Sixteen Decisions
One Small Loan Can Open the Door to New Lives
Adapted for the Kyangwali Women's Microcredit Project from the Grameen Bank's 16 Decisions
- Discipline, Unity, Courage and Hard Work – we shall follow and advance in all walks of our lives.
- Prosperity we shall bring to our families.
- We shall not live in dilapidated houses. We shall repair our houses and work towards constructing
new houses at the earliest.
- We shall grow vegetables all the year around. We shall eat plenty of them and sell the surplus.
- During the planting seasons, we shall plant as many seedlings as possible.
- We shall plan to keep our families small. We shall minimize our expenditures. We shall look
after our health.
- We shall educate our children.
- We shall always keep our children and the environment clean.
- We shall build and use pit-latrines.
- We shall drink tube-well water. If it is not available, we shall boil water or use alum.
- We shall not practice child marriage.
- We shall not inflict any injustice on anyone; neither shall we allow anyone to do so.
- We shall collectively ensure that all member's loans are repaid, counseling those who are in trouble.
- We shall always be ready to help each other. If anyone is in difficulty, we shall all help them.
- If we come to know of any breach of discipline in our group, we shall all meet and help restore
discipline.
- We shall take part in all group meetings and social activities collectively.
Prospective members study the 16 Decisions and are tested on them before being accepted as members. Most center meetings include recitation of some of the 16 Decisions.
The 16 Decisions are a social development program that places primary responsibility on the members themselves. Special social programs designed by members may be implemented to support members in following the decisions. For example, to support decision 5, "during the planting seasons, we shall plant as many seedlings as possible," members might become involved in seed distribution.