Originated from: http://www.socialearth.org/the-true-story-of-how-a-poor-bangladeshi-rickshaw-puller-used-his-social-entrepreneurship
A poor Bangladeshi rickshaw puller used his social entrepreneurship spirit to start a clinic for the poor. Joynal Abedin still remembers the night 30 years ago when he saw his father die because there was no medical centre; the event caused him to vow to set up a medical facility. At that time the nearest hospital to his village in the northern Mymensingh district of Bangladesh was about 20km (12 miles) away.
Abedin had determination and a strong social entrepreneurship ambition which spurred him to head for Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, to create change. Being poor and like other migrants to the city, he started to pull a rickshaw to earn money. Rickshaw pullers are among the bottom rung of society and earn less than a dollar a day. This did not deter him; he soon opened a bank account to save money for the health clinic in his village. After he had saved more than $4,000 (£2,550), Mr Abedin returned to his village, where he bought a small plot of land with his savings. He built a tin roof house for himself and then built a shed for the clinic, which he equipped with a few tables and beds from the money he had left.
He named his clinic Mumtaz Hospital, and initially requested a paramedic to give first aid treatment. Soon news spread about his clinic and villagers came for basic treatment. Now a regular local paramedic treats patients and a doctor pays a weekly visit. Those with serious conditions are referred to the hospital. Daily, the centre treats around 100 patients. Now with help from some individuals and companies who have invested in Abedin’s social entrepreneurship, a basic pharmacy is running, distributing free medicines to patients.
The health centre treats minor ailments like fever, diarrhoea and simple injuries and helps those who suffer from asthma. It also has a small maternity ward, although those with complications are immediately referred to a hospital. The staff members also talk to rural women on maternal health and child care. Villagers from neighbouring areas speak highly of Joynal Abedin’s social entrepreneurship work.
When the local media reported on his social entrepreneurship work, some individuals were inspired to make a financial donation to Abedin, which he used to build a couple of tin roof sheds and started a coaching centre for primary school students! This coaching centre caters to the children of day labourers and farmers; now more than 150 students are studying Bengali, Arabic, basic maths and English. It is very unusual in a country like Bangladesh for a rickshaw puller to invest his entire savings to start a clinic for others, but Joynal Abedon’s ambition does not stop here. He says, “My dream is to convert this clinic into a full-fledged hospital with the help of the government and other donors.”
From the story above, it is clear that nothing is impossible... When there is a will, there is a way.
In conclusion, Social Enterprise Clinic is not just a dream that is unreachable, in fact, it is going to be a great success in the future --and most importantly, it is able to make a huge difference in the world...
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