It was recently announced that Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Laureate who founded the Grameen Bank, will be guest starring on the TV show The Simpsons.  This special episode will air on October 3rd and will focus on microfinance and the Grameen Bank’s work. Yeardly Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, has been a big supporter of microfinance and flew to Dhaka for a week long visit to study the work of the Grameen Bank.  The Simpsons is the longest running TV show and has drawn quite the crowd of followers over the years.  By introducing the concept of microfinance on the show, it has potential to reach a whole new audience.  I’m definitely curious to see how much the show talks about microfinance and whether it takes a serious stance or a humorous one, for which the shown is know for.

Although I don’t really follow or care much for celebrity gossip, it’s always good to see a celebrity in the news supporting microfinance.  I came across this picture on the daily start where Hugh Jackman poses with Muhammad Yunus at the opening of the manhattan branch.  Here’s what the Daily Star had to say about Jackman:

“Jackman is a strong supporter of Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and a longtime advocate of microcredit. The actor has made a commitment to promote Yunus’s work on social business.
Professor Yunus invited Jackman to visit Bangladesh. Jackman assured him that he’d come to Bangladesh as soon as his schedule permits.
Jackman wrote a letter to Professor Yunus that he was inspired and moved by Yunus’s book ‘Banker to The Poor.’ The actor said in a recent article (The Oprah Magazine) ‘He (Yunus) is fighting at the frontline of poverty, and you couldn’t find a happier guy.’”

Celebrities always support non-profits as we’ve seen over the years, but very few of them are supporting microfinance.  I’m hoping that the trend continues and microfinance will get some more exposure in pop culture.

Professor Yunus (left) with Hugh Jackman. *picture from the Daily Star*

Earlier this month, Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank opened a branch in Manhattan, making it the third branch in the state of NY.  Microfinance has proven itself to work in third world countries, but there has been a lot of opposition to microfinance in the US.  Last year, Kiva opened its doors to lending in the US and was met by a lot of unhappy lenders.  However, over time, as the loans have proven to work, the anti-US lending arguments have started to subside.  Up until now, the Grameen branches in NY have been doing well, with a 99% repayment rate, which proves that it doesn’t matter what country you are from, or how big the city is that you are in, as long as you can get credit and are willing to work hard with the money you have received, you can make it anyhwere.  Dr Yunus was recently quoted as saying “I think 2008 has brought us back to that question again, the question of who is credit-worthy?” which I think is a great statement.  Lenders can choose who they lend to by using their own criteria, but it doesn’t mean they get the right to choose who is “poor” and who needs a loan.  I think that Grameen America (as well as Kiva and the other microfinance orgs) is making a great stride in microfinance in the US.

Here is a video of Dr Yunus speaking at the opening in Manhattan:

For more video about Grameen America check out their video files

Here’s a cool article about the Former Indian president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam visiting Muhammad Yunus at the Grameen Headquarters in Dhaka:

Former Indian president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam arrived in Dhaka yesterday afternoon on a three-day visit.
He arrived at the Zia International Airport by a Jet Airways flight at around 5:00pm.  Dr Modasser Ali, health adviser to the Prime Minister (PM), Hasan Mahmud, state minister for foreign affairs, Dr Gowher Rizvi, newly appointed adviser to the PM and the government high officials received him at the airport.  Dr Kalam, the 11th president of India from July 25, 2002 to July 25, 2007, left the airport in a motorcade amid tight security.  The former Indian president visited Grameen Bank headquarters at Mirpur and met Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.

Check out the rest of the article over at The Daily Star