"To me, the poor are like Bonsai trees. When you plant the best seed of the tallest tree in a six-inch deep flower pot, you get a perfect replica of the tallest tree, but it is only inches tall. There is nothing wrong with the seed you planted; only the soil-base you provided was inadequate. Poor people are bonsai people. There is nothing wrong with their seeds. Only society never gave them a base to grow on."

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Source: Muhammad Yunus (2007). “Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism”, p.54, PublicAffairs

About the author

Muhammad Yunus

Social Entrepreneur

Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur known for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering microfinance to combat poverty.

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