Bangladeshi Adventures

Over the last two weeks, which has felt like years, I have travelled into the most exotic and amazing locations Bangladesh has to offer. From the coastal waters of Cox's Bazar to the intoxicatingly lush tea estates of Srimangal to the chaotic hustle and bustle of New Market, the flood of visuals and new sensations has been such a rush that sometimes I feel like a might pass out from overstimulation. These excursions are afforded on the weekends, which in Bangladesh are Friday/Saturday and have really added another dimension to the Grameen experience are unforgettably unique.

Of course, I couldn't have journeyed to the fringes of Bangladesh without some truly special people. Through a series of impossibly improbable coincidences, I've become quite close to a particular group of interns. Throughout this strangeness and acclimation into seemingly another planet, the relationships we've forged have become quite strong and will hopefully stand the test of time and space. This "family" comprises a richly diverse set of ideas, educational backgrounds and and perspectives. Working alongside them has been nothing less than supremely gratifying.

My work at Grameen is winding down as I head into my final week. During the past week, I've spent time visiting sister operations and observing the different subsidiary companies that constitute "social businesses." Social business, in its essential form has existed for quite sometime, but the concept was sharpened and made scalable through efforts of Dr. Yunus and the Yunus Centre. In definition, social businesses are driven by cause and positive change for worldly problems. In such operations, investors/owners can gradually recoup their money invested, but cannot take any dividend beyond that point. Therefore the purpose of such an investment is strictly to achieve one or more social objectives through the efforts of the company, no personal gain is desired by the investors. The company must cover all costs and make profit (albeit not always maximizing profit), at the same time achieve the social objective, such as, healthcare for the poor, housing for the poor, financial services for the poor, nutrition for malnourished children (Grameen Danone), providing safe drinking water, introducing renewable energy (Grameen Shakti), etc. The impact of the business on people or environment, rather the amount of profit made in a given period measures the success of social business. Sustainability of the company indicates that it is running as a business.

To give this brief description some perspective, I visited Grameen Danone last Tuesday. Founded in 2006, with the social objective of bringing nutrition and fortification to malnourished and deficient rural villages, Grameen Danone has been operating at loss for since its inception. Even amidst negative profits every quarter, investors are still pouring funds and considering expanding the company's operations into other locations within Bangladesh. This "social responsibility" goes against the conventional, and selfish wisdom about maximizing profits and fattening purses that represent a ancient pillar in modern economics. The investors at Danone will only recoup their initial investment, because dividends, as Dr. Yunus has proven, need not only take monetary form. And because it's a business, which expands through innovation and aims for sustainability, the potential for creating tangible change is much greater than philanthropy and charities. Charities, however noble in intentions, are limited by the very nature of donations, which create dependency and are shortlived, at least when compared to a social business with a similar objective.

This concept speaks so warmly, that I suggest many western nations, especially the U.S., grab a pen and paper and take some serious notes.


- Louis