With that 8 percent spread they have to become profitable, which takes on average seven years. With these requirements and the capital accumulated through borrowers' required savings, the main bank's only need for concessional funds is to fuel expansion. Now Yunus wants to see his program spread around the world. There are special conditions in Bangladesh, he thinks, that make the idea applicable there and not elsewhere. If anything, Bangladesh should be the acid test.
Income is very low.
Fertility, malnutrition, illiteracy and gender inequality are high. The communications infrastructure is poor to nonexistent. Many of those who work to ameliorate poverty in developing countries and in our central cities believe that the people they are trying to help have a better idea of what they need than experts in faraway capitals. The perennial stumbling block has been how to tap into this intimate knowledge of local needs on a large enough scale to make a difference. The Grameen Bank is one of few proofs that it can be done.