After spending most of the last three days working on the film Pennies a Day, I feel confident that you all are more than capable of explaining the story of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank. So for this post I'm not looking for an explanation of microcredit, or for an explanation of the film. We've all seen it a few times – we know the story. What I am looking for is your opinions, thoughts, and ideas.
As I mentioned in class, not all comments on Grameen and microcredit have been positive. Some people have been critical of these kinds of programs. One complaint is that when families receive these small loans they become dependent on them. This means that families have to continue borrowing money to stay out of poverty. This is a different view from the one we saw in the film. Pennies a Day paints an extremely positive picture of Grameen and microcredit.
I don't expect you to be experts on this topic, but you have seen enough to form your own opinion. This doesn't mean that later, after learning more, you opinion won't change. But what do you think now? Do you think that microcredit is a good program? Can you think of other ideas that might work to help solve the problem of poverty in some of the countries we learned about? What about in wealthier countries like ours – can microcredit work here, and is it needed in countries like the United States?
Please don't feel like you have to stick to my questions. I want you to really think about what you've learned, and develop ideas of your own. You will be graded on the level of thought that you put into your comments. I would also like to see a conversation take place. That means that you should check back throughout the week to read the comments of your classmates. Feel free to comment more than once. Do you agree with other comments, disagree with them, or do you have new ideas?
OK – you have the floor. Be creative! Have fun!
Your comments must be completed by Friday, December 7.
24 comments:
pennies a day is about a man named Muhammad Yunus who was trying to get people out of poverty. One day, he thought about the very small amounts of money like dollars, instead of thinking about millions and billions of dollars for whole countries at a time.He then made the Grameen Bank, a bank used for people to make small loans of an average amount of only 64 cents per person.They also loaned micro credit, small amounts of money to people in poverty so they can start there own buisness.Micro credit will not work in a rich country because making a buisness costs much more.It could help a little in America for people who dont have a house or are poor.However, people in Bangladesh need it much more.
in my point of view, i think that Mahammad Yunus was a verry bright guy and cared enough to help poor people in Bangledish become richer.one way to hslp them become out of poverty is to ship out money and little things that might make a diffrence in their lives.I do agree that microcredit would not help americans as much as it would in bangledish.
anonymous was hailey _ _ _
who is anonymous.please leave your name.
Iagree with you Caleb. But not you hailey. In my point of veiw i think Muhammad Yunus was a man who was tired of us americans talking about how we need milions and billions of dollars and don't care about any body else. These people in Bangledesh who only nedd 64cents with a total of 40 people who only need $27.00. Grammen bank and microcredit were just things this man made up u because he's not a selfish induviual. Micro credit is small loans to poor people. If 67 cents could get people out of poverty. Everybody can do something about it.
Hey every body :] :[ /:[ !o
Hey Mr.Veliz see you at church.
I think microcredit is a really good idea and they should keep doing it.
I think that microcredit is a great thing to help poor people get out of poverty. No i don't think that microcredit would work in a rich country like the United States, because we are not a country in poverty. I think rich countries like ours should help poor countries, by giving them lots of money.
Microcredit is good for the poor because they will have some money for them to buy some things.
hi everyone
What's up everybody?
But what things, Haley? Remember the rule about what the first loans must be used for - income producing projects.
This is Trent:
I think that micro credit is a good thing because it got a lot of people out of poverty and into homes with food to eat, it also formed a better economy in Bangladesh .But if countries like Bangladesh had better education there would not be as much poverty and starvation but micro credit isn’t needed in the wealthier countries like the U.S because I don’t think that it is really needed and would not be very affective.
What I thaught about the movie Pennies A Day, is that I can't belive some countrys like Bangledesh still live from the time, before technoligy. But in this movie they told us what poverty is, and what it does to destroy meny familys, and homes. Microcreidet is small loans given to poor people. If the U.S.A. was just like Bengledesh it would be more wourse bcause the U.S.A is twice the size of Bangledesh. Plus here we are startig to run out of space and Renewable recources. Also if a Graemean bank was set up in Ameirica it wouldn't work. Like Muhammad Yunus said poverty is a darkness around you, it would be a shadow if the U.S.A went into it. So as long as the U.S.A stays how they are it will be all right. the differance between the U.S and Bangledesh,is we have more govormental power and the have meny problems. One is the death rate, and the other is the birth rate.So now look it my way when I say we are better liveing.
Pennies a day is about a man named Muhammad Yunus who was trying to help people get out of poverty.He made up the Grameen loans to help women who live on less than one dollar a day.Then he volunteered people to help with other people.Like people who have cell phones and let people talk to loved ones around the globe.
I agree With Clinton. It must have been hard not to have any technologies. In the film pennies a day it is about a man who uses his own personal money(27 dollars) to help other people get threw poverty.As Muhammad Yunus a darkness around you. Most people used the 64 cents per person, that mostly 94% of the time go to women, they used the money to buy cell phones, looms, etc. Called Micro Credit small loans to poor people to build there own buisness. And most of these people don't take the risk of using the loan in this rural place.
The also live on less than one dollar a day.
Hi everyone have fun
Some of you are still just telling me what the Grameen Bank is. Read the post before you comments.
The rest are doing a good job - keep it up.
I think micro credit is good so people in poverty can save up there money to start a bussiness.
I think microcredit is both good and bad. The good reason I think microcredit is good because poor people can still get money, and I aslo think its bad because the people don't get paid enough
I think microcredit is both good and bad. The good reason I think microcredit is good because poor people can still get money, and I aslo think its bad because the people don't get paid enough
hi john
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