If a poor family is struck by a chronic illness, incapacity for work, a death in the family or a natural disaster, they are in double trouble: they lose their income and they continue to be in debt.
To alleviate such situations, Interpolis and Rabobank Foundation started to offer microinsurance about eight years ago. The Micro Insurance Association Netherlands (MIAN) was established in 2004. MIAN is a network of experts from Interpolis, Achmea, Univé and Rabobank, among other organisations, that aims to expand the microinsurance system globally and provide large-scale access to microinsurance. MIAN is now undertaking projects in various countries in Asia and Africa, which provide microinsurance services to about half a million families in total. Interpolis now being a division of the Achmea/Eureko Group, local organisations (i.e. insurers) receive guarantees from the Eureko Group for the first few years based on reinsurance. In 2007 Rabobank Foundation funded 232 man-days in the area of microinsurance.
Leasing specialist De Lage Landen decided, in 2007, to contribute knowledge and assign people to setting up a new microleasing programme in Albania. It is being reviewed, together with the SCA Union for Albania, whether a leasing product can be developed for farmers who want to invest in farm equipment, greenhouses, ploughs, irrigation systems and suchlike. These types of investments far exceed the level of microcredit.
Website MIAN