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It is worth mentioning that Muhammad Yunus is not only a microcredit pioneer but also co-created Grameen Phone, the very first mass cell phone provider in Bangl
by felipe 17y ago
It is worth mentioning that Muhammad Yunus is not only a microcredit pioneer but also co-created Grameen Phone, the very first mass cell phone provider in Bangladesh. They implemented a very innovative business model to make cell phones accessible to the poor, by allowing the cell phone owner (a villager) to resell minutes to other people in that same village.
What is interesting (and relevant for HN) is that the Grameen Phone experience demonstrates how access to technology empowers people exponentially:
1) The cell phone owner (villager) has a new source of income
2) The other villagers also increase their income, because now with access to crop information and market info, they can run their crops with less waste and negotiate a better price
3) Women is empowered because most of the phone owners are women (who are disenfranchised in that society)
- mhashim 17y agoWhats interesting about the model of selling minutes is that it is now used almost as a currency in some countries (specifically in african countries) where a cab driver will accept a transfer of minutes rather than money because he knows he can resell those minutes to someone else.
- felipe 17y agoExactly. Actually the site nextbillion.net did a case study a few years ago about this subject. I cannot find the exact link right now, but I am sure it's somewhere in the site :)