Javier Duarte de Ochoa, the Governor of Veracruz, the third richest state of Mexico, has announced to launch social business in his state by making a grant of US$ 4.5 million to Yunus Social Business Fund to be created by Professor Yunus in Veracruz within the next three months.As soon as the fund is created, the grant money will be transferred to the fund to launch social businesses without delay.
The announcement came after a meeting with Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus during his (Yunus) three-day visit to Mexico from July 17-20, said a Yunus Center release on Monday.
Prof Yunus visited Veracruz at the invitation of Governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa.
On the occasion, the Governor organised an open air gala event at the historical spot at the port area where Spanish traders first set foot on the Latin American continent to give a formal reception to Professor Yunus.
The event was attended by the mayors of various leading cities, members of the state legislative assembly, business leaders, and academics.
The Governor brought Prof Yunus with him from Xalapa, the capital of the state, in his official helicopter.
The day before Prof Yunus addressed a conference in Leon attended by countries top business leaders organised by his long time friend and former President of Mexico Vicente Fox at Centro Fox in Guanajuato.
He also appeared in a national TV programme in a conversation which was a conversation programme between President Fox and Nobel Peace Laureate Prof Yunus.
During a press conference, President Fox also announced his plan to launch social business movement through Centro Fox in his State.
On his final day in Mexico, Nobel Yunus visited the borrowers of Etla branch, in Oaxaca state of Mexico.
Grameen Microcredit programme was launched in 2009 in collaboration with Grameen Trust and Carlos Slim of Mexico who is among the wealthiest people in the world.
This programme known as Grameen Carso is focused in the state of Oaxaca, the poorest state in Mexico.
Nearly 1000 borrowers, all of whom are women, many with their children, gathered in a city hall in a festive environment to meet Professor Yunus.
The Grameen Carso programme headed by a Bangladeshi Project Director, Shamsul Alam Khan Chowdhury, now has 7,000 borrowers under 24 branches.
They are maintaining 100 percent repayment record since the beginning of the programme five years back. In the meeting with Professor Muhammd Yunus in City Hall, borrowers described their story of successes in businesses and thanked Grameen Carso for helping them change their lives.
Prof Yunus was received by the Governor of Oaxaca, Gabino Cué Monteagudo who thanked Professor Yunus for his microcredit project.
The Governor invited Prof Yunus to help him launch social businesses in his State.
Prof Yunus also addressed the students and faculty of University Jose Vasconcelos and attended a special reception given by Alumni Association of university of Monterrey. – UNB
