UGANDA LINKING SAVINGS GROUPS

Transcription

1 UGANDA LINKING SAVINGS GROUPS to Funeral Insurance November 2011 I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3

2 UGANDA Moyo Kaabong Kitgum Arua Kotido Gulu Nebbi Moroto Lira Masindi Soroti Katakwi Kumi Kamuli Mbale Fort Portal Kampala Jinja Tororo Ibanda Masaka Entebbe Mbarara Zone of intervention Save Up Project

3 Introduction When Africa s rural poor gain access to financial services, the benefits can be transformative. CARE has been nurturing this process of transformation since 1991 when it began to cultivate a savingsled micro-finance movement based on village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) in Niger. Today CARE s VSLAs serve more than 2.8 million people in 26 African countries nearly 80 percent of them women who, experience shows, invest most effectively in improving their families lives. Meanwhile many other organizations working in developing countries have also adopted the savingsled methodology; it is estimated that, in all, more than 4 million Africans are now benefiting from this approach. When Africa s rural poor gain access to financial services, the benefits can be transformative. In 2008 CARE launched Access Africa, a 10-year program designed to scale up the VSLA methodology to reach 30 million people in 39 African countries during the decade. Access Africa s first project, Save Up, began working intensively in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda in 2009, expanding the number of VSLAs through demand-driven replication by trained VSLA members called village agents (VAs). When this phase of Save Up ended in August 2011, it had established more than 18,000 VSLAs in these three countries, serving more than 400,000 members. As VSLAs mature, their need for more sophisticated financial services becomes apparent. Many VSLAs today are accumulating larger and larger amounts in savings and emergency funds that need to be stored securely and earn interest. Often members need to borrow more than their VSLA funds can provide. They need to transfer money instantly and they need access to specialized insurance, especially to defray the unforeseen costs of funerals. In other words, like the rest of us, Africa s poor need to be linked to a variety of formal financial services and products such as bank accounts, mobile money transfer technologies and insurance. In 2009 CARE s Save Up program launched three pilot projects to provide such linkages in the three Save Up countries: bank accounts in Malawi, mobile phone banking in Tanzania and funeral insurance in Uganda. This publication describes the process of linking VSLA members in Uganda with funeral insurance. 1Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3

4 Anna Kibussi, 65, and Rose Mary Awori, 35, have never met, but they have much in common. Both woman are members of a VSLA formed in 2009 by CARE s Save Up program. When they had been members for less than a year, they both decided to purchase funeral insurance offered through these groups. After that both women paid a small amount every week until they had paid their entire premiums of $3.15. Some time later, Anna s husband died of illness; Rose Mary s husband was killed in a motorcycle accident. Less than a month after their husbands deaths, both women received insurance payments of $167 in cash, delivered by CARE s local partner organization, to help them defray the funeral expenses. In Uganda s rural communities such costs can be a huge financial burden for families, especially when a death is unexpected as it was for Anna and Rose Mary. But these women were fortunate. The amounts they received for their claims covered the entire cost of their husbands funerals with money left over. Anna has since been able to purchase a small plot of land for farming and Rose Mary bought a bull that she rents out to farmers for plowing. In spite of their devastating loss, these women now have confidence that they can face the future and continue to provide for their families. Methodology Identitfy the need When CARE Uganda was planning to launch its pilot project linking VSLA members to formal banking services, they conducted a needs assessment among VSLAs in Butaleja and Tororo, two of the seven districts where Save Up operates. They found that the need for funeral insurance was the number one priority among VSLA members as people commonly die from many causes ranging from pneumonia, road accidents, HIV/ AIDS, and children die of malaria and other diseases. No matter what has killed the person, it s always a shock when a family loses someone. Funeral expenses can run to as much as $300 in these districts, including buying a coffin, paying for the burial and providing food for mourners, who often visit the bereaved family for a number of days 2Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3

5 before and after the funeral. There may also be hospital or doctor bills to pay as well as the cost of transporting the body. These sudden expenses are more than many families can afford, and at a time of grief when the financial burden can be overwhelming, an insurance payment of $167 can be a significant help. In August 2010 CARE conducted a study of VSLAs in Tororo district that was part of the micro-insurance pilot project. Table 1 shows the main reasons people were willing to pay for funeral insurance: Table 1: Motivation for Purchasing Funeral Insurance Reasons for taking out funeral insurance Access to benefits To reduce pressure on clan members to contribute to burial costs To avoid selling personal property to pay burial costs To reduce risks associated with borrowing Ensure help by accessing benefits of compensation To easily borrow money in case of death and be assured of paying it back Not to worry about funeral costs for self and children To be prepared To avoid spending a lot of money To feel safe and secure PERCENT Yet, despite these incentives, rural people with little education do not always easily understand the concept of how insurance works. Insurance is not easy to promote to people who don t understand it and the main reason CARE chose these two districts for the insurance linkage pilot is that literacy levels are generally higher there than in other areas. Also CARE was already working with a local non-government organization, Community Vision, on the Save Up program in these districts, so they were an obvious choice to carry out the linkage project. It was their field officers (called community-based trainers, or CBTs) who actually sold the policies to VSLA members, receiving about 10 cents commission on every policy sold. Training VSLA members in micro-insurance The insurance company chosen by CARE s Access Africa program, MicroEnsure, seemed an obvious choice. MicroEnsure is a multinational insurance intermediary wholly owned by Opportunity International, a global network of non-profit micro-finance institutions. In 2009 CARE Uganda began working with MicroEnsure to design an appropriate funeral insurance product. The premium was set at $3.15 per VSLA member, covering six people per household including the VSLA member, one spouse and up to four children. The agreement was finalized and MicroEnsure started working on the linkage pilot in October Training of VSLA members in micro-insurance was conducted by the CBTs during three consecutive weekly group meetings with support from a MicroEnsure program manager. The first week included training in the basics of micro-insurance; the second week covered the specific MicroEnsure product and the funeral insurance process itself. The third week was a recap session. Table 2 shows the various roles of the CBT and MicroEnsure management. 3Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3

6 Table 2: Roles of CBT and Management in Micro-Insurance Rollout Roles of CBT Sensitize of community on insurance Train groups Ensure that members pay for premiums and get registered Guide group members on how to bank premium payments Roles of Program Manager and Project Officer Sensitize community on insurance Train CBTs Receive bank slips as proof of payment for premiums Process compensation VSLA management committees also have important responsibilities with regard to the insurance policies, as outlined in Table 3. Table 3: Roles of VSLA Management Committees Roles Continue sensitizing members about insurance product and the importance of paying premiums Ensure that members have completed premium payments and that the money has been submitted to the COMVIS office Record premiums paid by members Record members premium installment contributions Take contributions to the bank Confirm death Write letter to local council and inform them about death Follow up with local council to ensure that the letter is approved Ensure that affected person receives compensation Finally VSLA members themselves have a significant role to pay as well, as outlined in Table 4. 4Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3 Table 4: Roles of VSLA Members in the Insurance Process Roles Pay premium installments Encourage other members to pay premiums Follow up on receipts to prove payment Confirm death to group chairperson Provide information about and verify beneficiaries listed Ensure that affected person receives compensation

7 Group vs individual policies To reinforce group cohesion and solidarity, CARE intended that the insurance policies be sold to entire VSLA groups. But as MicroEnsure proceeded with the pilot, it became clear that there was a misunderstanding. Instead of selling policies to VSLA groups, MicroEnsure was approaching individual VSLA members. There are about 700 VSLA groups in the two pilot districts, supported by CARE and Plan International, and each group has approximately 28 members for a total of about 19,600 individuals. Taking into account that spouses who are members of the same VSLA would buy one policy instead of two and that some members are single and don t need funeral insurance, CARE decided that participation of 70 percent of the members of a group would be optimal. Depending on their ability to pay, some members pay their premiums in installments to their group then their group pays the premiums in bulk to MicroEnsure. For a group of 28 members, if 70 percent were enrolled, MicroEnsure would receive $63. To reach this level of coverage, CARE intended that purchasing a policy should be mandatory for around 70 percent of the members of the VSLAs that expressed interest. The policy holders would not be insured unless all eligible members were regularly paying their premiums, which amounted to pennies a week. Group solidarity would encourage everyone to pay their premiums on time. Among the VSLAs participating in the August 2010 study, about 10 percent of members fell behind in their premium payments for a number of reasons. For example they had not been sufficiently trained in microinsurance and did not appreciate its value. Others, who belonged to polygamous households, could not decide which wife of the household should be insured. Determine the right price Selling insurance to VSLA groups reflects one of CARE s fundamental VSL programming goals, which emphasizes the benefits of promoting group cohesion and a sense of mutual support among members. But in the case of insurance, CARE also sees a purely economic incentive for working on the basis of groups. To reach poor customers, MicroEnsure set its premiums so low that the returns from policies sold on an individual basis were negligible and, as it turned out, one of the mistakes made by MicroEnsure by recruiting individuals. Due to the low incomes of the VSLA members, individual sales were not cost effective and the promotion of group insurance was necessary. If serviced properly, CARE felt that these low-income people could make good clients but only when served in groups. 5Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3

8 But MicroEnsure had a different idea. They recruited individuals, scattered among a total of 33 groups, says Ms. Nyonyozi, lead advisor for SAVE UP Uganda. So you find that in a group of, say, 30 members, only two would have insurance. That s how you end up with many groups involved but relatively few individuals with insurance policies. And in a VSLA with only two policy holders, peer pressure to pay premiums on time was nonexistent. After CARE discovered the problem, they insisted that MicroEnsure sell policies on a group basis. During the next 4 months, sales of insurance policies increased rapidly to a total of 498 policies, and Community Vision s CBTs were earning larger amounts in commissions. But in May 2010 MicroEnsure terminated its involvement with the project. To ensure that the nearly 500 policies already sold would remain active through uninterrupted coverage, CARE stepped in and transferred the policies to another broker, the underwriter APA (Uganda Limited). However, since MicroEnsure had charged customers less than When there is APA s prices, CARE provided nearly $3,000 to make up the difference. As insurance, instead a result, all of the policy holders continued to be covered and CARE and of saving money for Community Vision retained their good standing in the communities. a death eventuality, people invest it. Ripple-effect benefits Rabbecca Nyonyozi CARE has found that funeral insurance can have benefits for a family above Save Up Uganda and beyond the payment of funeral expenses. If a VSLA member has funeral Lead Advisor insurance, the dread of an unexpected disaster is significantly reduced and with it the inclination to avoid investing in business through fear that whatever money is on hand may suddenly be urgently needed. When people know that they have funeral insurance, they feel free to use their funds for productive purposes or to take out loans from their group to invest in a business. Figure 1 shows the different levels of economic activities engaged in by VSLA members who had funeral insurance compared to those who were uninsured. Figure 1: Economic Activities of Insured and Uninsured Members 8.0% 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 6Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No % 0.0% Selling Vegetable Insured Commercial Farming Selling Flour uninsured Selling Fish Brewing Beer The study also shows that VSLA members in insured groups took out more loans than their counterparts in uninsured groups, as demonstrated in Table 5. Study participants reported that they felt empowered to borrow because they could plan the use of their resources, which enabled them to diversify incomegenerating activities that require more capital. Bar Selling Produce Retail Shop Eating House

9 Table 5: VSLA Members with Loans Outstanding Number of Members in Group Above 25 Less than 15 Insured Members with Loans Outstanding 9.1% 27.3% 9.1% 9.1% Uninsured Members with Loans Outstanding.0%.0% 45.5%.0% Funeral insurance can also have positive effects on other areas of family wellbeing. In fact CARE even sees a link between funeral insurance and a decrease in sudden deaths. During the 3½ years of the insurance pilot, out of nearly 500 insurance policies purchased, only four claims were filed. (Two more, for $83 each, were for children). This shows that people were able to provide for their medical requirements. The result was a reduction in mortality rates. If a family has a funeral insurance policy, therefore, they may be more willing to spend money on maintaining their health, on educating their children, on buying better food, on farm inputs or on making home repairs. People who have insurance are able to meet expenses that they would not have met if they didn t know that there was support for them in case they need it. These are the indirect benefits that enable people to refocus the little funds they have after paying the premium. Having an insurance policy enables them to identify different priorities and expenses. People who have insurance are able to meet expenses that they would not have met if they didn t know that there was support for them in case they need it. Rabbecca Nyonyozi Save Up Uganda Lead Advisor Future Plans And Lessons Learned CARE has established an agreement with another East African insurance company, Jubilee Holdings, with whom it will expand the micro-insurance pilot in five new districts, on more favorable terms than those offered by MicroEnsure. The funeral policy cost will slightly increase as compared to MicroEnsure s policies. 7Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3

10 The policy will cost an individual approximately $13.60, payable in two installments of $6.80. Benefits will increase to $227 per adult and children s benefits rise to $136. CARE anticipates that Jubilee s pricing will prove to be a sustainable way to reach more rural populations with funeral insurance. Overall, despite the problems with MicroEnsure, the funeral insurance linkage pilot has been a success, helping to build confidence and enhance relationships among VSLA members. The benefits of being insured are now understood at a very personal level by many policy holders. In fact the pilot has also been highly educational, as it has given VSLA members hands-on experience in the value of paying for something that at first seems as intangible as insurance. When interviewed in August 2010 group members in Tororo district cited other forms of insurance that they feel would be beneficial to them (see Table 6). Table 6: Other Insurance Products Desired By VSLA Members Types of Insurance Medical Agriculture production (flood, drought) Fire Education Theft Percent Interested 38.5% 23.1% 15.4% 19.2% 3.8% Demand for funeral insurance among VSLA members is expected to grow in the coming years as news of the payments received by policy holders spreads throughout the communities. VSLA clients generally perceive that the product serves their needs, that the premiums are affordable and the payments significant; and Community Vision remains committed to promoting micro-insurance as part of their VSLA offerings. Key lessons learned from the micro-insurance linkage project include: Paying for premiums has created security and confidence among insured members since they are now assured that burial costs will be met. This, in turn, has resulted in improved savings and loan use among insured members. Communities readily embrace interventions that have tangible benefits, such as the insurance payouts that have been witnessed by many. This has encouraged many more members to enroll and pay for premiums. 8Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3 Proper coordination, shared priorities and constant follow-up by all stakeholders at all levels are key to the successful implementation of any development program. Proper design of the implementation strategy, especially the definition of roles and responsibilities of key players, contributes significantly to a successful project. The micro-insurance program manager (housed at Community Vision) and the CBTs have played a crucial role, although there is a need to ensure that CBTs remain motivated to participate in the linkage project, since they are the drivers of VSLA linkage implementation. VAs were not involved in this pilot, but if CARE continues to support micro-insurance, they must be involved to ensure sustainability. VAs remain in the community more often than CBTs. Therefore VAs can be important promoters of micro-insurance.

11 CARE VSLA Membership Tunisia Western Sahara (Occupied by Morocco) Morocco Algeria Libya Egypt 6,899 Senegal Mauritania Mali 123,914 Niger 238,366 Chad Sudan Eritrea 4,000 Gambia Guinea Guinea-Bissau Sierra Leone 30,322 Liberia 1,634 Cote d'ivoire 17,799 Burkina Faso Nigeria Ethiopia Ghana South Sudan 101,150 27,358 Central African Republic Togo Cameroon Benin 5,621 Uganda Equatorial Guinea 503,402 Congo Kenya Gabon Rwanda 299, ,114 Democratic Republic Burundi of the Congo 149,763 Angola 12,977 Tanzania 461,380 Djibouti Somalia 8,000 Angola 9,115 Zambia 1,000 Malawi 157,348 Mozambique 104,113 Namibia Botswana Zimbabwe 139,436 Madagascar 9,423 First Wave Swaziland Lesotho 14,323 South Africa 12,597 Second Wave Third Wave Excluded Data as of June 2011

12 Headquarters CARE USA 151 Ellis Street Atlanta, GA T) F) ACCESS AFRICA Program Office CARE Tanzania P.O. Box (mailing) Plot No 101 Kinondoni Road (physical) Dar-Es-Salaam Tanzania CARE s Save Up initiative is funded by: Editorial Credits Author: Kristin Helmore, Editor: Sybil Chidiac Photo Credits Cover and Pages 1, 5 and 7: Jake A. Herrie/CARE; Pages 2: Ami Vitale/CARE. CARE is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer (AA/M/F/D/V) dedicated to workplace diversity. CARE and CARE Package are registered marks of CARE. Copyright 2010 by Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE). All rights reserved. Sept I Access Africa Technical Learning Series : No. 3 10