Additional Services from Grameen Family of Organizations

• 1984 - Housing Loans - Housing loans were the first expansion of services beyond the standard group loan.  Yunus was at first hesitant to offer loans to build houses because they appeared to be "consumption" loans which did not create assets that could generate a future income.  Grameen Bank studies showed, however, that poor housing is the single greatest factor which prevents a family's rise out of poverty.  Grameen began offering housing loans in 1984 and scaled up activity in 1987 in resonse to widespread floods.  These houses are required to be solidly constructed with concrete pillars and a cement latrine according to Grameen specifications.
• 1991 - Krishi Foundation - Runs a variety of programs designed to stimulate agricultural activity, for example coordinating the irrigation of crops using water from tube-wells.
• 1993 - Health Program - This program created a health center attached to each Grameen branch with one doctor plus a small staff.  Members pay for insurance or pay a higher usage fee if uninsured.  Yunus was convinced of the need for improved health by a study performed by Helen Todd which showed that 18% of nonmembers crossed over the extreme poverty line compared with 58% of members.  Of the 42% of members who remained mired in poverty, 60% had expierenced serious illness in the family such as tuberculosis, typhoid, jaundice, gastric ulcer. (Bornstein, 1996)  In order to achieve its mission of eradicating poverty, the Grameen Bank had to tackle basic health care.
• 1994 - Motsho Foundation - Manages fish and shrimp farms.
• 1994 - Uddog - Manages the production of handwoven cloth by providing supplies, managing home weavers, and maintaining standards.
• 1994 - Grameen Fund - Provides venture capital funding to risky, technology-oriented companies in the information, communictions, and bioengineering industries.
• 1996 - Kalyan - Provides a variety of financial services to improve the lives of Grameen Bank members and especially for Grameen employees.
• 1996 - Shamogree - Markets goods produced by the rural poor such as handwoven fabrics.
• 1996 - Telecom - Develops telecommunication infrastructure and sells cellular phones to rural villages.
• 1996 - Shakti - Supplies energy from renewable sources to villages previously without electricity.
• 1996 - Cybernet - Provides internet services.
• 1997 - Communications - Promotes the use of the internet to improve education, social well-being, health, and sanitation through the sharing of academic, statistical, and research information.