Mr. Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank were honored with the Nobel Peace Prize last year for being economic pioneers, distributing micro-loans to the poor of Bangladesh.  His first loan was to a group of 42 people. The amount was $27. His service has helped over 6.6 million people and is one of the most effective weapons against poverty. The majority of their loans are given to women, slowly leading toward economic equality.  (more)