Fun Times in Dhaka! (with video footage!)

Amusing sign at the Dhaka zoo...

So, for those of you who know me, it’s pretty clear that I do my fair share of joking around, laughter has always been the best type of medicine. With that being said, I’ve put togther three videos chronicling some of the lighter moments from my trip. I depart Dhaka tomorrow for Dehradun, India to work for Mimo Finance, a relatively small,  nascent, promising microfinance institution.

The Grameen Internship experience has been spectacular-I’ve had the chance to witness firsthand microfinance at the grass roots level from the leader and pioneer in the field. I met a lot of other great interns who I hope to keep in touch with for a very long time.My motivation to dedicate part of my career to some poverty related field- whether it be microfinance, economic development, or social business, to name a few,  has only strengthened. Coming to Dhaka is an eye-opening experience and the images and memories from this trip will be everlasting for me as I move forward.

Video 1: Is that Curtis “Fittayy” Cent Jackson in Dhaka?! Click below to find out!

50-cent-in-dhaka1

Video 2: Reader Testimonial of Blogabiv.com!

rahil-reader-testimonal-v31

Video 3: Want to see how I’m living? Check out MTV Cribs, Dhaka Style!

MTV Cribs, Dhaka Style

Overnight Village Visit Recap (with video footage!)

Our group with a Grameen microenterprise loan borrower!

One of the highlights of the Grameen internship is certainly the chance to spend four to five days in a rural Bangladesh village and having the opportunity to observe many Grameen operations. I had three others accompany me on this trip, Salam, our translater, Rahil, a good friend of mine and student at NYU, and Tim, another buddy who goes to UNC-Chapel Hill. We were going to be visiting Maghera, a branch office of Grameen Bank.

One of the questions that I was always preoccupied with on my trip is the net impact of microfinance. Does it work? The Western education system is predicated on possessing a certain zeal for cynical paranoia, playing that so-called devil’s advocate role. A lot of pundits in development like to over scrutinize microfinance, and make unwarranted claims that go along the lines of “it doesn’t work”, “people don’t need loans, they need jobs”, “what empirical evidence is present to show that it works?”, “debt puts a burden on borrowers and puts them in a worse situation than before”, “microloans are not being used for productive, income generating activities. I don’t disagree with some of these claims, I’m not overly quixotic to fail to recognize some of the shortcomings of the field. However, I am firm in my assessment that on the whole, when applied correctly, microfinance is a tool that works. Development is a slow process, we’re not going to see the rural Bangladeshis driving Bentleys on ocean front properties anytime soon. The bottom line is that it has been proven by many researchers that microfinance clients do in fact, increase their incomes as opposed to non-borrowers. To me, that in itself is sufficient to validate the field. How could increasing incomes (after debt repayment) ever be a bad thing? And of course, let’s even assume that microfinance directly has a zero net financial impact on borrowers, and focus solely on the second hand effects. Women’s empowerment through inclusion in family economic decision making, lower fertility rates, better family planning, and the hope and awareness of a better future are just some of the second hand effects (that does not assume higher incomes as a result of MF). Microfinance, in many cases, is the linchpin to improving the lives of the poor, and leads to an endless, perpetual cycle of improved living conditions.

Below are just a few case studies I have selected to include:

Ms. Akhtar (Student Loan Borrower)

Grameen Student Loan Borrower

Age 23

Major: Islamic History, 3^rd year

National University, Women’s College

Having the chance to meet Ms. Akhtar was an inspiring encounter. She is a passionate, motivated and driven student studying Islamic history. She has utilized Grameen Bank’s education loan program and has taken a loan of 77,000 Taka per year. She aspires to be a teacher one day in her village and chose her major because she wanted to learn more about her religion and background. She places the utmost value on education and being educated to her means that she is self-reliant, and has the empowerment to choose right versus wrong, and to not be a burden on her parents (based on her definition, I’m not educated!). She has tried to be a proponent of education in her village and has stressed the importance of education to her brother who is just completing 12^th grade. When we asked her, as an educated female in her village on ways to improve her community, she promptly said that it was essential for her fellow village members to be educated!  The government funding for scholarships is limited in her eyes, and only a select few ever get the chance to engage in higher studies. She estimates the literacy rate in her village to be between 60 to 70 percent. She is grateful to her parents for the opportunity to obtain an education; many of her counterparts were not so lucky and were married off as young as the age of 18. She openly lambasted  some of the conservatives in her village, who marry off their daughters at very young ages without ever giving them a proper education. She opposes these dogmatic principles, and believes for her society to progress, they must adapt to changing times. When asked if she ever wanted to go abroad, she smiled, and said of course, everyone wants to go abroad!

Ms. Akhtar is an excellent example of the liberating effect education can have on people. The doors in her life have swung wide open, and the possibilities are much more vast for her with her educational background. Grameen Bank is engaged in awarding higher education scholarships as well as providing financing for higher education. Basic tenets of their student loans include: student loans will only be awarded to children of Grameen Bank borrowers, they must begin to repay the loan one year after graduating, and they can be used for undergraduate or Master’s Degrees.

Ms. Mamtas Begum (microenterprise loan borrower)

Ms. Begum has been a Grameen borrower for 16 years, and has taken a larger microenterprise loan to finance her successful clothing business. Her initial loan was for 3,000 Taka, and her loan now is for one lakh Taka (100,000 BDT). Her family operates a store in Dhaka selling saris and lungis (traditional outfits). One of the few crafts she knew well was sewing and knitting so she chose to purchase a sewing machine and start this business. Her business has grown immensely over the last two years, and her customers seem to like her product. She employs 8 people, many of whom are salesman. Her microenterprise loan has allowed her to expand her business, and exploit economies of scale in procurement with wholesalers. Because she is purchasing such large quantities, she is able to get reduced rates on inventory, and this cost advantage is ultimately passed on to her customers. She serves various functions in the family business including human resources, management, and procurement, while her husband runs many of the other operations of the business in the city as she tends to her family in the village.  She has not faced any difficulties paying back her loan, and hopes to build a home and educate her young son. Because of her thriving business, she has seen her status in her community improve.

Struggling Member Borrower

Grameen Bank initiated a Struggling Members Program, a microlending program for beggars in 2003. The program focuses on distributing very small loans, at times less than ten dollars, to beggars to help them in any way to create an income generating activity. To date, there are over 92,000 struggling members and nearly $2 Million have been disbursed to the members, of which nearly $1.5 Million has already been paid back. Ms. Begum explained that her installments were a meager 20 Taka per week, and that she had paid back her entire loan off. Why did she choose to payback her loan? For her, she felt as if it were duty. She wanted the opportunity to be able to take another loan so she felt it necessary to pay back and on time. This goes to show that even the poorest of the poor are bankable. Their lives are their collateral and they more often than not, will ;pay back their loans. Ms. Begum was able to buy a few chickens and goats with her loan. She has taken the revenues generated from her batch of chickens and goats and reinvested them, and has continued to cycle the money back into the business. Previously she was begging, but now she has found a way to make a modest living, for which she is extremely proud of. The Struggling Members Program is a case study that even the poor can advance their lives, however long it may take.

Check out the following video (coming soon, experiencing technical difficulties) of interaction with a Grameen borrower. In the backdrop is her home with no electricity and no running water. Believe it or not, these are the circumstances of many in the developed world… If you are reading this, consider yourself lucky, you are a winner of the “Ovarian lottery”. Begin today by appreciating everything your life has to offer, many in the world are not so lucky.

Fast Facts About Grameen Bank

Left: Grameen Bank Dhaka Headquarters. Right: View Atop 20th floor Library.

Below are some quick data points on Grameen Bank that many of have you requested:

• Dr. Yunnus, founder of the Grameen bank, explored the concept of microfinance first in 1974, when he lent $27 to 42 villagers, who otherwise succumbed to usurious money lenders
• The idea further developed in 1976 into various villages of Jobra, and officially became an independent bank in 1983
• In 2006, they won the Nobel Peace Prize-yes, poverty is seen as a threat to world peace!
• Currently 95% of the equity is owned by the poor borrowers of the bank, the remaining 5% by the government
• 7.84 Million Borrowers of which 97% of borrowers are women
• Interest Rates on MicroLoans: 20% for Income Generating Loans, 8% for Housing Loans, 5% Student Loans, 0% for Beggar Loans, Deposit Savings Rate is 8.5%
• No Contracts or Collateral is ever employed.
• Offer comprehensive Financial services: Microloans for business development, housing loans, education loans, savings accounts, pension schemes, loan insurance, life insurance
• Grameen has over 19 sister companies, some are run as for profit businesses, while others are run as no-loss, no dividend, sustainable “social businesses” which focuses on providing subsidized or low cost services (clean water, nutritious foods, healthcare services) to the poor of Bangladesh

Cyclone Aila Relief Effort Recap (with video footage!)

Child Safe Center

It was a Wednesday late evening, and I was getting back into Dhaka from my four day overnight Grameen village visit. Naturally, I was quite exhausted from traveling and visiting various Grameen’s sister companies, field programs, and borrowers. I checked back into my hotel, showered, and had to catch up on some email. I was typing away around 9 or 10 pm in the lobby of my hotel when I casually conversed with a fellow intern and friend, Darshan, a graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill. Darshan and a group of Grameen interns had just come back from meeting with Uddipan, the 7^th largest NGO in Bangladesh who was working with many of the cyclone affected families (women and children in particular) in South Coastal Bangladesh. Tiffany, one of the interns had tried setting up meetings with some of the program coordinators at Grameen Bank about the possibility of some of us organizing an Aila relief effort. Supposedly, they received a lot of resistance from Grameen (we were useless and more of a liability for such an effort in their eyes). Lisa, another intern, and student of public health at the University of Michigan, saw Uddipan advertisements in the local newspapers regarding help for such efforts. The interns quickly jumped on this opportunity, placed a call, set up a meeting, and drove in the sweltering mid day heat and traffic to meet with some of the Uddipan representatives. The representatives were extremely cordial and receptive to allowing us to help for a big cause. They gave us contacts and information on how to get involved and the rest is history. Hats off to the team for taking the initiative and having the persistence of getting this trip planned!

So, Darshan immediately caught my attention when he began telling this story and I was instantly interested. This was a superb opportunity to see firsthand what many of the landless poor in Bangladesh cope with on an annual basis-massive natural disasters. So in a matter of a few hours, I was part of organizing a relief effort. I heard about it around 10 pm on Wednesday evening, and was departing for the port the following day at 3 pm, with a lot of work in between. I had to unpack my bags, only to repack them immediately thereafter. It was really interesting to see the dynamics of the group form in minutes as we were frantically organizing these efforts.  We essentially had pseudo committees formed- accounting/finance (managing of group budget, the “group pot”, capital allocation), human resources (intern recruitment), marketing/fundraising (raising as much money as possible to purchase supplies for the victims), and operations/logistics (planning the final details with Uddipan reps, getting tickets booked, purchasing supplies). Some of my tasks included purchasing boat tickets on Thursday morning as well as food and water for our group’s use during the trip. The rest of our group (Erika, Darshan, Lisa, Tiffany) were purchasing dry foods for the victims, saline and water purification tablets from the pharmacy.

The "Launch" Boat

With all of the details planned and boat tickets purchased, it was off to the port to catch our boat! We had a 18 hour boat trip to the Barguna district, and the girls instantly became celebrities aboard the ship. They were the center of attention as many natives were drawn to their White skin. With 18 hours to kill, we spent our time roaming the boat, speaking with natives, and making bread and jelly sandwiches of course! Check out the videos to see more!

Fast Forward about 18 hours, and we arrived at our destination. The boat veered off to the coast, and there was a makeshift dock (a slab of wood) that we had to cross to get on land. There were Uddipan representatives awaiting our arrival, and they arranged for our transportation to get to our lodging. We stayed in a “Shelter Village” that included a children’s orphanage, farming land, kindergarten classrooms, and a children play center.

Aila Affected Children at Safe Center

On Friday afternoon, we visited an Uddipan child safe center in some of the lesser affected areas. The safe centers were created because of the massive natural disasters that hit the region. These centers are places for children to go so they can have additional instruction, games, and counseling services.  It was awesome to spend time with many of the village children, they seemed happy to host us despite their plight. We played different counting games, and watched the children act, sing, and dance! Be sure to watch the video footage! Uddipan is an impressive organization-they have 850 children in 17 safe centers in the region (we visited three) we were staying. It was a pleasure spending time with these children! Check out footage of us playing a game that is near and dear to many of us, “Duck, Duck, Goose!”

Just Some of the Damage...

On Saturday, we began our relief efforts. We drove as far as possible towards the coast, and then had to walk about 10 kilometers to reach the coastal areas. We had multiple backpacks of supplies to distribute and we had the chance to see many of the directly affected families. Their homes were destroyed, and the land was flooded almost waist high just a few days prior. Very early into the efforts, it was clear to see how small of an effect our work would have. Our efforts almost seemed asinine-these families needed so much more help. They need proper dams, proper food, and sturdy homes that could withstand such natural disasters.

Saline & Water PurificationTablets

Distributing water purification tablets and saline may very optimistically last two days, but who is going to help them after that? These families are stuck in poverty-every year, they are recovering from another disaster. In 2007, a mega cyclone hit that robbed these villagers of their livelihood. (SIDR-estimated damage of $450Million, casualties of ~10,000) They have no control over when Mother Nature will hit again. There are no other available lands for them to move that are safer, nor would they have the money to afford such a relocation. Most of the men in these villages are fisherman, and it is assumed that this is where they will live forever. Over the years, these villagers have built up an immunity for such disasters. They regard the floods, cyclones and other natural disasters as an imminent force in their lives.  It was difficult and hard to accept simply distributing saline and water purification tablets in the midst of such a large scale calamity, but that was the reality nonetheless.

Barguna Villager

The inhabitants somberly accepted our humble charity, but they clearly needed more. Where was the help they needed? It had been over a week since the cyclone hit…where was the government of Bangladesh when the citizens needed them most?

Did I expect our efforts to have an impact? No. At best, we offered temporary relief to 200 households.  But what we did was we showed that we cared. We gave our time, and our efforts to show the coastal villagers that they do matter, and that their pain is felt. We live in a world that is marred by poverty. MILLIONS of people still die of stupid, stupid causes EVERYDAY. Starvation, malaria, diarrhea-to name a few. It’s fine and wonderful to think about eradicating poverty on a large scale, but it starts on the individual level, with one act of altruism, one act of kindness, one act of selflessness at a time. Poverty is not a bunch of numbers and statistics and diseases. These are people-just like you and I, endowed with the same gift of life-only the cards they were dealt were much worse. In a long and difficult battle against poverty, small steps have to be taken somewhere along the path.

There is a much larger problem underlying the situation we encountered-one too large for a group of 5 students (with small pockets) to ever tackle. This is where the rich donor nations, governments and NGO’S have to financially support these displaced poor villagers. Give them sufficient capital to regain their footing-and maintain their footing. Aid money is welcome, but if that’s the approach, then these areas are going to seek aid money year after year. Build proper dams and infrastructure that will prevent any large scale disaster such as this, help in building sturdy homes, build clean water systems, and roads to transport goods and allow these villagers to reap the rewards that will ensue for years.

Check out the video with some of the clips from our trip… (I tried to focus on some of the lighter, happier moments on the trip, especially with the kids!)

aila-trip

Bangladesh, by the numbers (with video footage!)

Let’s dig into the numbers. As the old adage says, the numbers don’t lie, it’s very interesting to compare Bangladesh with the four comparison countries. Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the numbers, feel free to comment and share your opinions.

Population & Population/Sq Km

Bangladesh is the most population dense country in the world and the 7^th most populated country. With over 144,000 sq km of land, Bangladesh is slightly smaller than the state of Iowa,  but has a population of over 156 Milllion with a population density of 1,083 people per sq km! Check out the videos to see the population density first hand! Severe overpopulation is undoubtedly a hindrance for the country, but lower fertility rates (discussed below) are an encouraging sign as Bangladesh moves forward.

Population Density Video #1:

popo-density-2

Urbanization

According to Sachs, a world renowned economist from Columbia and special advisor to the UN, modern economic growth is “first and foremost accompanied by urbanization.” Urbanization measures the proportion of the population that lives in urban areas. Economic growth and urbanization are directly related; as farmer productivity increases, less and less farmers are needed in the fields. Because productivity has increased, supply of food has therefore increased. This increased availability of food decreases market prices for food, and many are forced to seek different occupations (usually higher paying) in nonfarm activities in densely populated cities. Most non-farm activities take place in urban areas, which accommodate many commerce related activities. With only a marginal 27% of the population urbanized, it is clear that most of the Bangladeshi poor are agricultural workers, which is why modern economic growth has been so elusive for this country between 1970-1995. (Bangladesh has grown between 5% to 6% in the past decade or so). Developed economies such as France and the US have urbanization rates of over 75%.

Infant Mortality Rate/Fertility Rates

The infant mortality rate is measured as the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Bangladesh has an infant mortality rate of 59.02 deaths, which is a significant improvement from 145 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1970. What has caused this improvement? The answer is not so clear, but the empowerment of women through microfinance and the large number of young women employed in garment factories in urban city centers such as Dhaka has certainly played a role.  Previously, a women’s main task was to give birth and raise children. With new gender roles in society, women are now able to focus their time on their microenterprises and jobs. Their newfound economic opportunities, along with slow yet progressive urbanization, better public health, and the availability of family planning have contributed to the lowering of infant mortalities, as well as lower fertility rates. By having fewer children, Bangladeshi families are now able to increase investment in each child, which has consequently led to better nutrition, education,  and health (improved infant mortality rates can be seen as a product of lower fertility rates). The fertility rate per woman in Bangladesh has dramatically decreased from 6.6 in 1975, to 3.1 in 2000 to 2.74 in 2009. THIS IS SPECTACULAR. Microfinance certainly improves the economic livelihood of the poor, but the second hand effects are just as important. (please understand that I am not attributing this decrease in fertility rates wholly to microfinance, but as one of the powerful forces behind this phenomenon). With fewer children, they can be treated for disease which increases their life expectancy, which means parents will have fewer children, knowing that their children are more likely to survive and take care of them in their old age. The life expectancy is still not acceptable, but with the promising demographic shift, life expectancy should continue to spiral upward in the coming years as per capita investment in health increases.

School life expectancy/Education Expenditure/Median Age

This statistic measures the average years of schooling from primary to tertiary education. I’ve always been a huge proponent of education (See my post on the Dhaka slum schools) and this number is bothersome. Education empowers people- to be value added members in a dynamic, 21^st century technology-centric and driven economy. The Bangladeshi government can clearly do more for their children. By spending only 2.7% of the total GDP on education, they are neglecting what I like to call the greatest asset on any balance sheet, the minds of their young people. It’s hard to put the blame on government, as I understand the hard realities of their circumstances. This country is disaster prone and faces severe overpopulation, but this country spends only  $6 Billion on education (2.7%), whereas countries such as the US spend $750 billion (5.3%) on education expenditures yearly. What good is a country, lavish with bridges, ports, roads, and highways-but an illiterate, uneducated agrarian population with a weak skill set and low purchasing power? I’m sure that will attract a lot of foreign investment. I apologize for my sarcasm, but this country has a literacy rate of 48%, which is 20% lower than Nigeria. Because basic dietary and medical needs are being met, the next step is to address education.  If the country had a larger educated and skilled labor force, foreign direct investment could be a huge growth driver. This would create millions of jobs and greater technology and information sharing. The country has a young population with just a median age of 23.3, an impact in the area of education can still be made for the current generation! Overall, visiting the Dhaka 4^th grade slum school had a few bright spots. English was not the primary medium of the classroom, but the students were still able to speak a few lines of broken English. Although the lines may have been scripted to the students (as each student had unusually the same 4 sentences to say), it’s a baby step in the right direction.

Economy

The Bangladeshi economy has grown between 5-6% since the mid 1990s despite severe overpopulation and a weak government. Half of the GDP is generated through the service sector, however, nearly 2/3 of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector. The size of Bangladeshi’s GDP is $224 billion, or about 1.5% of the United States GDP. The Bangladesh population is ½ the size of the US, but their GDP is only 1.5% of US GDP. At the very least, the country is experiencing economic growth (I wouldn’t call it strong growth, given their small base). The benefits of economic growth are well known: increased urbanization, more non-farm activities, increased social mobility, improved gender roles, enhanced family structures, division of labor and increased specialization, trade, and technology and innovation, which ultimately lead to increased to per capita income and a higher standard of living. However, it’s easy to mistake the idea that just because a countries GDP is growing, that the poor are increasing their incomes. This wealth distribution is rarely ever disturbed uniformly, so this number is misleading at times.

Public Debt/Investment

The Bangladeshi government has debt that is equivalent to 34% of GDP. Many times a government may be in poverty due to poor fiscal management and policy, and due to the burden of debt repayment, they are unable to invest in roads, airports, health care services, power grids, police force, etc for their people. This concept is identical in corporate finance and stock valuation. Leverage ratios (such as Debt/equity) are a common metric used in stock analysis for the same reason. It is hard to grow a corporation or a country when you are engulfed in debt, or in other words, over levered. The Bangladeshi government has been able to allocate 24.30% of GDP in investment, so I don’t think their debt position is hurting them.

Imports/Exports

As Adam Smith explained centuries ago, the benefits of division of labor and specialization are vital. Specialization can only occur in the presence of a market, where they can trade their inputs for various outputs. (this is why infrastructure is important, goods need to be transported quickly and efficiently for trade) A country is best positioned to succeed when they are engaged in trade with other countries who can produce certain goods and services at a lower opportunity cost than them (called comparative advantage). Closing an economy means a country gets lost in the advance of technology and innovation. By attempting to produce everything domestically, a country may have many high cost local industries that cannot compete internationally (where trade would be better). By having minimal competition from various players overseas, these domestic businesses are protected from foreign competition, and thus have a monopoly where corrupt practices are rampant, all which put a huge risk on a countries growth. Open economies and trade benefit all parties, and trade is still a minor part of the Bangladeshi economy (6.24% exports, 9% imports), . Hopefully over time, with public investment in infrastructure and human capital, more liberal trade can occur between Bangladesh and other countries.

Corruption Index

Transparency International ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­is a research organization that publishes annual reports on perceived corruption in over 180 countries. The Corruption Perception Index (CPI), ranks countries from one to one hundred eighty based on perceived level of corruption that exists among public officials and politicians. The organization uses surveys of business people and assessments by country analysts in addition to fourteen different polls and surveys from 12 different independent institutions. Clearly, this is an area where Bangladesh is struggling with. Economic development requires a strong hand from the government because they have many roles to play by investing in the necessary infrastructure projects, and providing the essential services to the population. They must also maintain order and peace, provide national security, and well enforce all laws judiciously. When governments fail in their basic responsibilities, an economic crisis as well a government failure is sure to occur and lead to political instability. A corrupt government is not serving on behalf of the people and this can hamper a country for decades. Parliamentary elections were held in Bangladesh in December 2008, in countrywide efforts to reform the dysfunctional political regime and root out corruption. This is an area where Bangladesh has so much room to improve and improve quickly.

GS has noted the growth potential of Bangladesh by recognizing the country as one of the "N 11" countries.

Overall, careful diagnosis is necessary when analyzing a country. The countries severe overpopulation, weak government, and disaster prone nature pose huge threats to growth and poverty elimination. However, Bangladesh is an improving country, as evidenced by their inclusion on Goldman Sachs “Next Eleven” list of countries that present promising countries with investment potential. The N 11, are not quite the BRIC’s (which GS first published in 2003), but they could rival the G7 countries (US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, UK) over time.

Bangladesh: A Quick Primer

This is a two part series on Bangladesh-whenever doing any sort of development work, it is important to understand as much as possible about a country. This post (first in a two part series) will address some of the basic facts and history of Bangladesh, and the second part will examine the country quantitatively on  a macro view.

Every morning, I walk about 10 minutes to the Grameen Bank headquarters, and on an average day, I am confronted by a number of beggars. It begs (no pun intended) the question of- how does a country like Bangladesh get stuck in such extreme poverty, while other countries such as the United States are able to enjoy the fruits of life? The answer to an abstract question like this is complicated, and a careful/thorough diagnosis is necessary. Personally, I don’t know if I have the expertise to answer such a question-there are so many factors that determine the economic success of a country. The confluence of geography, government, natural resource endowment, religion, culture, social structures, monetary/fiscal policy, trade, and demographics are just some of the factors that can affect a countries economic prosperity, or struggles, which is the case for many of the South Asian and Sub-Saharan African countries.

With that in mind, it’s essential to begin with a short history on Bangladesh, and then analyze the country based on pure factual data (Part 2). I include over 10 data points for Bangladesh, and four other comparison countries-The United States, France, China, and Nigeria. The comparison countries were chosen somewhat arbitrarily, but represent a wide spectrum of economies-the developed Western superpowers in the US and France, a rising Asian superpower, and a struggling but improving African country in Nigeria. All the data is extracted from the 2009 CIA World Factbook, and some minor manipulations of the raw data are made to explore the numbers in further detail.

History

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan on December 16, 1971. The borders of Bangladesh were determined in 1947 after India was granted independence, and subsequently, became the eastern region of the newly formed Pakistan (Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan). However, Bangladesh was separated by 1,600 km across the lands of India. Political and linguistic discrimination as well as neglect from their government on the other side of India caused the Bangladeshi people to revolt against the West Pakistan. Bangladesh sought independence in 1971, and victory day soon followed.

Geography/Climate

Coastal South Bangladesh

Geographically, the country is situated by the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, which causes a devastating annual monsoon season and cyclones (Read about Cyclone Aila on a earlier post of mine, Aila hit in the end of May). Many of the landless poor in Bangladesh are therefore forced to live and cultivate flood-prone plains. The environmental issues are plentiful: waterborne illnesses are common in surface water, water pollution, ground water is contaminated by arsenic, soil degradation, erosion, deforestation, and severe population density. (See Video 1 & 2 of Population Density)

The Bangladeshi climate is tropical, with a mild winter from October to March, followed by a hot, humid summer from March to June. From June to October, the monsoon season begins and inundates the country with rainfall.

Government

Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy. Elections are held every 5 years, the prime minister is the head of the government and forms the cabinet. The President is a figurehead position, and is elected by the parliament.

Other

Over 89% of Bangladeshis are Muslim, and around 9% of the population is Hindu. The national language is Bangla (or Bengali).

Part 2 will be released shortly. As always, please contact me with any questions, suggestions, comments or criticism!

Grameen Shikkha: Dhaka Slum School Visit

Dhaka slum child in preschool class

On Tuesday morning, myself and a group of 5 other Grameen interns had the chance to visit a sister company of Grameen Bank, Grameen Shikkha, which focuses on providing and financing education to many poor children of the urban, rural, and slum areas of Bangladesh. Grameen Shikkha surveys families of the slums and locates the poorest of the poor children and invites these children to attend their schools.  We took a 10 minute cycle rickshaw ride from our Dhaka headquarters to the villages, and then walked about 5 minutes to the school. Let me be clear: WE WERE IN THE HEART OF THE DHAKA SLUMS. There were piles of trash on both sides of the dirt roads, extremely unpleasant odors filled the air profusely, naked children ran around playfully, open sanitation flowed freely in the front doorsteps of many of the homes, and mothers cooked roti in front of their dilapidated, shoddy homes in between the narrow corridors of their slum, with the noise and sight of the sanitation flowing freely just feet from their cooking stoves. It reminded me of many scenes from the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, perhaps even worse. Don’t believe me? Come to the Dhaka slums.

The school comprised of one room, approximately 14 feet by 12 feet. We took off our muddy shoes in front of the school and slowly packed the small room. The first classroom was a preschool of about 27 children, between ages five and six. The children, excited to see the faces of so many foreigners (I was with 4 American girls), stood up and greeted us with the standard Muslim greeting, pronounced as-sa-lam-wai-lai-kum. The room was filled with uproar, and the teacher hurriedly attempted to quiet the classroom. There was a power shortage at the time, so the fan was not operating in the small room with over 30 people in it! The children sat in a circle on the floor around the room, as their perspiration from their bodies dripped onto their chalkboards they held in their hand. The students of this school are taught their native tongue of Bangla, English, and basic mathematics. They recited English songs such as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It was amazing to see the genuine happiness on the faces of these children amidst their subsistence and poverty. The slums are their lives; this is all they have seen, and for nearly all of them, this is all they will EVER see. That is, unless, we do something about it. Read on.

Next, we visited another informal slum school, only this was a fourth grade classroom. There were 20 students in this class, and each of them recited their name, where they live, and how old they are in English! Aside from this and the overall passion and energy of the students, there is nothing else impressive to share with you about this school (again, one small room). The students spend a meager three hours a day in school receiving lessons in English, Bangla, social sciences, and mathematics. Three hours of schooling, under no stretch of the imagination is enough. Due to insufficient funding, and many of the students having to go home to help with household chores and family businesses, three hours of schooling a day (for grades 1-5) is all that is available to them. There is no time for them in their hectic lives to learn to properly read, write, dream, and stretch their horizons; they are so preoccupied with merely making it on to the next day. Government intervention is necessary at this juncture,  as they MUST provide all the incentives possible to families to send and keep their children in school. Essentially, make it more worthwhile for families to have children in school than having them help out on the farms or family businesses.  Just 3 hours of school? Many experts in the US education system believe public schools in the US are not rigorous enough (with 6-7 hour school days), so there is no justification for any child to attend school for only three hours a day. Case studies on the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) clearly show that more rigorous schooling yields better results. (To learn more about KIPP, please refer to the end of this post)

We surveyed each student in the class, asking them what they wanted to be when they grow up. Few said pilots, many said teachers, and others said businessman, army officers, computer engineers, and doctors. When we asked that question to the students, it almost felt as if we were mocking them. I’m no one to say that somebody can’t accomplish their life goals and aspirations, but in this instance, it’s hard not to refute the plausibility of their ambitious goals of being a doctor or pilot. Given their family situations,  resources and schooling, their goals are next to impossible to achieve.

The chances the next multibillion dollar business mogul comes from the Dhaka slums? Small.Given the weak opportunities that are provided to the slum children, there is very little hope or chance for them to ever escape the slums. How can we accept this?

Programs such as Grameen Shikkha are almost in a way, teasing these children, giving them the false hope that they can go on to be valuable members in a developed world. These are children of slumdwellers. The number of opportunities for these children is limited, if not non-existent. Their fates, unless we make dramatic change, are determined. They are from the slums, they will continue to be from the slums, and their children will be from the slums. HOW LONG CAN WE ACCEPT THIS GRAVE INJUSTICE FOR? HOW LONG?

Based on recent data I received from the Deputy General Manager of Grameen Shikkha, 47% of primary school entrants drop out before 5^th grade. Only 53% of students in Bangladesh make it past 5^th grade, and only half of that group makes it to high school. What’s stopping poor nations, such as Bangladesh (where most of the people are disease free, and eating enough to survive) to invest heavily in educational programs for their constituents and ensuring children enroll in them? Quite obviously, money and resources. Why can’t charitable foundations, rich donor countries, and NGO’s tap the reservoir of endless creativity, curiosity, passion, and intelligence of the world’s poor children? If we can empower these children with a solid education, they themselves will go on to do great things in improving their countries. This cannot be possible when a countries young minds are untapped and when they lack the basic analytical, mathematical, language, and interpersonal skills to be productive.  This investment in human capital of the poor children will provide returns for the duration of these children’s lifetimes and then some. This method is not a quick-fix, rather a long-term solution. An educated population is a population that has the skills and know-how to be self-sufficient and improve their well-being through hard work, innovation, and technology. The returns to charitable investments to build bridges and provide more food (to countries where basic nutritional and medical needs are met) are ephemeral. A bridge may last for 30 years, and a meal may provide nourishment for ten hours. An education provides returns for a lifetime of 70-80 years, and to their off-spring, and their children, and so on.

These poor innocent slum children deserve better.

By addressing the education of our young children, we are building the poor nations from the bottom up. The only question that remains is, when will we come to this realization regarding the value of the children? Can we afford to wait and continue to waste the immeasurable capacities of the poor children until they are ultimately and irreversibly mentally stunted? These poor children deserve better. The kids were truly amazing and they filled the room with excitement, love,  happiness, and energy.  What have they have ever done to deserve such a situation?

I apologize in advance for any lapses in my reasoning. I am not an economist nor am I an expert in educational systems. I’m just passionate about everyone having the opportunity to get an education-it should be a basic human right. As always, I welcome open dialogue in regards to my posts. Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts, comments, and criticism, whatever.

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A little Background on KIPP (I’m clearly a big fan)

The Case for a Rigorous Education

*Many US experts in education have attributed the “achievement gap” to factors such the unavailability of books, computers, and educational games in poor households. The lack of these resources is compounded over time and only exacerbated by long summer vacations in the United States. Children from these poor households in the US build a deficit too large to ever make up and are perpetually stuck in poverty during their lifetimes. A great case study that has bucked this trend, is the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), founded by two former Teach for America graduates in Houston, TX. The crux of the KIPP program (charter schools that operate outside of public school governing) is to offer free, open-enrollment education to poor students in struggling areas in the US. The principles of the program include a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum, with school hours from 7 AM to 5 PM, and half-days on select Saturdays. Summer vacations are shorter, and there is a mandatory summer school that “Kippsters” must attend. This resembles the rigorous nature of schooling in countries such as China and India. These two behemoth economies have developed so much in the last decade, and the reason for this boom is partly due to a immensely skilled and educated labor force. More than 95% of KIPP students are African American or Hispanic, and students are accepted regardless of any behavioral issues, test scores, or socioeconomic status. According to Wikipedia, while only half of the students passed their fourth grade tests before enrolling in KIPP, more than 90% of these same students pass their 5^th grade exams in English and mathematics after only one year at KIPP. Many KIPP schools across the country have received recognition for extraordinarily high achievement among students, and 80% of KIPP alumni have went on to receive college educations! Impressive, to say the least. Sending Bangladeshi slum children to school for 3 hours a day is a DISSERVICE.

Blog going forward!

Distributing materials at Child Safe Center

Hope all of you are doing well! I arrived from the Barguna District in South Bangladesh on Monday morning. Our group organized a relief effort in unison with Uddipan (United Development Initiatives for Programmed Actions), the 7^th largest NGO in Bangladesh, for the Cyclone Aila affected families by distributing saline , water purification tablets, and food. Overall, it was a very rewarding experience, and there will be a post with much more detail on the trip! Here is a preview of all the posts that will be released in the next week or so:

• Cyclone Aila relief effort recap with photographs, video footage
• 5 day microfinance field visit recap with photographs, video footage
• Fast Facts about Grameen Bank (received inquiries on what exactly Grameen does)
• A short primer on Bangladesh
• Concept of Social Business/Entrepreneurship
• Grameen Danone-Defeating Child Malnutrition….one yogurt cup at a time?! &An Evaluation of the Social Business Concept
• Comparing Kiva and Microplace, Addressing some Hidden Issues
• Grameen Shikkha-Dhaka slum school visit
• BRAC and their Aarong stores

Cyclone Aila Relief Effort

Folks, just got back from my 4 day village visit. The trip was an amazing experience, and I have many stories, photographs, and interviews to post on the blog. However, I will not be able to post these until Monday or so;  I am off to South Bangladesh to help out in Cyclone Aila relief efforts. Aila killed over 210 people, and the final death toll is sure to increase. The cyclone has destroyed the homes of over 175,000 families and  thousands of acres of crops. We are working with a NGO (Uddipan) who is orchestrating the relief efforts. Our group of 5 have purchased large quantities of water purification tablets and food to distribute to the victims of this tragedy and help in any other way possible.

The areas in red represents roughly the area where Aila hit hard and we will be traveling to Borguna (starred in the bottom of the map). We cannot say with 100% certainty that the area is safe, but we have heard/read news reports and the area is safe and navigable. Our group is taking a 16-18 hour boat trip to reach Borguna, and we should arriving sometime early Friday afternoon. Wish me luck, I hope we can get there soon and have a positive impact on the area-however small it may be.

To read more about Aila, check out the following link: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE54Q27620090527.

Best regards, Abi

Quick update (with video footage!)

I am on a 5 day village visit to the rural villages of Bangladesh (starting tomorrow), north of the capital city of Dhaka. There should be a lot of new content on the blog following the visit. I will have very limited internet access  during this time.

For a lighter moment, check out the video clip below of myself and other Grameen interns negotiating with taxi drivers on a fare to be driven to Gulshan I, another district in Dhaka.

Video of Taxi Fare Negotiation: taxi-negotiation

Also, I want to thank all of you for the kind words regarding the blog. I welcome all comments and suggestions to be sent to my email address at aqv5005@psu.edu.

Regards, Abi