Muhammad Yunus received the Unlock Big Change award at a global education dinner in New York, a clear moment that showed how small loans, learning and local ideas can lift lives. The award was given to Yunus by Gordon Brown and the event was co-hosted by Sarah Brown, with United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi also honoured, showing wide support for actions that link rights, jobs and learning. The ceremony praised Yunus as a global trailblazer whose work has helped millions, and speakers said his model shows practical ways to fight poverty by opening doors to finance and education. Accepting the award, Yunus said that access to credit should be seen as a basic human right, as important as food, health care and school, and he told the audience that when families can borrow small amounts they can start businesses and pay for their children to attend school. He said education should teach creativity and how to solve real problems, and he urged schools and universities to help students learn to be entrepreneurs who use business to do good. The idea is simple: give people tools to create income, and they can lift their families and help their communities. Guests at the dinner noted how Yunus linked microcredit with education, and used many stories of women who used small loans to improve their homes, send children to class and create steady work. Speakers also said the approach can help build local firms, support new jobs and make social services stronger when people take part in business that helps others. Beyond praise, the meeting pushed for wider action, asking governments, donors and private groups to back training, small loans and local projects that test new ideas in real places. Presenters said partnerships across schools, banks and community groups can make it easier for young people to turn ideas into small firms. Panelists pointed to ways to measure impact so that simple projects can grow and more people can see the benefits. The mood was practical and hopeful because the message was clear: small steps that combine learning and finance can scale up to large benefits for families and towns. Many guests described the award as a reminder that steady local work, good rules and support that reaches outside big cities are needed. Co-honorees say his work is a model for using business ideas to solve social problems, and they urged civic groups to test the model in schools, job programs and village projects. The award night showed how ideas about credit, education and jobs can travel from local projects to global tables while still staying focused on easy, tested steps that people can use now. Many hope the focus will spread.
