The Grameen Yemen Foundation (GYF), established in 2018 on the microcredit and social business framework pioneered by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, is playing a significant role in expanding financial inclusion and access to social services across war-torn Yemen, a press release said.
On the sidelines of the Social Business Day 2026, representatives of the Grameen Yemen Foundation (GYF) called on Professor Muhammad Yunus and briefed him on the Foundation’s progress and future plans.
GYF has adapted the globally renowned Grameen model with technical support from Grameen Trust, to serve Yemeni communities amid ongoing conflict. Since launching field operations in July 2020, the organization has invested more than US$6 million in over 12,000 women-owned microenterprises, helping thousands of women build sustainable livelihoods despite prolonged instability and economic hardship. These investments have also generated approximately 5,000 additional jobs, strengthening household incomes and local economies.
Recognizing that poverty extends beyond financial exclusion, GYF has integrated microfinance with a broad range of social business initiatives. To date, the organization has provided 7,588 solar home systems, 1,063 cleft lip and palate surgeries and 9,161 cataract surgeries.
It has also provided 4,562 household water tanks, 5,000 home beds and constructed 725 sanitary household toilets. In addition, it has distributed 9,200 national identity cards to citizens.
Its programs also encompass eight kidney care centres, 73,504 livestock vaccinations, and 1,031 animal shelters. GYF has distributed more than 123,000 books to primary school children and established over 20 Mass Education Centres for senior citizens.
To support implementation of the Grameen model, Grameen Trust has deployed six resource persons to Yemen. Two currently serve as Project Director and Branch Manager, while four additional resource persons from Grameen Trust are expected to join within the next three months.
GYF is now in the final stages of obtaining a license from the Central Bank of Yemen to become a formal microcredit bank. Once licensed, it will become the first Grameen-model microcredit bank in Yemen and the first such institution established outside Bangladesh under Grameen Trust’s international replication program.
Looking ahead, GYF aims to reach 1,063,116 women members through 350 branches by 2050, building an inclusive financial system that empowers women entrepreneurs, creates employment, and contributes to Yemen’s long-term recovery.
Expressing his enthusiasm over Grameen Yemen’s progress, Professor Muhammad Yunus said, “Even in one of the world’s most fragile environments, Grameen Yemen continues to demonstrate that combining financial inclusion with social innovation can transform lives and help build more resilient, sustainable communities.”
