By Burkhard Wiehler

The trip to Bangladesh has been a tremendous experience for me, because it allowed us to make direct contact with both the local people and the employees of Grameen.

On one hand it helped me to understand the issues of the underprivileged rural population and to appreciate the methods Grameen is employing to improve their situation. On the other hand it instilled in me an enormous respect for the Bangladeshis (both beneficiaries and Grameenies) to see how they cope with the difficulties of life in Bangladesh, and how relentlessly they work to better their situation and that of the country.

However, the most important experience for me was the warmth, happiness and friendliness which everybody seemed to physically ooze.

Lesson to be learned: Do it with a smile.