HNB Grameen’s strength lies in HER
It is the woman who head the evolution of the world. She performs multiple roles as a daughter, sister, wife and mother. The woman, unlike in the past, plays a decisive role in her home economically which has an impact in our country. Whilst recognizing the strength and managerial capabilities of these women, HNB Grameen found it fitting to honor them on this special day.
In the home, it is the mother who wakes up first. After completing all the household chores it is the mother who goes to sleep last. In between, the work performed by her is immeasurable. Despite the advances in science and technology, there is yet no formula that can measure a woman’s contribution. Amongst all this, many are the instances in society where the women are often ahead in financial management and in being thrifty as well as repay their loans on time. In the light of these qualities, women have qualified to be the key clientele of HNB Grameen.
The reluctance of the rural Sri Lankan woman to keep away from society is a common phenomenon in the village. However, HNB Grameen recognized the strength within the woman and empowered them towards seeking self-employment opportunities and by providing them with the initial capital, knowledge and the appropriate environment where women could build their confidence to do business. Hundreds of thousands of women have in this manner strengthened their lives through this microfinance program implemented under the small group system. Strengthening the woman means strengthening her family unit. A group of such strong family units has resulted in a strong and sustainable society. The saying, ‘A strong woman builds her own world’, has been clearly demonstrated by the above initiatives of HNB Grameen.
The majority of our women who seek jobs overseas due to financial difficulties and job related issues are mothers. We are today facing a plethora of social problems that have arisen as a result. We are all aware that it is the primary source of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka. We should not forget that the honour for this is rightly due to the woman. Yet, we have come across many instances where the children who were denied their mother and the husband the wife, have strayed away from social norms. If we are able to retain these women within their families and direct them towards some means whereby they contribute in some way to the national economy, we will not have to look for solutions to many of these problems.
We at HNB Grameen have been trying to achieve this goal through the Grameen concept over the past few years. Apart from providing a business loan, we have gone beyond the business objectives and set up a separate training division to give them the necessary training and technical knowledge. HNB Grameen did not limit itself to giving technical knowledge but have also made the women aware of the financial knowledge required to conduct financial operations including the knowledge to operate an ATM and how to maintain a current and savings account. We have also given them tacit knowledge as well as the attitudinal change necessary, to face with courage the day-to-day challenges in running one’s own business.
Through this we have been able to support the important task of making her a strong woman, a courageous wife who can support her husband economically and a mother who is an example to her children. For this purpose, we at HNB Grameen have been fortunate to have the services of supportive staff who have worked tenaciously and with great dedication.
We remain committed to extending our support in discharging the responsibility of helping the women to establish a firm foundation, not only for the urban woman who enjoy many privileges, but also to the women in the villages in the four corners of the island. Our dream is of a woman who is not servile to anyone but is able to stand on her own strength. It is with the blessings of women like you who have received our strength and succeeded in life that we at HNB Grameen have over the past seventeen years, continued to sustain our business model by empowering hundreds of thousands of women, from a rural woman who sells betel to one who runs a wholesale establishment and from a rural woman who painstakingly pounds the coconut husk for the fibre with which she weaves a rope to the one who runs a garment factory.
“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” You have already proved this saying. You have proved that the incomparable strength and courage that a woman has, is second to none. We at HNB Grameen believe that the role played by you as a mother, wife, daughter and sister cannot be limited to a day. That is because you are the life that begins every day.
