I Have Returned to Dhaka

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December 13th 2007

Published: December 13th 2007

I am pleased to be back in Dhaka where I just had a great Steak Diane American style dinner at Brac Restaurant in the BRAC Center which also houses the BRAC Inn where I have returned and will stay one night before getting on a plane mid-day tommorow for my very long trip (24 hours travel time) trip back to good old California. I guarantee you - I will see all of the many things that we have in the U.S. far differently than I ever have.

I was due to have a series of meetings with the BRAC top management this afternoon - but these all got pre-empted by a top management meeting that had been called. Hurricane Sidr has become very demanding of their time and resources.

During my first half of the trip with Grameen I was a part of a group of 20 of us that had been invited from all over the world to come to Bangadesh to attend Grameen Dialogue - the premier Grameen program on microcredit. While in Dhaka there were almost always the 20 of us, plus a number of their top managers presenting to us or leading the dialogue and another 12 or so Interns surrounding us to observe the dialogue. When we went to the field we were in groups of 3 with a guide/facilitator from Grameen Dhaka management - and then we were hosted in the field by numerous field staff personnel. Whenever we interviewed anyone (a borrower or a Branch Manager, etc.) each of us were asking questions in a very disjointed way resulting in their being no continuity and a lot of questions asked by one person that were not of interest to the other two. Neverthess - Grameen Dialogue was a fabulous experience and when it was over I thought that that experience was as good as it could get.

In my ten days with BRAC - it has been a total program exclusively created for me. In their BRAC Center in Dhaka I had one on one time for an hour and a half with several of BRAC's top managers. I had their total attention and could ask a stream of questions that helped me get a clear understanding. When I went to the field in Rangpur - I was met at the bus station by their Regional Manager who manages 340,000 borrowers plus the health, education, legal and other programs for those in his region. His English was limited - but he was with me most of the time to see that I was well taken care of. He came with a driver and jeep style vehicle who were my private driver and car for the entire time in Rangpur.

The first day and half focused on their Ultra Poor program and they provided their Ultra Poor Program Manager for the region who spoke great English and showed me first hand all of the elements of this program - which was the primary program that I came to BRAC to learn about. I will write later - probably after I return to the United States about the programs. His name is Manjou.

The following three days they assigned one of their Area Managers - Rana II (Rana I had been my tour guide in Dhaka.) to be my overall guide and translator as we visited their many incredible programs. On each visit their were typically three other BRAC peope who came along. One was the Area Manager of the area we were visiting (each day we went to a different area - typically 25 or so miles away and the others were the local specialist in the program we were visiting.

I visited borrowers of every type, groups, classes and saw first hand their incredible microcredit, health, education, legal and many other programs such as artificial insemination of cows, etc. In each case I had all the time that I wanted to ask the individuals or groups questions, in most cases I was asked many questions, in most cases I had a chance to tell them why I was there (to learn from them and the poor so that I can do something somewhere in the world (Uganda) and create or be a part of setting up a social business) and to tell them how special they and their country is and how much those of us who live in the United States have to learn from them - which I VERY strongly believe.

I was the constant center of attention - an experience that I had first experienced as I had drifted away from my Grameen group when we were visiting in the villages. It is a euphoric yet very centering experience. It brought out the very best of who I am and I became very comfortable being totally in the moment. I sang, I drummed, I danced, I constantly was smiling at and saying hello to as many of the people who were constantly looking and me as I could and I was constantly telling my many hosts how incredible I feel they are and how important/special the work is that they are doing.

I had read and studied much about microcredit - but had no real comprehension or heart connection to this program. I had been given a very full agenda of the names of the things that I was going to see and even studied their information about much of what I was going to see - but each and every time I enterred a meeting or a school or a legal or health counseling session - I was totally amazed - I had not really had any comprehension about what the reality is. It may relate to why I had always done so poorly in school but did well in business. My guess is that if I was ever to be a part of implementing a microcredit program I will look back on what I know now and say that before I didn't REALLY understand. And finally my guess is that even then I will not a real comprehension of what it feels like to be poor.

The hospitality has been phenomanal. I could go on and on about specifics - some of which I will do later.

I will stop for now. I am hoping that the top management will be out of their meeting soon and I will have time with my overall hosts.

I have shot probably 1,500 pictures and much video. When I get back to the states and have some rest and catch up with friends and family - I will try to think through an outline and create and post chapters of my trip.

Thank you to those who sent messages while I was gone to the village. I particularly enjoyed hearing from my two new friends from India that I met at Grameen Dialogue. Keeping contact with my many new found friends and continuing to learn from them is very important to me.

Daudi - I think I have a fair number of answers to the questions that you raised - but I recieved your questions after I had basically finished my trip. BRAC clearly appears to be our best potential partner in Uganda. Rana II is expecting to go to BRAC Uganda for two years - which will be a fabulous contact.

I know this may well be more words and less pictures than you might prefer - so I promise to do better with this with my next blog - maybe even before I leave Bangladesh.

Although I am savoring this incredible experience - my mind is also starting to shift to thinking about you my friends and family in America - and realizing how much I look forward to seeing you.

I Have Returned to Dhaka

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