The first ever microinsurance partnership in the Pacific was launched between a community-based organization and an insurance company in the hidden paradise of Savusavu on the island of Vanua Levu. This marks a large step forward for microinsurance in the region, providing low-income and rural people access to much-needed insurance products.
The launch took place in the village of Urata, where local communities gathered to witness the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations, Mr. Knut Ostby, launch the microinsurance scheme. The entire community of 40 villages in the Wailevu District will have access to this microinsurance “funeral” product from Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI). Funerals can be very expensive in Fiji. This product will help low-income families meet the high, often unexpected costs associated with them. For $14 a year, an insured-person’s family will receive $1,000 in the case of natural death and $2,000 in the case of accidental death.
This innovative, low-cost insurance scheme is specifically designed to meet the needs of people in rural Fijian communities. Mr.






