and plague the lives of the vast majority of the country's 109 million people. "The self-help institutions of Bangladesh are an example to the rest of the world", she wrote. "The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAG)provides education for a few hours a day to children in rural areas so that they can have some formal schooling while continuing to work at home or on the land with their parents. "The Grameen Bank — the so-called 'barefoot bank' — makessmall loans to the landless poor and to women in particular. These loans might be as small as one or two dollars (us) with which a borrower can buy a chicken and sell the eggs, or purchase silk thread to make tapestries; the maximum loan is -HUS$200. The founder of the Bank. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, was thought to be crazy when he started lending money to the poor 13 years ago. Bankers told him thai poor and illiterate people would never pay him back. But he started lending money out of his own pocket, and today there are 500 Grameen Banks for the poor in Bangladesh, and 98 per cent of all loans are repaid. Dr. Yunus had ihe vision to see that a little can go a long way in Bangladesh and that people need only a chance to improve their lives. "Then there is the Kumudini Trust, which provides a hospital service free of charge for the poor and a boarding school for a thousand girls for minimal fees. "There are handicraft centres for the underprivileged women of the slums who embroider beautiful tapestries. The centres provide a creche for the women's babies and small children, and primary education for the older ones. The mothers are taught to read and write, and everyone gets three meals a day.
**Analysis**
The text appears to focus on the social and economic development of Bangladesh, highlighting the success of various self-help institutions and initiatives that provide education, healthcare, and economic opportunities to the poor and underprivileged. It emphasizes the impact of these initiatives on the daily lives of the vast majority of the country's population.

**Category**
Economic development, Education, Health