By Milana Ruffin

Throughout the week we spent in Bangladesh, we visited numerous small and remote villages in which one or more of the Grameen organizations operate.
I was moved by the men and women, for which a Grameen microcredit, a job with Grameen Danone, the availability of safe drinking water provided by Grameen Veolia, or a Grameen Shakti solar panel on the roof of their house represented a dignified future and hope for their children.

I was surprised by the Bangladeshi hospitality when entering a house as a stranger, and impressed by their entrepreneurial spirit. We were able to see that the idea of social business makes use of exactly this spirit.

Surprisingly to me, the most dangerous part of our trip (exciting for others) was not the time we spent on the streets in Dhaka, but the time we spent in the minibus and taxis. The term "traffic" means something entirely different in Bangladesh when you see that 2 beautifully painted lorries simultaneously overtake another car. And you know that it is even more dangerous if it is customary to get out of the car while it is being refueled....

Overall, it was a great experience to get a glimpse of Bangladesh's diversity and I hope that many more people will come and see how the Grameen family of organizations make a difference.