Jul 14, 2023 | None
Social Business Immersion Visit to Bangladesh
At The Grameen Creative Lab, as a catalyst for social business in Europe, we believe that social business is the way forward, and that is why we embarked on an unforgettable immersion visit to Bangladesh to rediscover the roots of social business and micro-credit and witness the pioneering work of social business leaders in action. Through this experience, we gained invaluable insights into the power of social businesses to transform local communities, the need for culturally sensitive approaches, and the incredible potential of collaboration.
Social businesses are a genuine force for positive change. By investing in local people and resources, we saw how social businesses can create meaningful impact that lasts for generations.
Join us and explore the potential for social businesses to create positive change on a global scale.
Learning from the social business pioneers
Our team arrived in Bangladesh with many questions and open to learn from one of the biggest emerging economies in the world. We came across several innovative solutions that leveraged technology to drive social impact and observed a human-centered approach developed by the Grameen Organizations, the pioneers of social business.
In this article, we will share with you the impactful stories of social businesses from the rural areas of Bangladesh and how the people have turned around their future and of the next generation in terms of health, microfinance, energy, digitalization, and education.
Healthcare for everybody: Grameen Kalyan
Bangladesh is a country which gained over 23 years of average life expectancy in a 32-year span, from 59.98 in 1990 to 73.29 in 2023. This data not only proves the mortality rate decreasing, but also signifies the improvement in overall healthcare system. A country which does not have a public health insuarence service and even private ones are a rarity. However, there are a lot of organizations and initiatives whose joint efforts made it possible. One such organization is Grameen Kalyan, established in 1996 by Prof. Muhammad Yunus. Grameen Kalyan provides door-to-door primary healthcare services to people in villages, as well as medical camps and health centres for more complex ailments and surgeries.
Access to healthcare in remote areas still is a major challenge. However, innovative solutions are emerging with the hands of Grameen Kalyan that are changing the game. We visited one of their health centres in Manikganj, Bangladesh where we saw the solutions working wonders.
One unique aspect of Grameen Kalyan is the introduction of a yearly micro health insurance card for a nominal fee, providing coverage for up to six family members of the insurer. It offers discounts on medicines and diagnostic services, making healthcare more affordable for low-income families.
As access to healthcare continues to be a challenge in many parts of the world, initiatives like Grameen Kalyan and mobile clinics provide hope for the future, showing that with innovative thinking, we can find ways to improve healthcare access and make a positive impact on people's lives.