Earlier this month, representatives from ICMIF member CIC Insurance Group (Kenya) and Cooperative Life Assurance Ltd, a subsidiary of CIC Insurance Group Malawi, participated in an exposure visit to another ICMIF member CARD MBA in the Philippines as part of the UNDP ICMIF Insurance Innovation Challenge (IIC). The programme provided delegates with the opportunity to learn from CARD MBA’s mutual microinsurance model and its role within CARD MRI’s mission to fight poverty, offering insights into its products, services, governance structure, and operations.

A key lesson was the emphasis on servant leadership, embodied by CARD MRI’s Founder and Chair Emeritus and ICMIF Vice Chair, Dr Jaime Aristotle Alip. The concept of servant leadership was first introduced by Robert Greenleaf in his 1970 essay, The Servant as Leader, where he described a leader’s primary role as serving others first. This is very much embedded in the Mi-MBAs within the network of MiMAP (RIMANSI), which includes CARD MBA. It is a leadership approach centred on providing service to people, where leaders prioritise the needs of their members and communities above their own interests. Delegates also observed the strong teamwork culture and the alignment of the organisation’s values at all levels.

Michael Mugo, Principal Officer at CIC Microinsurance Company, reflected: “CARD MBA’s leadership, governance, and technology, along with its simple product development and teamwork, offer valuable lessons for strengthening our microinsurance strategies. We look forward to applying these insights to enhance CIC’s IIC projects.”

The programme included interactive sessions and field visits, where delegates attended centre meetings at CARD Bank units, interviewed microinsurance coordinators and members, and visited provincial and main offices. These engagements highlighted how CARD MBA simplifies its product offerings, integrates microinsurance into operations, and uses member feedback to adapt products. A highlight was the discussion on CARD MBA’s efficient 8-24 Claims Strategy and its use of the “Panatag Ka” mobile app to enhance service delivery.

“This exposure visit has been incredibly insightful,” said Zachary Wambugu Kamunu, Managing Director of CIC Malawi. “Learning from CARD MBA’s simplicity in product design and teamwork will be key in refining our microinsurance initiatives in Africa.”

By the end of the programme, the CIC visitors said they had developed actionable strategies and gained valuable insights to enhance their IIC microinsurance projects in Kenya and Malawi. This exposure visit underscored the critical role of collaboration and mutual learning in advancing inclusive insurance solutions, ultimately strengthening efforts to build resilience in underserved communities across Africa.