Grameen Bank and its Sister Organizations-Grameen Chek and Grameen Krishi (Agricultural) Foundation Not Only Providing Credit: They Guide the Landless Families in Bangladesh for their Development
This paper talks about Grameen Bank (GB) micro financing program features, strategies, policies and its two other sister organizations Grameen Chek (GC), involves in manufacturing handloom garments and Grameen Krishi (Agricultural) Foundation (GKF), engages in agricultural activities and irrigation management in Bangladesh. All are social business organizations in Bangladesh. GKF runs its farms ‘no loss basis’. Grameen Bank and Grameen Chek run their programs without receiving external funding; rather these two organizations have operated their programs from their own generated funds. Moreover, Grammen Bank and Grameen Chek are free from external consultants` pressure rather they are developing their programs, policies and implementation strategies by using their in-house staff skills and experience. However, Grameen Krishi Foundation, establishes in 1990, receives start-up external grants from United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United States of America International Aid (USAID) and the Royal Netherlands Government. GKF all programs are designed by the western irrigation management consultants hired by the donors. Donor consultants have prescribed programs for GKF without considering the local socio-economic, geo-agricultural and environmental factors. The donors forced GKF to follow consultants’ inception mission instructions report, which areirrelevant and expensive for add in Bangladesh agricultural farming. As a result GKF ends up huge loss in 1998. The objectives of the study are to explore what strategies, policies and tools GB, GC and GKF use in implementing their programs in Bangladesh; and to identify what steps they have taken to address the issue of poverty and make them success. Why they are unsuccessful if any. The research questions are what are strategies, policies and tools GB, GC and GKF use in implementing their programs in Bangladesh. The paper reflects author’s own working experience working with Grameen Bank, Grameen Chek a
