Many Salvadorians believe in myths. When it comes to insuring against death it is a difficult concept for these people because taking out this kind of insurance is seen as wishing someone will die.
Nevertheless, for the many individuals from El Salvador who move north to the United States, death and, for some, the repatriation of the body back to El Salvador is an eventuality. Often it is left to the families back in El Salvador to pay for this repatriation which can amount to as much as $US12,000, a small fortune.
El Salvadors only cooperative insurance company, Seguros Futuro, is helping educate Salvadorians, many of whom believe that insurance is only for the wealthy.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is backing the program Propiciando los Microseguros para Receptores de Remesas. Under the program more than 500 people have attended education workshops. Of those who attended, between 20 and 30 per cent have taken up repatriation and remittance insurance or other life microinsurance products, or have joined the cooperative.
IYC Yearbook feature: https://ica.coop/en/iycbook