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Grameen International Dialogue Program
Bangladesh is where it all began. Three decades ago, the Grameen Bank began giving small loans in an effort to support the poorest of the poor as they strove to make a better life for themselves. Last month, four staff members of the Fundación Adelante - a Grameen replicator organization - got the opportunity to travel to the birthplace of micro-finance.
Mike Wiesner, Manfredo Reyes, Sandra Amaya, and Oscar Mejia joined over 50 other participants from several different countries (including Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Columbia, Barbados, and Great Britain) in Dhaka for the Grameen International Dialogue Programme. It was a unique opportunity for some of our Honduran staff members to see and experience Bangladesh and the Grameen Bank hands-on. All staff members who participated are Directors within our organization: Mike is Director of International Development, Manfredo is our Director of Finance, Sandra is Director of Education and Oscar is Director of Operations. Manfredo, Sandra and Oscar work out of our La Ceiba office.
Sponsored by the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and the Grameen Foundation in the United States, this International Dialogue program brings together practitioners in micro-finance so that they can learn from each other, share experiences, and witness the Grameen methodology in action.
"It was a completely unique experience in life," says Manfredo Reyes, Adelante's Director of Finance in La Ceiba. "We got to see and experience another culture, and to share with the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, to see how they work. You learn a lot when you share with people working in micro-finance from all over the world."
One of the strengths of the program, Manfredo says, is its strong field component. In the first week of the program, the participants from the Fundación Adelante travelled to Bogra, a small town in Northern Bangladesh. They spent the week with Grameen Bank credit officers, attending lenders group meetings (the equivalent of our Asambleas ), and meeting some of the Bank's clients. The Bank's credit officers are responsible for 800-900 clients each, whom they meet with on a weekly basis. And yet the Bank is so organized, and its methodology so clear and understood, that according to Mike Wiesner, the credit officers never looked busy. With over 2,468 branches in Bangladesh, lending to 7.34 million clients, the presence of Grameen throughout the country was palpable.
During the second week of the program, the staff of Adelante joined the rest of the participants in the program back in Dhaka, at the headquarters of the Grameen Bank. The participants shared their impressions of the previous week, their experiences from their home countries, and learned more details about the Bank's methodology.
Manfredo says that the Fundación Adelante learned a great deal while on this trip. They learned about Grameen II - the latest version of the Grameen Bank - and many of these lessons they have begun putting in to practice in their operations in Honduras. Adelante is increasing the flexibility in its loan programs, to support clients that fall on hard times while trying to re-pay. We are also developing new products for our clients, in order to expand our programs and grow with our clients. Grameen II, and the Fundación Adelante, want their clients to benefit as much as possible from their loans, to support their clients as they work to make a better life for themselves and their families.
Manfredo, Mike, Sandra and Oscar had a fantastic time in Bangladesh. Although the trip brought some challenges (lost luggage and illnesses being the least of those challenges!), all the participants felt it was an enriching, productive and unforgettable experience. Hopefully, it is the clients of the Fundación Adelante that will benefit the most!
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