Our lives in our hands

Amanda Heng



It is human instinct to strive for survival and it always begins with our hands. In our culture, we have high regards for prominent people who make their fortune from modest beginning, which is hard work with bare hands.

Novel Peace Prize Winner, Muhammad Yunus, a professor of economics believes that the poor have as much energy and creativity as any human being. He once said in an interview, “Poverty is not created by poor people. Poverty is created by the system that we built. And the only thing to change it is to redesign our institutions and policies. “In 1983 he started Grameen Bank and innovated the microcredit system that make loans on the basis of trust, not on legal contracts. He lends lots of small amount of money to the poor, and to women who are most mentally and materially denied in Bangladesh.
These loans have not only encouraged poor people to take responsibility to generate more money and bring food to their families, but also gave them dignity and respect and brought meaning to their lives. I was moved by the positive attitude and kind spirit. It not only allows people to start life as full human beings but also puts a dream in people’s heart. This project is inspired by the uplifting spirit shown in
Prof. Yunus, and the women borrowers who took control of their lives in their own hands.

Migrant workers and local audience are invited to make their own portraits and exchange with others while research materials on human resource in our history and developments are exhibited in the project.