“The portfolio approach shows the power of well thought out partial solutions… it is not necessary to solve entire problems in order to improve the well-being of poor communities.”
- Portfolios of the Poor
The Portfolios of the Poor and our own research in Guatemala have shown us the power of financial tools such as microfinance. While these are not total solutions to poverty, the poor have an incredible ability to combine financial tools in order to survive. At times it is more important to keep tools simple, reliable and flexible instead of trying to create services that provide comprehensive coverage. This is one of the things that I will take away from my experience here and will try to apply to my future endeavors, be it social business or another area involved in development.
An area that could be further adapted to meet this principle is insurance coverage that is easy to understand, has low premiums that fit the poor´s cash flow and delivers payments quickly. This would be hugely beneficial even if the plan did not provide the full amount needed in an emergency.
Below are some links to great work being done by my favorite MFI´s that are providing health insurance to their borrowers.
Pro Mujer
https://promujer.org/index.tpl?&ng_view=39
Jamii Bora
http://www.jamiibora.org/health.htm
Grameen
http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/grameen-health-partners-leading-medical-care-providers
http://www.grameenhealth.org/about.html
- Portfolios of the Poor
The Portfolios of the Poor and our own research in Guatemala have shown us the power of financial tools such as microfinance. While these are not total solutions to poverty, the poor have an incredible ability to combine financial tools in order to survive. At times it is more important to keep tools simple, reliable and flexible instead of trying to create services that provide comprehensive coverage. This is one of the things that I will take away from my experience here and will try to apply to my future endeavors, be it social business or another area involved in development.
An area that could be further adapted to meet this principle is insurance coverage that is easy to understand, has low premiums that fit the poor´s cash flow and delivers payments quickly. This would be hugely beneficial even if the plan did not provide the full amount needed in an emergency.
Below are some links to great work being done by my favorite MFI´s that are providing health insurance to their borrowers.
Pro Mujer
https://promujer.org/index.tpl?&ng_view=39
Jamii Bora
http://www.jamiibora.org/health.htm
Grameen
http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/grameen-health-partners-leading-medical-care-providers
http://www.grameenhealth.org/about.html
RSS Feed
