BY RODRICK DESURI
Auki
A US consultant, Michael Szporluk, was in Auki, Malaita Province, for a TrigaCash consultation on how the initiative reached the people of Malaita Province.
The one-day consultation took place yesterday at the Council of Women Centre and Kilu’ufi Hospital, where he consulted with different people from various offices in Malaita Province.
In an exclusive interview with this paper yesterday, Szporluk said the consultation was based on feedback from the TrigaCash initiative phase one, how information was disseminated to reach targeted people and recommendations.
He said that from the consultations and feedback, they will improve where needed to ensure that the initiative reach the targeted people.
Szporluk said the second phase of the TrigaCash initiative will come after feedback is collected from the people and that the second phase will cover all areas that need improvement from the first phase.
“So, this consultation is just to get feedback from people on how they know about TrigaCash.
“It also focuses on where and who this initiative needs to reach, how people got to know about TrigaCash, and what areas need improvement.
“After that, we will improve all the areas that have gaps and need enhancement before the second phase of this initiative,” he said.
He added that, based on their collected data, the number of registered people who have joined the initiative was poor compared to their expectations.
TrigaCash is the Solomon Islands’ first parametric micro-insurance product, designed to protect small business owners, farmers, fishers, and informal workers against climate shocks like heavy rainfall, drought, and cyclones.
It provides automatic, rapid payouts based on verified weather data rather than traditional loss assessments.
Szporluk has over 20 years of experience in international development and humanitarian action.
He has supported a wide range of international and domestic clients on issues as diverse as housing, land use, employment, procurement, strategic planning, assessments of relief programs, capacity building for organisations of persons with disabilities, and legislative and policy research.
He has provided technical support to multiple UN country teams in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
Editor: [email protected]
