Nov 28, ‘05: A housewife’s innovation has changed the lives of 80 poor families in Kechhuadubi village in Magura Sadar upazila. Every year thousands of mats made from meley (a cane-like plant) plant find their way to adjoining districts of Jhenidah, Kushtia, Razbari, Faridpur and even to Dhaka, the villagers benefiting from the innovation.

Nov 29, ‘05: Shamima Khatun, a winner of Global Microentrepreneurship Awards in Bangladesh, attend the UN gala Tuesday in New York. A wholesaler of vegetables, Shamima has been adjudged the winner of the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” organised by Citigroup Foundation, and UN Capital Development Fund. Shamima represented Bangladesh at the closing ceremony of the International Year of Microcredit.

These are but a few of the recent inspiring examples in the news of how entrepreneurship and innovation can better address poverty and destitution than handouts.