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Grameen Veolia Water





Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus recently inspected the construction work of the plant and water supply network of Grameen-Veolia Water Ltd. (GVW) in Goalmari village in Daudkandi, Comilla. GVW is in the final stages of constructing its first plant and the water supply network in Goalmari.

Grameen-Veolia is a social business that was set up in a 50-50 partnership between Veolia Water AMI (Africa, Middle East, India) and Grameen Healthcare to provide clean and safe drinking water to the poorest communities of Bangladesh.

The operations of the first plant in Goalmari will be formally inaugurated on June 24, 2009.

Report by : Tamim Islam
 

Dipal Barua Awarded Zayed Future Energy Prize
Mr. Dipal Barua receiving award from HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Mr. Dipal C. Barua, Managing Director of Grameen Shakti (GS), was awarded the first annual Zayed Future Energy Prize for his contributions to bring renewable energy solutions to the rural population of Bangladesh. Mr. Dipal Barua received his award from His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at a gala ceremony held on January 19, 2009, at the World Future Energy Summit at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Grameen Shakti, established as a social business, is a sister organization of the microcredit pioneer Grameen Bank. It was established in 1996 by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in order to mitigate the energy crisis in rural Bangladesh. In 1996 only 15% of the population had access to grid electricity. Grameen Shakti creates a synergy between renewable energy technology and microcredit facilitating an opportunity for the rural population to improve their quality of life through engaging in income generating activities. Today Grameen Shakti is the largest renewable energy company in the world. In January 2009 Grameen Shakti operated in 38,000 villages in all 64 districts in the country, employing more than 3,350 staff in 656 offices.

Grameen Shakti has installed more than 210,000 solar photovoltaic systems called Solar Home Systems (SHS) that currently provide power for more than two million rural people. It plans to install more than one million SHSs by 2012.

GS has developed a number of other innovative initiatives, including a biogas technology that converts cow and poultry waste into gas for cooking, lighting and fertilizer. GS has installed more than 6,000 biogas plants and plans to construct 500,000 more by 2012. In addition, GS has trained rural women to be solar technicians thereby enabling green entrepreneurs through a highly successful microcredit program.

Report by : Tamim Islam