Building financial inclusion for youth in PNG

The Children’s Financial Literacy (CFL) project supports young students at public schools in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG) in developing crucial financial literacy skills to support a lifetime of smart money habits. The project addresses a critical gap in young people’s education through six weeks of structured classes within their school environment, delivered by AMF-Cufa’s experienced trainers and supported by volunteers recruited from the local community.

Project Activities:

Beginning in July, AMF-Cufa staff commenced their preparations for CFL this year by reaching out to the local Port Moresby community seeking expressions of interest from young adults enthusiastic about supporting financial literacy classes in public schools. A total of 147 submissions were received, with approximately 120 meeting the minimum requirements to progress.

After an exhaustive review of all submissions six candidates were shortlisted to continue, with additional information requested, interviews conducted to screen for child protection and safeguarding, and broader discussions held to ensure they aligned with the project's overall goals.

After all interviews were completed two candidates (one man, one woman) were confirmed, with support structures put in place to ensure they could successfully contribute to the project. An intensive three-day training was coordinated by our trainers, inducting the volunteers not only into the CFL curriculum but also effective teaching practises for educating young people and mandatory safeguarding expectations.

Starting Tuesday, 4th August, AMF-Cufa trainers and volunteers will begin their weekly sessions with six Grade 6 classes at Coronation Primary where they expect to reach approximately 450 students. Classes will initially be led by AMF-Cufa trainers, with volunteers providing assistance until gaining enough experience to lead the classes themselves. Classes will continue for six weeks until mid-September, with all students receiving their completion certificates on their final day.

AMF-Cufa's multi-year CFL volunteer initiative proves the power of inclusive programming. The model creates a win-win: volunteers strengthen their communities while developing financial literacy knowledge and gaining real-world work skills. Significantly, this pathway has helped numerous former volunteers transition into permanent employment.

Links:

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