Struggle... Continued

Inspired by Haeddre's comments on my last post, allow me to lob out the following.

A few years ago, while on sabbatical, I read Muhammad Yunus' book, Banker to the Poor.  (Thank you, Paul, for recommending it.)  In that book, Yunus described how he eventually responded to the terrible famine that had engulfed Bangladesh in the 1960's.  He had begun to realize that while charity was good for providing people with a meal, it did little to provide ongoing, sustainable solutions.  He began to use the method we now know as 'micro-finance'--providing very small, weekly loans to women and men to help them start or grow very small businesses that would enable them to support themselves and their families.  In the book, Yunus described how he sometimes had to work very hard to convince these terribly poor people that they were capable of starting a small business.  He then helped those who were willing to move forward to form in small groups and work together on business plans.  Finally, he provided the loans, one at a time, to these small entrepreneurs.  The story of micro-finance is now well known.  It is estimated that over ten million people around the world have worked their way out of the lowest rungs of poverty using this tool.  It is an incredible story.

A couple of things stood out for me when I read Yunus' amazing story.  First, in the book he said that he believes that every person is an entrepreneur.  Most people simply don't know it yet.  I take that to mean that every person has the creativity and capacity to do well for themselves, if and when they discover the motivation and the resources for doing so.  Second, I had the impression as I read the book that Yunus is tough as nails.  If people did not pay back their loans, they were dropped from the program.  They were required to pay back their loans with a small amount of interest.  (That is the only way micro-finance can be sustainable as a service to the poor.)  Because of his toughness, not in spite of it, this tool has become truly good news for the poor.

The story of Muhammad Yunus and micro-finance is, for me, sort of a parable of the importance of struggle.  Each small entrepreneur who has worked her/his way out of poverty has done so through struggle.   I'm certain that there was nothing easy about ten million people moving out of poverty. It seems to me that it was precisely because Yunus was unwilling to remove that struggle, but was rather willing to be a resource to them in their struggle, that he has been so amazingly effective at equipping women and men to improve their lives. I believe that his tough and nails work has been and continues to be an incredible expression of love.