NEWS IN BRIEF
Thanks to your support…
As at June 2023
6,907,540 families supported through small loans in India and Indonesia
MICROFINANCE
HEALTH
Impact Partners bring opportunities to rural communities in Indonesia*
New health insurance program for India*
There are still many remote and rural communities in Indonesia that don’t have access to financial services – limiting the potential for women, families and communities to earn a sustainable income and determine their own futures. This year, 14 families and businesses in Australia have come together to collectively fund the set up of three new microfinance branches in areas of high need in South Sumatra. By supporting the establishment of new branches in South Sumatra, over two years, thousands of small business opportunities will open up for women in the local community. These businesses will enable them to feed their families nutritious food, send their children to school, and improve their quality of life. “By creating three new branches, supporters are helping reach a whole new region in Indonesia and bringing opportunities to women and families who would otherwise struggle to access financing and achieve their potential,” said Simon Lynch, Indonesia Director at Opportunity. “The impact will be felt for generations in these communities.”
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1,165 Health Leaders trained in India, Indonesia and Bangladesh, delivering household health education to 303,991 families
Opportunity International Australia is working alongside Uplift, a health partner in India, to develop a new health insurance initiative on the outskirts of Mumbai. Many people in the community are migrants from rural areas, and many men and women work in the informal sector as street vendors, daily wage labourers and domestic workers. People in this community do not have access or generally cannot afford health insurance. They are not part of any trade unions or formal groups, and often don’t have access to savings, credit or insurance. This new project is designed to encourage low-income communities to take out affordable health insurance as a long-term, low-cost method of reducing health expenses and improving access to quality health services. There are three parts of the initiative including emergency medical loans for people with sudden health expenses, health savings accounts targeting maternity care, to help families save for the expenses associated with childbirth, and health mutual insurance, focusing on reducing health risks and creating a sustainable lowcost health insurance product.
Opportunity is committed to continuing to work with our local partners in Indonesia to expand the reach of our trusted microfinance solutions and support the families and communities that need it most.
Community members are embedded in the product design phase, working with local government and local health services. Mutual insurance will provide coverage to previously marginalised groups, including people with disabilities.
Branches in remote parts of Indonesia provide business opportunites to communities where the need is high.
Uplift staff at a product design workshop for the new health insurance project.
*Project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
