Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus helping a man and little boy.

"One day our grandchildren will go to museums to see what poverty was like." Muhammad Yunus the Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2006 said this on March 9th as he spoke to a packed ASEAN auditorium as part of the Charles Francis Adams lecture series.

Muhammad Yunus was born on the 28th of June, 1940 in the village of Bathua, Bangladesh. He was third of 14 children. Yunus attended preparatory school then with a Fulbright scholarship and 98th percentile score on the Graduated Record Exam, he attended Vanderbilt University where he earned a doctorate in Economics. Following that he taught in Colorado and then in Bangladesh, his home country. The idea began when as a professor in Bangladesh. He one day led his students on a field trip, where they interviewed a poor woman who had to borrow money in order to work and survive then repay it with a high interest so was left with only a penny. His mother always inspired him; she always used to help any poor person who knocked on their door.

Yunus started "Grameen Bank" after realizing that the inability to borrow money because of the lack of collateral prevents the poor from getting the money they need to improve their lives and start a small business. This organization offers people small loans they need to improve their lives. Poor women form five member groups to serve as collateral for each other instead of the individual collateral required by conventional banks.

I believe he is a true hero and made a big impact on the world because he is trying to create a better future for everyone, especially the poor. He believes poverty is unnecessary and therefore is trying to form a world without it, where it is only seen in museums, a world where people wouldn't have to struggle to survive everyday, dealing with the terrible issues like death, famine and poverty. He wants to create a world of equality, where everyone has an equal opportunity. Muhammad Yunus helps people and lifts them out of poverty. He gives them a hand up instead of a hand down. Sam Daley-Harris the director of the Micro Credit Summit Campaign marvels about Yunus and says, "He's a genius." "If banks made large loans, he made small loans. If banks required paperwork, his loans were for the illiterate. Whatever banks did, he did the opposite." And that's why he has all the qualities of a real hero, determined, devoted, caring, selfless, and intelligent.

Everyone wants to make a difference in the world. Muhammad Yunus inspired me and I believe many others in the world. After discovering all about the great accomplishments he has achieved I would also like to attain something like he has done and help make this world a better place to live in. I would like to help others live a comfortable and peaceful life instead of all the hardship they are faced with. There are many heroes like Muhammad Yunus in the world, sacrificing for others, and improving our planet one step at a time for a better future. I leave you with this quote from my hero, Dr. Muhammad Yunus: "I'm encouraging young people to become social business entrepreneurs and contribute to the world, rather than just making money. Making money is no fun. Contributing to and changing the world is a lot more fun."