Emory MDP student, Charlotte Newman (MDP ‘15) was selected as one of four rapporteurs covering the the 3-day International Microinsurance Conference hosted by Germany’s Munich Re Foundation in Mexico City. Newman was selected because of her background in microfinance and her work as the Assistant Editor for Microfinance and Financial Inclusion for the publication MicroCapital. Before beginning the MDP program, Newman spent two years as a Program Coordinator for Fundacion En Via, a nonprofit microfinance & ecotourism organization in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico.

The conference brought together some 400 participants from 54 countries to discuss recent challenges and opportunities for microfinance organizations. Conference participants represented financial institutions, governmental bodies, and development organizations from around the world, including the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and Mercy Corps. Newman provided detailed reporting on conference sessions during the event, including sessions on consumer protection, service design, the role of global insurance companies in providing microinsurance, and the delivery of appropriate health insurance services. This coverage will be included in the  forthcoming report on the conference proceedings, expected early in 2015.

The conference also gave Newman an opportunity to meet leaders in the field of microfinance. “This was a great opportunity to be surrounded by people who are practicing development on a daily basis and can speak to realities on the ground,” said Newman.  “I work for MicroCapital, a microfinance publication that features many of the individuals and organizations involved in the conference. It was nice to match names to faces.”

This summer, Newman will work on a USAID-funded program in Ethiopia that aims to improve health and nutrition outcomes by providing aquatic biomass as a feed supplement for poultry, fish, and cattle. She will develop curriculum for the project and work on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). Following graduation, she plans to continue working in program design, curriculum development, implementation, and monitoring & evaluation.

Top photo: Charlotte Newman (MDP ‘15) at the International Microinsurance Conference in Mexico City

Bottom photo: The conference brought together experts and practitioners from a wide range of financial institutions, governmental bodies and development organizations to discuss challenges in the microfinance sector.