Is access to capital a basic human right?
1 billion people on earth earn less than $1/day. 3 billion people earn less than $2/day. Not only these people live in poverty, they literally have no hope to ever come out of it. Most of us have bought things on credit at some point. The banks helps us get richer. But people in poverty don't have this chance. So a Stanford professor (Prof Yunus) went to Bangladesh to help. He ended up starting a bank since most regular banks didn't see the opportunity. Grameen Bank in Bangladesh has started loaning money to people in poverty (2.1M current borrowers in 37K village -- interestingly 94% of them were women). The women borrow the money in groups and use it to build small business that can create saving and thus ignite a positive cycle. 98% of these loans get repaid. The bank has given out $4B and has helped 37M people in Bangladesh move out of poverty. This is called microcredit as the loan amounts are very small.
So we can have a futile argument about 'capital as a basic human right'. In the meantime, there are solutions that can help the rich and the poor.
So we can have a futile argument about 'capital as a basic human right'. In the meantime, there are solutions that can help the rich and the poor.
4 Comments:
http://www.grameen-info.org
Also, please have a look at Grameen Foundation USA, where we're working to bring Grameen-style programs to the poorest of the poor around the world. Thanks for your interest in microfinance!
why no one do anything?
i think there are some precise reaosns why they are kept in such conditions...
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