We hope you all are as excited as we are about 2016.

With the aspiration to create a sustainable world since 2010, Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) is working relentlessly to uncover one solution after another for the swarming social problems in the country through the implementation of social business.

The year 2015 ended with more than thousand Nobin Udyokta (New Entrepreneurs) signing investment agreements with GTT and driving in economic growth of the country. GTT has created a fund to support Nobin Udyokta (NU) or next generation of potential entrepreneurs. The aim of this fund is to support children of Grameen Bank borrowers to undertake sustainable business and become entrepreneurs. They may scale up existing family business or take up new innovative ventures. In the process they would create jobs beyond family members. The total number of NU has reached One Thousand One Hundred Seventy Six (1176) as of 31st January, 2016.

Nine (9) Social Business projects of GTT are running under Social Business Learning & Innovation Fund (SBLIF). SBLIF has been created to encourage innovative enterprises to undertake social businesses. GTT already has started recouping money from the profit of the first social business project and the fund will be utilized to create further social business projects in the same area so that the dream of setting up a social business village is achieved.

In 2014, GTT redesigned Grameen POSHRA to create market linkage for the products produced by SBLIF projects and NUs. Grameen POSHRA strives to create a value chain for products while working in clusters to promote entre- preneurs within the industry.

Also, the construction work under the Project Infrastructure Development has started moving fast & we have also completed publishing seven (7) issues of English E-Newsletter “Kaleidoscope” & four (4) Issues of Bengali Newsletter “Nobin” which are all available in GTT website: www.gtctrust.com.

GTT continues to change the image of women, allowing them to experience a sense of liberty, be a face of empowerment and an active participant of breaking free from the gender norm in the society. In addition GTT is trying to bring positive changes in the lives of small tribal communities from Chittagong Hill Tracts, Naogoan to Thakurgaon, students, small milk producers, handicraft industry and rural marketing ladies and so on. By creating job opportunities for many and investing in social business projects GTT has been successful in touching the lives of approximately
45,000 people.

But that is not the finish line. It is just the inauguration of building a sustainable tomorrow. GTT plans to further accelerate building the infrastructure. Construction work at the Social Business Convention Center (SBCC) in Zirabo, Gazipur is going on at full pace as the upcoming Social Business Day, 2016 will be held there on 28-29 July, 2016. Chairman of Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT), Professor Muhammad Yunus visited the construction site of Social Business Convention Center (SBCC) on 2nd February, 2016. Also present were Managing Director of GTT, Ms. Parveen Mahmud & CEO of GTT, Mr. Ashraful Hassan along with the other senior members of Grameen family

Furthermore, infrastructure work at “Health Complex One Project” in Diabari, Gazipur, and construction of the “Telecom Bhaban” in Mirpur, Dhaka & “Jobra Convention Centre” in Chittagong among the many other projects are in pipeline.

GTT plans to establish 21 NU field offices around Bangladesh invest in more than 2500 new Nobin Udyoktas, invest in at least five (5) more social business projects under SBLIF and set up the first social business village in Udakhali, Gaibandha.

Grameen Telecom Trust plans to build a better tomorrow and bring in the change with focus on zero unemployment, zero poverty & zero carbon emission.

We would like to thank everyone for their support till now and would like to end with a quote of our Honorable Chairman, Professor Muhammad Yunus- “Making money is happiness; however making other people happy is super happiness.”