The Remarkable Story of Champaben
The authors were invited to participate to the “Exposure Dialogue Programme” organised by SEWA in October 2004 during which they lived with an Indian family for two days and nights. It was by holding long conversations and following the life of their hosts that they were able to obtain these testimonials.
This story is about a young woman, therefore is it neither scientific nor can it be generalised, but nevertheless constitutes the reality of a life. This story was published in “Microinsurance as Social Protection”, SEWA, October 2004.
A two day stay with Champaben, a representative of SEWA's social work unit, helped the authors study the various facets of rural India. They realized that risk management in rural India is a function of what is experienced rather than what can be imagined. The major risks involved being health, death of a spouse, crop failure, natural disaster and death of a valuable animal.
The authors firmly believe that under such circumstances, insurance is clearly the fundamental need of the economically active poor. They feel that microinsurance can not only solve immediate financial needs, but can also empower the neediest, build confidence and help support social inclusion.
However, they also reaffirm that such insurance mechanisms for the working poor should be accompanied by a clear definition of the role of the state, both in terms of subsidizing costs and ensuring the most basic services that are available for the poorest of the poor.
