Grameen Bank (GB), a micro credit organization in Bangladesh, targets adult women who were illiterate, using non-formal adult learning techniques. GB’s adult learning information has ‘Sixteen Decisions’ which inculcate the socio-economic expectations aimed at improving the social-economic well-being of GB borrowers. It is important to know the efficacy of adult learning strategies that has used by GB to create this paradigm shift and transformation in local communities. How does the GB adult learning process enables GB’s women borrowers to mobilize group solidarity, leadership development and apply the sixteen decisions in their daily life? How can other NGOs and other countries benefit from GB’s women adult learning procedures? These question are answered in this paper which uses the available literature on adult learning, literature on GB as well as the author`s personal working experiences with GB to interrogate the application of non-formal adult learning which creates transformation shift in socio-economic well-being on women borrowers life. grameen bank sixteen decisions; grameen bank seven-day workshops; non-formal adult learning; and women empowerment.
Grameen Bank (GB), a micro credit organization in Bangladesh, targets adult women who were illiterate, using non-formal adult learning techniques. GB’s adult learning information has ‘Sixteen Decisions’ which inculcate the socioeconomic expectations aimed at improving the socialeconomic well-being of GB borrowers. It is important to know the efficacy of adult learning strategies that has used by GB to create this paradigm shift and transformation in local communities. How does the GB adult learning process enables GB’s women borrowers to mobilize group solidarity, leadership development and apply the sixteen decisions in their daily life? How can other NGOs and other countries benefit from GB’s women adult learning procedures? These question are answered in this paper which uses the available literature on adult learning, literature on GB as well as the author`s personal working experiences with GB to interrogate the application of non-formal adult learning which creates transformation shift in socio-economic well- being on women borrowers life. The objective of this study is to present the impact of GB non-formal adult learning on the socio-economic development in local communities. The study finds GB nonformal adult learning programs impacted upon GB women borrowers’ socio-economic development in Bangladesh. Exponential improvements in literacy is happening, (100%) of GB borrowers are able to sign their names on the documents which show signs of achievements in adult learning. However, if GB non-formal adult learning strategies could streamline, this would generate more non-formal adult learning social justice reforms among the borrowers of GB in Bangladesh