"I've said for years (Yunus) is the Gandhi of the modern world," Woodworth said. "He doesn't take a vow of poverty ... but he lives on a few hundred dollars a month."

BYU honored Yunus — who also was honored as a 2005 Freedom Award Recipient at America's Freedom Festival at Provo — with an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 1998.

"(Yunus' award) helps us in our (BYU) program to be able to say this is real, this is what's happening and here's how the international community is recognizing that," said Todd Manwaring, BYU professor and managing director of the BYU Center for Economic Self Reliance.

The center has spread Yunus' message with a short film explaining microcredit.

The film "Small Fortunes: Microcredit and the Future of Poverty," which was shown on PBS, explains the life-changing proposition in detail through the eyes of village women who have taken out and repaid their loans.

For information about BYU's programs and how to get involved, visit www.small-fortunes.com.

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E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com