nutrivida will launch four nutritional (fortified) products—baby cereal, powdered chicken soup, powdered drink and a complete meal called nutripack—to fight poor nutrition in Costa Rica and other Central American countries.

Announcement of the partnership between myClimate and Yunus Social Business to set up a social business fund to tackle challenges related to world climate. MyClimate is a Swiss non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging voluntary carbon offsetting measures. The bilateral agreement saw the launch of the Social Business Climate Innovation Fund, which will work in developing sustainable climate innovations. The Grameen

Creative Lab, organizers of the annual summit, also announced that this innovative initiative kicks off with signing of a partnership agreement with the city of Berlin.

Announcement of a partnership between Fairwind and the social business fund in Nepal supported by Chaudhary Group Announcement of a RM 20 million social business fund in Malaysia by Prime Minister Mohammad Najib Razak Announcement of Mexico City to host the Global Social Business Summit 2014 from November 13-15 Research meeting

Conference

&

Young

challengers

Prior to the summit a two-day research conference took place where around 70 representatives from universities and educational institutions worldwide gathered. Different sessions in relation to social business and sustainability, principles and perceptions of social business, social business as a

generator for health and many other topics were discussed in the research conference.

One day prior to the summit, 60 young challengers from 15 different countries were united to learn more about the social business movement and to discuss and develop their social business ideas to tackle youth unemployment. It was a one day workshop for young leaders to discuss the concept of social business, network and develop own social business ideas.

The day started by every participant sharing their expectations from the day. Hans Reitz, Head of the Global Social Business Summit, made a brief presentation on social business, addressing some of the questions raised by young challengers. Professor Yunus explained the necessity of social business and the potential of deep changes it offers. He encouraged the young challengers to innovate and to try and create new businesses to solve social problems from their ideas.

SOCIAL BUSINESS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD -Malaysian PM praises Yunus' concept On the second day of the Global Social Business Summit 2013, eight groups came up with presentations on new social business ventures.

Binod Chaudhary, chairman of Chaudhary Group and the first billionaire of Nepal instantly signed a partnership with Fairwind, an initiative of Wolfgang Fuerst from Austria, which will use waste plastic bottles and wind power to produce low-cost windmills to charge mobile phones in off-grid areas.

The closing ceremony was attended by Prime Minister of Malaysia Mr. Dato Sri Haji Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak. The Prime Minister showered the Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate with praises for developing the concept of social business which he believes, can change the world for the better. In his address, he said that social business, developed by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, was a very effective model to tackle social problems and iniquities of Malaysia. He announced a 20-million ringgit or US$ 6.5 million fund for promoting social businesses in the Southeast Asian country. He said “Unfettered capitalism can lead to great inequalities of income, so we need to temper capitalism; we need to find a new model.” The Prime Minister also pledged his support to empowering young people through social business ventures. “I believe young people must be empowered, given the

empowerment, given an opportunity, young people can really make a difference, can really change this world and that is why I believe in the social business model. Professor Yunus echoed with the Malaysian premier, and said, “Young people are very special as they are the most powerful generation in the entire history because of technology that gives them power and ability.” He also said if Malaysia opened its door for the younger generation, they would be able to take charge of not only their country but also of the world.

Professor Muhammad Yunus with Prime Minister of Malaysia Mr. Dato Sri Haji Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak.

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Professor Yunus thanked the Malaysian premier for inviting him to hold the summit, and also the Malaysian government for coming out vigorously to support the social business idea. He said the Malaysian government also doled out one million

ringgit to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) for conducting research on social business. In the run up to the summit, the university organized the first ever international research conference on social business in the world.

Social Business Pedia Launched at the Global Social Business Summit The day also saw launching of the Social Business Pedia, developed by Grameen Communication, an online platform where everyone can get all social business related information, for example, information on different social business companies/institutions, latest social business news and major updates on the concept and different ventures of social business.

Astronaut Ronald John Garan visited the Grameen Telecom Trust stall at the Global Social Business Summit-2013 in Malaysia

SOCIAL BUSINESS HELPS ACHIEVE TANGIBLE BENEFITS: STUDY The Global Social Business Summit concluded through a panel discussion on “How can culture & Arts support social business,” where Hans Reitz, head of Global Social Business Summit, spoke.

Maoz Inon, Tourism Entrepreneur, Low Ngai Yuen, Founder Kakiseni, Eddin Khoo, Founder, Pusaka and Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate were also present in the discussion.

A study by Boston Consulting Group, a leading management consultancy firm, found out that social business, Professor Muhammad Yunus’s latest area of passion, not only generates lasting social impact, but it also leads to tangible business benefits, “A charity dollar has only one life. A social business dollar can be invested over and over again,” said Yunus, also the co-author of the report titled ‘The Power of Social Business’. According to the corporations surveyed, the most important business benefit that social businesses can provide is the potential for learning and innovation. All along the value chain, companies have found that approaches and innovations aimed to better reach those most in need can also have broader commercial applications and can be a source of competitive advantage for the core business. A less tangible but equally important business benefit is providing a sense of purpose and Continued on page 5...

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personal and professional development opportunities to employees, the BCG study found.

Companies engaging in social businesses can provide their employees experience particularly valued by today’s “Millennial” generation—thereby strengthening employee engagement, job satisfaction and retention. “Social business can be a powerful vehicle for corporate social engagement as it allows companies to directly use their skills, expertise and business network,” Ulrich Villis, European leader of BCG’s Social Impact practice and co-author of the report, said while presenting the report at the Global Social Business Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

“By aligning social activities with the core business in this way, they can also become a source of innovation and competitive advantage. Beyond the social benefit, also the partnering corporations can benefit from the social businesses.” While several of the social businesses are still in the learning stages, others—such as Grameen Shakti and Grameen GC Eye Care Hospital have already achieved social impact, significant scale and financial self sufficiency, Villis said. A social business is a company created for social benefit rather than private profit. It has a social

or environmental mission, but like a business, it generates revenue, covers its cost, the combination of which is a “tough task”. “But in Bangladesh, social businesses have been very creative in reaching their goals.”

Summit ends with renewed focus to eradicate social problems

GRAMEEN TELECOM TRUST BRIEF

13TH & 14TH BOARD MEETING OF GTT HELD

Chaired by Honourable Chairman of Grameen Telecom Trust, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, the 13th & 14th Board Meetings of Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) were held on September 16, 2013 and November 18, 2013 respectively. Heads of different departments of GTT

participated in the meetings. The Board of Trustees were updated on various operational activities. After presentations and discussions, the board took a number of decisions and set timeline for strategic action plan.

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SOCIAL BUSINESS PROGRAMME UPDATES SDRS Social Business Project The SDRS Social Business Project is progressing well and the impact is gradually surfacing. At present the average increase in household income stands at BDT 1200 per month. The first batch of caps has already been sold and the project is generating revenue. The producer base consists of approximately 250 women many of whom are primarily students (69) and are complementing their education with income from this project.

The second phase of the project is underway. Where additional 250 women are presently being trained to produce different handicraft items. A total of almost

500 lives and associated households are being touched by this project.

SKS Social Business Project One hundred and fifty households have been included in the commencement phase of the SKS Social Business Project. They have all received training on sheep rearing and the project is well underway. The acquisition and distribution of sheep for rearing has commenced. The rearing households mainly comprise of the ultra poor, women headed families and disabled.

NOBIN UDDOGTA

(Young Entrepreneurs from Grameen Families) Design Lab held at Yunus Centre. These included Suzon Telecom Servicing Centre by Suzon Kumar Shaha and Shamim Garments and Shoe Store by Shamimul Haque. Another Nobin Uddogta project titled Imran Livestock Farm (scouted from the 1st screening exercise) was presented by Md. Dalower Sarker at the 8th Social Business Design Lab. Suzon Telecom & Servicing Centre

MOU signing between Grameen Telecom Trust and Nobin Uddogtas

On 18 November 2013 two Agreements were signed between Grameen Telecom Trust and Shamim Garments and Shoe Store and Suzon Telecom & Servicing Centre to launch the first two Nobin Uddogta Projects. Nobin Uddogtas are children of Grameen Bank Borrowers between the ages of 18 to 35 who are aspiring to become entrepreneurs. Their aim is to successfully run their businesses and create employment for others. Grameen Telecom Trust is running this special initiative titled, Nobin Uddogta (Young Entrepreneurs) under its Social Business unit.

Second Screening workshop of Nobin Uddogta The 2nd screening exercise of Nobin Uddogta was held on 8 and 9 September 2013 at Rangpur and Chilmari. The day long exercise included briefing, discussion and break away sessions. A number of Nobin Uddogta projects selected at the screening exercise were presented at the 9th Social Business

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Sree Suzon Kumar Shaha, son of a Grameen borrower presented his project titled Suzon Telecom & Servicing Centre He has 8 years of experience in telecom servicing business. He plans on expanding his existing business at Mithapukur, Rangpur by including different telecom items. The entrepreneur targets achieving breakeven point within first year and payback of investment of coinvestor in two years. With this business he plans to create employment opportunities for others especially for families of Grameen Bank Borrowers. The business will provide necessary service for better communication in the community.

Shamim Garments and Shoe Store With 5 years of experience in the business of clothing items Mr. Shamimul Haque, son of a Grameen borrower presented his project in the 9th Social Business Design Lab titled ‘Shamim Garments and Shoe Store’. His business is located in Ramna, Chilmari, Kurigram. He plans on expanding his business. The payback period of this business is estimated to be two years and with breakeven in the first year. The first phase of funding has already been disbursed to Mr. Shamimul Haque.

SOCIAL BUSINESS IN PROGRESS

GRAMEEN UNIQLO OPENS NEW APPAREL STORES IN CITY Grameen UNIQLO opened a new apparel store in the capital for ultimate shopping experience for its customers. Tadahiro Yamaguchi, Chief Operating Officer of Grameen UNIQLO, inaugurated the store in Mohammadpur along with other top officials of the company. The company also opened a similar store in December at Wari, Dhaka. This brings the total number of Grameen UNIQLO stores in Bangladesh to five, including the stores at New Elephant Road, Banasaree, Kakoli and Naya Paltan. While inaugurating the store, Mr. Yamaguchi said "Our

rapid growth is encouraging progress in our vision for expansion in Bangladesh. We are very pleased to work closely with our local partners right across the supply chain, to create local jobs and offer an affordable, quality product mix suited to the needs of our local customers". Grameen UNIQLO is a joint venture between Fast Retailing Co. Ltd and Grameen Healthcare Trust. Profits are reinvested in the business within Bangladesh, to expand the network of stores.

SOCIAL BUSINESS DESIGN LAB

A view of Social Business Design Lab. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus presided over the design lab.

The 8th, 9th and 10th Social Business Design Labs took place at the Yunus Centre on 14 September 2013, 16 November 2013 and 21 December 2013 respectively. Participants from different organizations attended the program. The Social Business Design Labs were chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The design labs were divided in three parts- update of past social business projects, presentation of new proposed project and group discussion suggesting improvements on those projects. 9th Social Business Design Lab was held after the Global Social Business Summit 2013. A short presentation was made on GSBS’13 at the lab.

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At the 8th Design Lab, six new social business plans were presented including Social Business Hospital Project by Sajida Foundation, Social Business for Biomass Power Solution to convert rice husk into fuel

by Sarkar Ardhendu, Managing Director of Eureka Green-Tech Ltd and Solid Waste Management Social Business presented by Mr Noor Mohammad Executive Director of Khulna based RUSTIC to convert solid waste from slums and rural households into compost. Three Nobin Uddogta projects, presented by children of Grameen Bank Borrowers were also elaborated at the Lab. These included Biplob Poultry Farm by Mr Biplob Kumar, Imran Livestock Farm by Md. Dalower Sarker and Shariful Cow Fattening Project by Shariful Islam. There was also a special presentation of a social business titled ‘Doctor in a Box - Preventive Healthcare Social Business’ by Dr. Ashir Ahmed of Kyushu University Japan.

Six new social business plans were presented in 9th design lab. Those were Social Business for Fly Ash Brick Production by Mr Ripon (engr) and Yunus Centre, Rice Husk Briquette Factory by Mr Biplob Kumar and Grameen Bybasha Bikash, Suzon Telecom Servicing Centre by Mr Suzon Kumar Shaha and Grameen Telecom Trust, Urir Char Agro: A Social Business Project by Col (Retd) Mohammad

Didarul Alam and Yunus Centre, Sundarban Bee Culture and Honey Farming by Md Abdus Salam and Grameen Kalyan, Shamimul Clothing Shop by Mr Shamimul Haque and Grameen Telecom Trust.

At the 10th edition of the social business design lab, a total of two projects were presented from Grameen Telecom Trust.

One was a social business on mustard oil (Aroni Mustard Oil Social Business) in conjunction with the NGO Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO).

The other was a nobin uddogta business, by Mr. Al Amin Hossain (Mukut). The entrepreneur strives to expand his existing business and work towards reviving the craft of shotoronji.

These business plans were then intensively discussed in different groups which came up with necessary recommendations. Each project gave its time-line for implementation. The participants selected one Project Bondhu (Project Buddy) for each project to act as a mentor to finalize the plan.

The Design Labs were live streamed through the internet. Professor Yunus thanked the participants for coming up with innovative social business plans and encouraged the designers to implement the projects.

ACCOLADES

MRITTIKA: HELPING FARMERS REAP MORE FROM WHAT THEY SOW Mrittika is a computer application for fertilizer recommendation, developed by Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd. It is a logic driven software that may be customized to provide the appropriate fertilizer recommendation for any region, and any crop. The application can be installed on any low cost computer or a handheld device. It prepares a unique fertilizer prescription for each combination of crop and region, based on a real time analysis of the nutrients in the soil. The package consists of a portable soil testing kit and the software installed on a netbook or a laptop. An entrepreneur goes door to door and offers this service to farmers for a small fee.

The soil testing kit is quite easy to use and the soil testing process takes a little more than an hour which includes sample collection and analysis.

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Currently there are 30 farmers from 3 districts participating in a program termed Project Harvest.

There are 15 farmers in Kushtia, 12 in Patuakhali and 3 in Chuadanga. Grameen Intel team members make this service available to the enrolled farmers and guide them throughout the season. Since inception in 2012, the program has served 85 farmers in 7 districts.

Grameen Intel is working on producing more such applications that can assist farmers in a responsible and sustainable way. It has already completed developing ankur, a crop selection tool that help farmers with better seed selection to achieve increased productivity based on the soil condition.

Other tools under development include an

application to help with pest control, and another to help farmers sell what they produce more efficiently, utilizing a virtual marketplace. Grameen Intel plans to continue to design such tools to promote modernized scientific farming and enable farmers to

achieve sustainable high yield on their crops.

Courtesy: Sajedul Pavel Hoq, International Development Professional and the COO of Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd. Email: pavel.hoq@grameen-intel.com

10 INSPIRATIONAL BANGLADESHIS AROUND THE WORLD The London-based organization British Bangladeshi Power and Inspiration published a list of top Ten inspirational Bangladeshis around the world. Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus topped the list.

Among others, the list also includes YouTube’s founder Jawed Karim, BRAC’s founder Sir Fazle Hassan Abed, Founder of Khan Academy Salman Khan, Jaago Foundation’s Korvi Rakshand, lawyer Sara Hossain, cricketer Shakib al Hassan, CEO of Medtronic Omar Ishrak, Sumaya Kazi and Everest climber Nishat Mazumder.

STORY OF CHANGE

SON OF GRAMEEN BANK BORROWER GOING FOR PH.D IN MALAYSIA Aslam Mia’s father was a poor landless farmer who worked for other people to earn a living for his family.

Aslam’s mother was a housewife. His mother became member of Grameen Bank in early 1990’s while Aslam was the only child. She is currently one of the Centre Chiefs of Grameen Bank Khamar Kandi Gabtali Branch in Bogra Sadar.

Aslam was a meritorious student and therefore maintained a very good academic track record throughout his student life.

He achieved GPA 5 in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in 2006. He obtained GPA 5 in his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam too.

Aslam Mia, son of a Grameen Bank borrower, is a Yayasan Khazanah Scholar, met Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus at Yunus Centre on 15 September 2013. Grameen Bank arranged a scholarship for him to study in Malaysia.

In 2009 Grameen Bank arranged a scholarship from Khazanah Foundation (a foundation created by Investment Fund of Malaysia called Khazanah), which gave him the opportunity to study in Department of Economics of International Islamic Continued on page 10...

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University, Malaysia to get an undergraduate degree.

Aslam finished his Bachelor of Economics (BECS) from International Islamic University, Malaysia in 2013 and obtained CGPA of 3.725 out of 4. He was ranked 2nd among 156 graduating students. In addition, he was awarded department’s prestigious honor “Dean’s Award” six times which showed the highest academic excellence in the faculty. He also tutored students more than two and half years under the university tutorship program. After completing the

Bachelors Degree with his excellent academic results, Aslam got an offer from University of Malaya (UM) to do fast track Ph.D. under Bright Spark Scholarship Program (BSP) on the topic “Micro Credit and SME Development in Bangladesh”. He will start his Ph. D from February 2014.

Aslam’s ultimate future plan is to return to Bangladesh after completing his Ph. D and work for the people of Bangladesh.

SECOND BATCH GRADUATES FROM GRAMEEN CALEDONIAN COLLEGE OF NURSING (GCCN) The 2nd batch of forty students who are daughters of Grameen Bank borrowers graduated from Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN), Dhaka.

Graduation Ceremony was held on 07 December 2013. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) & Chairman, GCCN and Professor Frank Crossan, representative of GCU were present at the certificate giving ceremony. All students received their certificates from Professor Muhammad Yunus. The top three

students received crest and prize money as a recognition of their brilliant academic performance during the year. The academic honors went to Mst. Lutfa Akter Shanu, Uhatuna Zakeya and Khaleda Akter.

As of January 1, 2014 thirty six of the forty graduating students have already secured work with United Hospital while the remaining four have joined Delta Medical College Hospital. The GCCN alumnae will be taking their BNC Licensing examination on April 25, 2014.

Group picture of second batch Graduated in Nursing and Midwifery

The first batch of students of GCCN completed their Diploma course in December 2012 and graduated in March 2, 2013. All of the thirty eight students from the first batch successfully passed their BNC licensing examination. The top three students from that batch secured scholarship from Glasgow Continued on page 11...

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Caledonian University scholarship (GCU). These meritorious girls are children of Grameen Bank borrowers who are pursuing higher studies in nursing and midwifery at the prestigious Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland.

The girls, Rokeya Akter Bristy, Popi Rani Bhowmik and Satu Mondal are all from low income rural families who grabbed the top positions in their final exams at the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Dhaka in 2012 and are pursuing education at the Scottish university.

The student, who stood fourth, Rofiqun Nesa Tuli, was awarded a special scholarship by CEO (who is a Bangladeshi descent) of a US-based multinational company.

From the first graduating batch, six students have secured jobs as nursing instructors in BRAC Community Health program, eight are working in United Hospital. Two are working at Grameen Communication who are processing to go to Japan for short Training. The remaining eighteen have been placed in different hospital such as Central Hospital, Ayesha Memorial Specialized Hospital Ltd, Anam Medical Hospital, Grameen Health Care Services, Birdem Hospital, Square Hospital, Anowar Khan Modern Hospital, Sishu Shastha Foundation on and

Ibne Sina Hospital. Owing to her pregnancy only one graduate has not joined work.

Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN) is working to establish itself as an institution that is nationally and internationally recognized offering world education focusing on healthcare. It aims to provide unique opportunities for young rural women by ensuring quality education and preparing them to become future leaders and representatives of the nursing community. They are expected to serve their nation by attaining national and international recognition. At present GCCN has a total of one forty students in three batches of Diploma in nursing.

Professor Barbara Parfitt who was the founding Principal of GCCN served from January 2010 to December 2013, was given a tribute for her hard work to establish GCCN as an international standard nursing institute. Barbara finished her contract in December 2013 and left for U.K. She worked tirelessly to ensure quality education in the college.

The top three students of GCCN with Professor Yunus and Principal Barbara Parfitt

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SAVE THE DATES Social Business Day 2014 June 28, 2014 Dhaka, Bangladesh

Global Social Business Summit 2014 November 13-14, 2014 Mexico City

TRIBUTE TO NELSON MANDELA

Professor Muhammad Yunus with Nelson Mandela

On 5th December 2013 the world lost a giant of a man; of will, belief and perseverance Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. He was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Nelson Mandela was an ardent admirer of Professor Yunus’s lifelong mission to fight poverty. Mandela expressed a great deal of interest in knowing about the concept of social business. After his death Professor Muhammad Yunus conveyed his deepest condolences and sympathies. “I feel a deep sense of gratitude for having known him and for being able to call him my friend. I was privileged to deliver his 91st birthday celebration lecture in the presence of Madiba, which was live telecast nationally, in Johannesburg in 2009.

This I consider to be one of the happiest occasions of my life” said Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Published by Grameen Telecom Trust Corporate Office: House-132, Road-2 Block-A, Section-12, Pallabi Mirpur, Dhaka 1216 Tel: 88-02-8059935, 8059938, Fax: 88-02-8059921 Email: info@gtctrust.com, Website: www.gtctrust.com Follow us on www.facebook.com/gtlctrust

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Quote Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on 23 January, 2014, said that he is creating a space between business and philanthropy — which he terms as social business.

“This is dedicated to solve problems, not to make personal money”. “There is a need to bring human identity back to the business, defining it as something that will not do harm to people, will not do harm to planet, will not exploit people, will not have corruption, no deception”

Grameen Telecom Trust KALEIDOSCOPE Advisor: Professor Muhammad Yunus Executive Editor: Parveen Mahmud FCA

Editorial Team: Abu Md. Munayeem Mirza Tabassum Prometheus Siddiqui Muhammad Faisal Alam