Grameen Promises

 Members of the Grameen community (those working and those receiving loans) must adhere to 16 promises that Grameen created when it originated that they believe promote a poverty-free life and help prevent people from falling back into poverty. 

1. We shall follow and advance the four principles of the Grameen Bank- discipline, unity, courage and hard work- in all walks of out lives.

2. Prosperity we shall bring to our families.

3. We shall not live in a dilapidated house. We shall repair our houses and work toward constructing new house at the earliest opportunity.

4. We shall grow vegetables all the year round. We shall eat plenty of them and sell the surplus.

5. During the plantation seasons, we shall plant as many seedlings as possible.

6. We shall plan to keep our families small. We shall minimize our expenditures. We shall look after our health.

7. We shall educate our children and ensure that they can earn to pay for their education.

8. We shall always keep our children and the environment clean.

9. We shall build and use pit  latrines.

10. We shall drink water from tube wells. If they are not available, we shall boil water or use alum to purify it.

11. We shall not take any dowry on our sons' weddings; neither shall we give any dowry at our daughter's wedding. We shall keep the center free from the curse of dowry. We shall not practice child marriage. 

12. We shall not commit any injustice, and we will oppose anyone who tries to do so.

13. We shall collectively undertake larger investments for higher incomes.

14. We shall always be ready to help each other. If anyone is in difficult, we shall all help him or her.

15. If we come to know any breach of discipline in any center, we shall all go there and help restore discipline. 

16. We shall introduce physical exercises in all our centers. We shall take part in social activities collectively.

Muhammad Yunus, Banker to the Poor pages 136-137

I think that these 16 promises are the reason that Grameen stands out from a traditional bank and also why it has had so much success in changing borrowers lives. It does not matter if the poorest poor receive loans if they do not adhere to these promises to make the effort to move out of poverty. Taking a Grameen loan is more than borrowing money, it is a promise to change the habits of ones life and to change the culture of accepting poverty. These promises list the efforts that the poorest poor can make to make the most of their situations. Many of these promises will help loans to perpetuate better lives for the future.