Answer:
Since its inception in 1992 the organization has been providing small loans to [poor urban] women for income generating activities and has encouraged women to save.... The organization has followed the Grameen Bank model and so far has a membership of more than 15,000 women and has disbursed loans of more than 87 million Taka [US$2 million], with an average loan size of about 4,000 Taka or US$100. The rate of recovery is almost 100 percent.
The organization has experienced tremendous growth in terms of volume of operation and membership coverage. In 1992-93, we had membership of only 1,200 women, which increased to more than 15,000 in 1996. Our present loan outstanding is more than 28 million Taka [US$600,000].
But if we are to fly to a poverty-free world, we must have institutional sustainability as well. A number of factors contribute to organizational sustainability, but here I shall talk about the three main ones.
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Hampstead Heath, London, in April |